Have you also noticed the minimal snowfalls and warm sunny days in Denver this winter? Well, this is happening across the world, as places are experiencing extreme weather conditions, such as very cold and very hot spikes in the temperature.
It is not a secret to anybody that temperatures around the world have been slowly increasing each year. This may seem gradual, but it is reaching a point of irreversible change. Global warming is the act of the Earth’s climate heating up. Each year the global average temperature has increased by 1 degree and has continued to proceed.
This instability is a result of climate change. Climate change is a long-term change in the weather which is caused by human activities, such as fracking, the burning of fossil fuels, driving cars, not properly recycling and more. We are now at a point that individuals need to step in to mitigate these adverse effects to our climate.
Climate change and global warming cannot stop overnight, but there are many ways that humans can make a difference.
- Education
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The first step in creating any sort of change is education. Communities must begin reading and watching programs that discuss greenhouse gas emissions, fracking, plant-based diets, renewable energy and more. A few books include: “Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things” by William McDonough and Michael Braungart and “Climate Justice: Hope, Resilience, and the Fight for a Sustainable Future.” A few shows that explain our current environmental crisis are: Before The Flood, Our Planet, Sustainable and A Plastic Ocean all available on Netflix.
- Renewable Energy
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Wind and solar power is currently taking the world by storm. These methods help to reduce the amount of electricity generation, improves air quality and decreases greenhouse gas emissions. If this is not feasible for your home, you can purchase smaller energy-efficient appliances or LED light bulbs to decrease your carbon footprint.
- Reduce Waste
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Plastic, water, leftover food, old homework — you can name an item and it is most likely contributing to our landfills and ending up in the ocean. The process of creating, growing, processing, packaging and shipping these items is a great deal of what the U.S. spends their time and energy on which therefore increases the amount of greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere.
- Pull the Plug
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I personally believe this is the easiest step. UN. PLUG. There is no need to leave pointless chargers and appliances plugged into the wall if they are not being used. Just because they are not in use does not mean they are not taking up energy.
- Carpool
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Since cars emit around ⅕ of all U.S. greenhouse gas into the atmosphere, it is important to carpool, take public transportation or invest in an energy-efficient vehicle. Many cities around the nation have made tremendous efforts in investing money into developing and expanding public transportation. It is important to take advantage of these renovations and take the transportation provided by the city.
- Eat Sustainably
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Your diet has more impact on the environment than you may think. The beef industry requires 20 times more land and emits 20 times more greenhouse gases than plant proteins, such as beans. You do not need to go fully vegan, but it may be fun to participate in the weekly meatless Monday until you feel more comfortable cooking plant based foods. Also, a sustainable diet can be achieved by purchasing organic and local food or growing your own in your backyard!
- Advocate
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Yell! Speak! Rant! Chant! Protest!!! Do everything in your power to keep the conversation going about climate change. This is a very real and prevalent issue that can easily go ignored by continuing your day to day life. This cannot be the case any longer. It is important to attend climate marches, sign petitions, call government officials, inform your peers and so much more to ensure that everyone is aware of the severity of climate change.
The change needs to be now. One individual can make all the change in the world, especially as they encourage their friends and family to do the same. Let’s bond together to make our environment a cleaner and more sustainable place for generations to come.