“Back in my days….”
I'm sure all of us have heard this sentence, elders expressing their dislike for the habits of the new generation. My experience, however, was when my grandmother was telling me of her daily commute to school. How she'd happily walk to school with her friends and little sister. They’d walk in the shade of trees, pick up fruits, talk and sing, unbothered by the summer heat, which now is much more intensified in the last 70 years.
Rising temperatures, pollution, and the sad reduction of trees have changed the landscape everywhere. The places my grandmother spoke about are now gone forever. Not just my grandmother’s green-clean spaces but, the places each of our grandparents lived. Across the world they have been deforested and changed. Is it any wonder that climate change is constantly ringing our doorbell?
So much talk about climate change but do we truly, really know what is climate change? On a serious note, the footprint of climate change is too large to cover in a couple of lines but let me try to sum it up even though we are talking about the long-term changes climate-wise that develop over the years, decades, and even centuries. Climate change is triggered by greenhouse gases in the Earth’s atmosphere due to burning fossil fuels frequently. Examples include coal, oil, and natural gases. These heat-trapping gases are warming the earth and oceans resulting in rising sea levels, changes in storm patterns, altered ocean currents, changes in rainfall, melting snow, more extreme heat events, fires, and drought.
These impacts are projected to sadly continue and intensify, affecting human health, infrastructure, forests, agriculture, freshwater supplies, coastlines, and marine systems. Thanks to human greed and complete disregard for the only home -we have sabotaged and lit fire to our home, it is burning with the mess we have created. That is climate change
How does this impact the world?
Nearly all land areas are seeing more hot days and heat waves, 2020 was one of the hottest years on record. Higher temperatures increase heat-related illnesses and can make it more difficult to work and move around. Wildfires start more easily and spread more rapidly when conditions are hotter.
Due to this, Water is becoming scarcer in more regions. Droughts can stir destructive sand and dust storms that can move billions of tons of sand across continents. Deserts are expanding, diminishing land for growing food. Many people now accost the threat of not having enough water on a regular basis.
The ocean soaks up most of the heat from global warming. This briskly melts ice sheets and raises sea levels, threatening coastal and island communities as well as animals that depend on icebergs, such as polar bears and penguins. The ocean also absorbs carbon dioxide, making the ocean acidic, and endangering marine life.
Changes in climate and increases in extreme weather events are among the reasons behind a global ascend in hunger and poor nutrition. Fisheries crops, and livestock may be demolished or become less productive. Heat stress can diminish water and grasslands for grazing.
Who can fix this problem?
Now, the question is how do we address the issue, and does an individual’s initiative even count against our huge planetary-level problem? The average carbon footprint per person is 7 tonnes of CO2e per year. It's the same as 2 return flights from London to Hong Kong,driving from Spain to South Africa in a Range rover, or watching Brooklyn 99 for 70,000 hours.
So, if we were to individually decide to proactively make an effort, we can make a difference.
Moreover, we are not alone, across the world, the movement to stem climate change has taken root in every sector. Today engineering is turning green,
Engineers are helping reduce energy use by improving the efficiency of products and processes. They also help with sustainability by designing sustainable products, buildings, and machinery.
Even countries are turning green pushing for a circular economy. In Switzerland, every plastic bottle is bagged- recycled, and goes back to the plastic production company and not to the landfill. The French were the first to ban the destruction of unsold non-food products. Companies in France are required to reuse, donate, or recycle their unsold products, including food. UAE has already put a price on using plastic bags, has created one of the world's most sustainable urban communities, and plans to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
What can we do to reverse these changes?
While we cannot stop global warming overnight, we can slow the rate and limit the amount of global warming by reducing human-generated emissions of heat-trapping gases and black carbon. Our individual efforts can help, here are 5 big and small ways:
1. Speak up! Talk to your friends, family, and colleagues to influence and make sure they make good decisions. Whether you do this directly or through reposting and joining communities on social media, it’s a good choice to make your acquaintances know what’s happening around them, and how to solve it.
2. LEDs are an energy-efficient lighting technology. These systems of light use at least 75% less energy, and last 25 times longer, than other forms of light. The widespread use of LED lighting has the greatest potential impact on energy savings. The extensive use of LEDs could save an annual electrical output of more than $30 billion at today's prices by 2027.
3. Unplug your electronics when you are not using them. Believe it or not, your sockets use an immense amount of energy when it is on standby. Unplug things like your television, toaster, and chargers when you are not using them. and plug it back in during prime time!
4. Use less water. Three percent of the United States' energy is used to pump and treat water, so conserving water conserves energy that reduces greenhouse gas pollution. Reduce the amount of waste you generate and the water you consume whenever possible. Pursue simple water-saving actions, such as not letting the water run while shaving or brushing teeth, and save money while conserving water by using products with a WaterSense label.
5. Planting new trees is one of the most active ways to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and global warming. As forests grow, they eliminate CO2 from the air through photosynthesis, working as a natural tank to store carbon. My grandfather has protected the 3-story high tree in his backyard despite its huge size, messy leaves, and pest attacks. He claims to have kept it because it ‘cleans the air and is important for the environment. That is true but he and I also know he likes the mangoes on it. I’m thankful we have the tree because those mangoes are the best in the world! Before I forget, my grandparents generate their own electricity through the solar panels on the roof.
There are so many ways and there is one thing that we can do easily. Let us join in 1 lightbulb, 1 shorter shower, 1 tree, or even 1 repost of a piece like this one which can influence even 1 more person to be green.
It is time to clean up our home, let's do it- it is our last chance.
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