For years we were made to believe that climate change was not going to affect us anytime soon. Sadly, this is not the case, this summer several countries around the world faced surging temperatures, flash floods, and many other freakish weather events. National Geographic had a cover that asked if we lived in a planet or plastic, and the economist wrote about how man was losing the war against Climate Change.
According to the economist, “Scientists have long cautioned that, as the planet warms—it is roughly 1°C hotter today than before the industrial age’s first furnaces were lit—weather patterns will go berserk. An early analysis has found that this sweltering European summer would have been less than half as likely were it not for human-induced global warming”.
Humans are the ultimate adaptation animals and self-preservation should be the top of our concern. So why aren’t we doing more to combat climate change? We should all be doing whatever we can to save our planet and ensure that future generations enjoy the same or an improved biodiversity and quality of life.
According to Wynes, co-author of a new study in the journal, Environmental Research Letters, “the four actions that create the most bang for your emissions-reducing buck are ones most of us avoid: having fewer children; living without a car; avoiding transatlantic flights; and eating a plant-based (mostly vegetarian) diet”.
I believe we can all make a difference by changing certain habits, so I decided to share 5 things we can all do about climate change.
- Reduce Food Waste: This is a really easy change to make, we can all reduce how much waste we create and send to landfills. Simple things like cutting and freezing vegetables and fruits can make a huge difference.
- Eat a Plant Based diet: Reports show that livestock emit about 18% of greenhouse gases. Switching to a plant based diet can drastically reduce the emissions and is also a healthy way of life.
- Educate on and Practice Family Planning: The rising population is actually a big threat to humanity, there are just too many of us on the planet. With drastically rising population growth rates in developing countries, particularly in Africa, it looks like things are getting worse. Empowering women with education and family planning options will positively affect birth rates and the population strain on the planet will fall.
- Recycle and Reuse things: Our planet is crumbling under the weight of plastic. As global citizens, we need to embrace a more minimalist lifestyle. We should recycle when we can, and reuse things when possible.
- Green Transportation: Cut down on the number of hours spent driving or in cars, when possible car-pool with friends or family. Whenever possible, walk rather than take taxis, bikes or ‘keke’ to close distances. I’ve even considered getting a bicycle to run errands close to home. All these little changes add up and make a difference.
So let us all act in the best interest of our planet and our lives. The lives of generations to come depend on it.