It doesn’t matter where we live, all of us have heard of natural disasters happening more often and all around the globe. Wildfires in Australia and California, floods in Pakistan, Peru and Colombia, droughts in the middle East, Africa and Russia. Sadly, there is a link between those disasters: climate change is likely to be the cause.
In case you have been living under a rock and didn’t know, climate change is mainly caused by our over exploitation of natural resources. Activities such as burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, and use and production of fertilizers for agriculture are some of the biggest sources of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), which make our planet’s average temperature increase, rainfall patterns become erratic, ice sheets in the poles go thinner, among other consequences part of climate change.
Every day, each one of us through our daily activities, diets and transport choices, contribute to how our planet resources are exploited or protected. Are you being mindful of the choices that you make?
Although it may seem as if individual actions are not significant, they truly are very important. Changes in our behavior can influence policy makers and companies to change their own behaviors for the better and have the potential to make our planet healthier. Any citizen has the power to act now and influence their community. Here you have a check list of things you can do to reduce your environmental impact and help with the fight against climate change:
1. How do you commute to the University or to work? Keep your car for long distance travels. Helsinki city has an excellent transport system, and sharing a public transport ride can reduce carbon dioxide emissions. But when the weather allows, a bicycle ride or a walk to your next destination are even better for the planet.
2. Do you turn your computer off every night? It might sound convenient to keep your pc or mac on and not having to re-open all your browser and different program windows, but please don’t do it! Keeping your computer on wastes loads of energy and contributes to unnecessary GHG emissions.
3. How much light do you need? Change the light bulbs you use the most for LED lights or energy efficient lights, and turn them off when you are not using them. Ease off on ambient lighting. Do you carry a re-usable coffee cup and water bottle? It seems so convenient to have disposable take away coffee and water, but the fact is plastic production has a negative impact on our ecosystems, particularly that of our oceans which are being polluted by plastic. Moreover, plastic production relies on fossil fuel, so is time to switch to a reusable alternative. Switch to a bigger backpack and carry reusable items that might come in handy during your day.
4. Re-assess your diet. Food production is responsible for one of the largest amounts of GHG emissions, so the diet we choose can have a significant impact on climate change. It is known that cows, sheep and goats farming produce the largest amount of methane emissions. While poultry and pork do not produce methane, but their feeding relies on soybean and maize from distant places like Brazil and Argentina, so their production has a big environmental impact due to the deforestation needed to grow their feed and to transport it. Trying to eat less meat and giving priority to eating local food is a great way to help the planet. Changing our diet is one of the fastest and most effective ways to fight climate change, so give it a try and explore other sources of protein (peas, beans, lentils, etc.). 5. Do you buy and eat only what you need? Agriculture is one of the sectors that contributes the most to GHG emissions and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO 2017) has reported that 30% of the agricultural land in the world is used to produce food that will go to waste. Next time you buy and serve your food, think twice how much is enough before buying, cooking and serving. After diet choices, food waste has a great potential to reduce GHG, so next month HC will have a new article about it.
6. Can you afford to pay for renewable sources of electricity for your home? If you leave in an area covered by a Sustainable Energy company such as Helsinki Energy, consider switching your energy supply to wind power, solar power or other alternative service offered by the company.
7. Practice the art of using less water. Treating and transporting water to your home results in GHG emissions, so every time you need a shower challenge yourself to be fast and use water wisely when cooking and doing the dishes.