This past week, the UN issued a report warning societies across the world that there are only twelve or so years for the world to continue our global warming to be kept to a maximum of 1.5C. Countries have been advised that even the slightest temperature change will significantly increase catastrophic risks of drought, floods, extreme heat, and ultimately poverty for hundreds of millions of people.
These top international scientists called for immediate, urgent, and vital changes – which are easily attained goals. The scientists from over 195 countries were so moved by this research that they were seen with tears in their eyes after they concluded their studies.
Maintaining global temperature is critical because people exposed to water stress (when the demand for water exceeds the available amount during a certain period) would be significantly lower if the temperature rose to 2C. Similarly, food scarcity and climate-related poverty would be significantly less. However, if we ignore this and do nothing, life-altering changes will be initiated. Not only will our water, food supply, and quality of life be affected negatively, but our oceans and glaciers will forever be changed.
Oceans are becoming acidic and less oxygenated, while the Arctic is warming 2-3 times faster than the world’s average. No matter how one analyzes it, climate change and global warming is a man-made catastrophe. We got ourselves into this mess, and now we must do everything in our power to get ourselves out of this mess, before our globe is changed for the worse, and never to be recovered.
Despite this, many of us wonder what we can do – how we can impact something so huge; but there are some easily attainable measures to conserve energy in our daily lives. Extreme measures include many people, including me, have started the journey living vegan or vegetarian. While many people may not want pursue this route, another simple route would include one limiting their poultry, beef, seafood, and cheese intake. The carbon footprint of beef is the equivalent of driving 63 miles in a car, cheese follows beef at an equivalency of 31 miles, chicken clocks in at 16, while tuna at 14. Many other simpler life modifiers are limiting gas usage, including carpooling and public transportation. To preserve water, simply turn off the water while cleaning yourself or brushing one’s teeth, and then turn it back on when ready to wash or finish, which will reduce hot water usage and water conservation.
RECYCLE EVERYTHING – use less plastic bags items and more reusable bags (i.e., use reusable water
bottles, shopping bags, and, instead of buying packed produce, go to a farmers market and buy local produce, putting it in a reusable container to keep it fresh). Simple things like these are minor but, in the long term, have a major impact. We all have to work together to preserve Mother Earth.
We have 12 years to make a difference, so let’s get started now!