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A young person’s crash course to saving our planet

We’ve all been hearing about climate change and global warming, whether on the news,
in school, or scrolling on Facebook. We all know that it’s a growing problem, and we all want to
do something about it. But what’s going on, exactly, and won’t someone figure it out for us? It’s
not going to effect us that much, right? These are common perceptions as our society is
seemingly disconnected from this issue. We need to take action, and there is still so much to be
done to preserve the place we call home and all of it’s inhabitants. So, what can be done, then?
It’s easy to get overwhelmed or remove one’s self from such a massive and daunting issue, but
this article will first help to educate on the current state of the planet, and then will provide
information on exactly what we all can do make an impact as an individual.

What exactly is global warming?


Global warming and climate change are interchangeable terms that refer to the gradual increase
in global temperature. Naturally, when sunlight passes through earth’s atmosphere, it heats the
earth and then is bounced back into space. The problem lies where the heat gets absorbed by
greenhouse gases in earth’s lower atmosphere. 90% of the greenhouse gases are absorbed,
preventing the heat from going back into space. As the level of gases in the atmosphere rises, the
rate of global warming accelerates. These chemicals include but are not limited to methane,
water vapor, and nitrous oxide. The impact of climate change around the globe is being
determined by the rate at which the earth is being polluting with these gases. In 2016, levels of
CO2 reached a record high in 800,000 years.

Climate change and extinction are natural occurrences, but not at this extremely rapid rate, which
would normally take hundreds of thousands of years to ensue. The rate of global temperature
increase has almost doubled in the past 50 years. The Paris Climate Treaty presented an
agreement between governments that the world would not exceed a 2% increase in global
temperature, but the chances that we will meet this goal are looking very slim. Anything over a
2.5% degree increase in global temperature from where we are now is considered extremely
dangerous for humans to live in this biosphere. Scientists are currently estimating that we will
reach anywhere from a 3% increase to a 7% increase by the turn of the century. A 4-5% increase
is hotter than any point on earth for
the last 1.2 million years, and a 7%
increase in temperature has never
sustained life on earth before.
Moreover, there is a certain point
that the earth will reach when the
damages are irreversible. This is
called ‘hothouse state’. Even if the
gases are reduced after this point,
consequences will have emerged that, in a ripple effect, that will continue the earth warming.
For example, the ice caps in the Arctic, which
will predictably be an ice-free sea before 2050
and “possibly in a decade or two” as the rates
of melting have tripled between 2012 and 2017,
will lose it’s cooling effect. More than 90% of
man made heat ends up being absorbed by the
oceans, which is equivalent to the heat of a
“Hiroshima sized bomb being exploded every
second for 75 years straight”. As the trends
show, much of the earth will become
uninhabitable due to temperature.

What are some other significant consequences


of this?
Along with continued warming, when the ice caps melt, sea levels rise. Countries all over the
world will become fully submerged, starting with places like the Maldives, the Philippians,
Indonesia, and Fiji, and eventually threatening other major cities such as Sydney, Los Angeles,
and New York. As well, natural habitats are run to extinction or interrupted and interfered with.

Weather and natural disasters are greatly effected by climate change. Different climate models
show a consensus that there is a high possibility of climate change inducing in an increased
number of storms such as tropical cyclones with higher wind speeds (in areas that mainly affect
Earth’s mid-level containing the most populated regions), “intense cycles of droughts and
floods”, and more.

Death and disease become much more


prevalent as climate change progresses.
Nutritional problems act as a catalyst for rates
of infectious diseases, natural disasters make
health crisises worse, and changes in the
development and spread of infectious diseases
is inevitable when environmental conditions
change. Disease carrying bugs multiply,
conditions favor mosquitos; malaria, cholera,
Lyme disease, and even modern strains of the
bubonic plague due to a spike in rat
populations are only a few examples of
diseases that will increase and spread with
global warming. Displacement of mass
amounts of people due to climate will be another contributor to spread, as disease comes in from
other regions to people with no immunity. Health impacts also depend on temperature extremes
and weather events. Even in the United States there are hundreds of annual deaths due to heat;
more than all of the deaths from natural disasters combined. Deathly heat waves have become
more frequent.

Wildlife is dying. Billions of populations of animals have been lost in recent decades due to
climate related consequences such as pollution, loss of habitat, and invasive species. Up to 200
species of animals are going extinct every day. There was a 58% decline in global wildlife
populations between 1970 and 2012, with an 81% decline in animal populations living in lakes,
rivers, and freshwater systems. ‘Unprecedented marine extinction’ is also occurring, which
scientists say will already disrupt the ocean’s ecosystem for millions of years.

What is a ‘mass extinction’? How does this relate to what’s happening right now?
A mass extinction is, by a loose definition, when about half of the species on the planet or more
gets wiped out. It is characterized by a rapid decrease in biodiversity. Climate change and mass
extinctions are a natural occurrence, but not at this rate. More than 90% of organisms that have
ever lived on earth are now extinct. Earth has lost more than half of it’s wildlife populations due
almost solely to climate change in only the last 4 decades, which in geological time is unheard
of. A study of 177 mammal species revealed that they have lost an aggregate 80% of their
distribution from 1900 to 2015.

So far, in recorded human history, there has been five mass extinctions. Scientists say that we are
very well at the beginning of the sixth.

What’s the deal with the ocean?


Ocean acidification is the number one disaster currently associated with the death of our oceans
is ocean acidification. Our oceans are reaching an average 1% degree increase in ocean
acidification per year. This happens mostly because they absorb a large portion of our emissions.
In addition, the oceans are getting hotter and are absorbing more than double the amount of heat
than in 1997.

Dead zones occur when the oxygen is deprived from large amounts of ocean space due to algal
blooms. Algal blooms, which are a rapid increase in concentrated algae that absorb the oxygen
from these areas, are being increasingly
triggered by pollution and runoff, most of
which is coming from industrial meat and
dairy farming. These blooms have a range
of harmful effects for humans, such as
disease. Marine life apart from certain
species of jellyfish (which could set off a
further cycle of ocean acidification) are
unable to sustain any form life in an algal
bloom dead zone. Dead zones have
quadrupled since 1950, with hundreds of dead zones all over the globe ranging thousands of
miles and killing massive quantities of wildlife.

So…what are some of the top contributors to all of this pollution?


Industrial animal agriculture is not only the leading cause of dead zones and one of the top
contributors to ocean pollution and extinction - it is also one of the top contributors to global
greenhouse gas emissions. Although powerful agriculture industries will fight this notion with
online propaganda and partnerships to maintain their profits, the industrial aspect of meat and
dairy, cows specifically, is horribly destructive to our earth, with studies even showing meat,
dairy and their byproducts to be responsible for a shocking 51% of greenhouse gases worldwide.
Although some argue that that statistic is too high, if the world reduced meat consumption by
15%, it would have the same impact on emissions as taking 240 million cars off of the road each
year. Animal agriculture is also responsible for 90% of Amazonian deforestation, which will be
further explained below. Many scientists and environmentalists claim the effects from the
farming of cows on mass scales to be the top contributor to climate change as we know it – and
even then, the global meat and dairy giants severely underreport their emissions. Five meat and
dairy companies produce more emissions than big oil companies annually, and yet meat and
dairy remains an elephant in the room of climate change.

Deforestation is one of the main contributors to climate change, and it is mainly a problem
because plants and trees absorb a large amount of our carbon dioxide emissions and release vital
oxygen. About 40% of manmade CO2 is absorbed by the world’s forests, and global tree cover
decreased by 51% from 2015 to 2016; equivalent to 27 soccer field sized areas being deforested
per minute. Other effects of deforestation include soil erosion, the destruction of habitats, and
affecting weather patterns with ‘vapor flows’. Most of the global deforestation is occurring in
tropical rainforests and is attributed to making room for cattle farms. Deforestation by fire is also
significant, with millions of acres lost to fires each year. Once a forest is gone, it is gone forever
and a change in biome ensues.
Fast fashion is another harmful industry – think companies like Forever 21, H&M, and Top
Shop. While clothes used to be cherished and kept for generations, our society has recently
developed a sense of ‘fast fashion’ where we buy cheap clothes at low prices and have a high
turnover of our wardrobe, which then end up in landfills. Studies claim that not only is the fast
fashion industry the second highest polluter of clean water, but also responsible for a large chunk
of global emissions. This is projected to increase sharply, with fast fashion emissions projected
to rise by 60% by 2030.

Big oil companies and the burning of fossil fuels. Although here they are grouped into one
category, these are massive problems that both interact and stand individually. In the United
States alone during 2016, fossil fuels were the source of 76% of American greenhouse gases.
Fossil fuels get burned mostly for energy consumption, hence the coal induced smog that is thick
in Southeast Asia in Eastern Europe, but also by the meat and dairy industry, the fast fashion
industry, during transportation, and more. Big oil companies also pose great threats to the
environment, burning more than 100 million metric tons of greenhouse gases per year after 2015.

Transportation is said to be responsible for about 13% of greenhouse gases. With increased
globalization, the use of transportation is on the rise, especially long distance flights, with one
transatlantic flight equating to an individual’s entire year worth of emissions from driving.

So, aren’t corporations mostly at fault for this? How can individuals be held accountable?
In a capitalist society, corporations earn capital based on a supply and demand system. The
people – us – provide the demand for harmful products, such as meat, dairy, palm oil, and
plastic, which results in a need for greater supply to match the demand. As human populations
grow, demand also grows. If demand for harmful products were to fall, there would be an excess
of goods and the supply would eventually follow. Without the demand, the corporations would
not supply as much – we must hold ourselves accountable to reflect the changes we want to see.

What is being done about all of this?


It is not a secret that climate change is spiraling out of control. However, we are still studying the
facts in order to deal with problems as they arise. There are organizations such as the United
Nations, universities, and individuals putting money and time into conservation efforts, but a lot
more immediate action needs to be taken.
What can I do?

- Vote. Regardless of your political


orientation, use your voice and vote for the
politicians and leaders that will put the
environment as a top priority, both
municipally and federally. Vote for leaders
who care about things like transitioning to
cleaner energy and about agreements such
as the Paris Climate Treaty that promote
“Politicians discussing climate change” sculpture in Berlin
international effort. Vote for leaders who care
about animal conservation efforts, such as Obama when he created the world’s largest
protected marine area at just over a million square kilometers. In many countries, you can
vote in elections if you hold citizenship even if you are living abroad and not present in
the country. Many people have said that they do not vote because one person will not
make a difference, but voter turnout, especially among youth, actually plays huge part in
swinging elections!

- Reduce or eliminate meat and dairy intake, as well as products with palm oil.
Emissions from agriculture are projected to increase 80% by 2050, and still, few global policies
suggest that the environmental effects of animal agriculture even exist, and reducing meat is
highly controversial among society. As mentioned above, the effects of industrial agriculture on
the environment is catastrophic, with up to 51% of greenhouse gases coming from agriculture;
the amount of emissions from the amount of beef consumed per year is much more than the
pollution coming from cars and planes. In addition to pollution, the amount of grain going into
livestock could feed more than the entire world’s population, and 37% of fish vital to ocean
survival are being taken from the ocean and used as feed. A vegan diet also saves hundreds of
thousands of gallons of fresh water per year. This is not to say one must completely stop eating
meat products to have an effect–why not start meatless Mondays? It is much more sustainable to
reduce meat long-term then to completely cut it out of one’s diet but not be able to stick with it.
There are delicious alternatives, so it’s easy!

- Reduce transportation emissions and energy consumption


Electric cars are great for the environment, however not everybody can afford to make the
switch. Public transportation is a green alternative, riding a bike, or walking to school or work.
Car share apps and ‘smart cars’, such as Car2go, are also an environmentally wise decision in
comparison to owning a personal car. Energy consumption also matters, as coal and gas account
for 70 percent of energy generation worldwide. Use your microwave rather than your stove, as
microwaves are the most efficient form of cooking in terms of energy use (they do not have
harmful effects on humans – radiation waves do not escape the devices, and they work by
causing an increase in vibration of the water molecules present within food items, so they do not
pose a threat to your food items). Reheat your food less often in general, turn your thermometer
down a few notches during the winter, and turn off all of your lights when you go to bed.

- Be resourceful.
With big oil companies being a top contributor to gasses, it is important to cut down on plastics,
as plastic is made from refined oil. Although science has proved that small actions such as
recycling your plastics does not make much of impact on the grand scale, investing in reusable
cups, straws, grocery bags, etcetera is important as plastic pollution is also an increasing problem
and it is projected that there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean by 2050. In addition, as
the fast fashion industry poses great environmental threats, it has a huge impact on your footprint
to patch up old clothes rather than to buy new ones. Thrift store shopping is also a wonderful
way to lower your footprint, and it’s hip, too.

- Have fewer children.


Having a child is regarded as, in a lack for more sophisticated words, scientifically terrible for
the environment. Some studies actually claim that children are ‘the worst thing you can do for
the planet’. According to one study, having one fewer child in America provides the same level
of emission reductions as 684 teenagers who recycle for the rest of their lives.

- Be an activist.
There is never enough people spreading the word! Use your voice and power to share these
issues with others and influence change. Read and share articles on Facebook, follow the news,
bring it up to your peers, start conversations, and demand change. Mass awareness is a really
powerful tool that can force positive change to our current systems. Share the problem, and also
embody what we can do to help. The more people become educated on the issue and see that it’s
easy to take part in change making, the more collective action will ensue. It’s a ripple effect.
Some of the greatest changes in history were started by the notion of a few individuals.

Despite all of the information readily available at our fingertips as well as the obvious global
effects of rapidly changing climates and decreasing wildlife populations, there are people who
deny that this is as big of a problem as it really is. It can be frustrating, but we must persist to
demand immediate change through our own actions such as where we put our money, and with
our voices, such as voting. Knowledge is out there and easily accessible – let’s use it and make a
difference. Every little bit counts.

“We are the first generation to feel the effect of climate change and the last generation who can
do something about it.” – Barack Obama
Written by Molly Rahal, October 2018

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