Top Ten Ways to Stop Climate Change for 2020
Climate change is one of the most significant topics of conversation at the moment. The global temperatures have been rising drastically, sea levels have risen with it, and global weather patterns have not been predicable are now gone awry completely. Millions of people around the world are trying desperately to raise awareness of climate change and get governments to change political policies to protect the environment and reverse as much damage as possible. Young children are protesting by boycotting schools until climate change policies are enforced – Greta Thunberg is a brilliant young 16 years old who has been challenging global leaders to make the necessary changes.
Climate change is terrifying and happening rapidly. Venice’s council voted against policies to fight climate change yet on the very same day, their parliament rooms were flooded do not change their minds. The environment needs our help and is begging for us to make a change as urgently as possible. The Great Barrier Reef is dying, New Delhi has reached terrifying levels of air pollution, and the ozone layer is quickly diminishing. With the rising global temperatures, wildfires in Australia and California are becoming more frequent.
Not all of us will have the opportunity to lead big protests, talk to global leaders, or even think we can make a big difference. We don’t need all 7 billion people fighting climate change perfectly, though, but we do need every single person to be trying to make a difference. Collectively we can fight climate change and help to reverse it. We need to be protecting our trees, our oceans, and our air. What can you do to make a difference? A lot more than you think. Here are ten ways to get involved and make a difference in the fight to stop climate change.
1. Unite together for climate change
A vital way to fight climate change is to unite our voices together and let your government know that they need to protect your environment – encourage your family and friends to do the same. Make sure you don’t get left behind when your government does hold referendums or votes around climate change. You can’t complain if you choose not to get involved.
Canada is an excellent example of this as they held a historic vote on 21 October, which sent the message that protecting the environment was non-negotiable. Countries like Sweden are also known to be protecting the environment; more than half of their nation’s energy supply comes from renewable resources. By getting involved and voting, your voice makes a huge difference. The environment needs us to unite together and speak up for it.
2. Use energy wisely
This is a great way to save money too! By making small changes, you can make a huge difference. There are plenty of great ways to do this, the easiest being just simply turning off lights and plugs you aren’t using.
Another great way to protect your energy usage is to change your light bulbs to energy-efficient bulbs. They are also known to last longer than normal light bulbs so that you will be saving money there too. Install a heat pump into your home. They take heat from one location and put it into another location. They can reduce your energy usage by 50%.
Make sure you unplug any electronics you aren’t using. When washing your clothes, only do so in cold or warm water – never hot water and hang dry them where ever possible. When it’s not possible to hang dry them, make sure you use dryer balls. Another way to save energy is to install a programmable thermostat into your home and make sure your home is winterized to keep heat from escaping during the colder months. During the warmer months, find alternative ways to keep your home cool without air-con. If you’d like some additional ways to save as much energy as possible, you can get an energy audit done.
3. Look into renewable energy resources
The cost of renewable energy resources has dropped over the past few years, making it easier to install and use within your home. Options such as solar panels, wind turbines, and hydropower are more accessible than ever and can land up saving you costs in the long run. The cost of the installation has also come down over the past few years, and so there is a little excuse as to why you shouldn’t look into this option. They help cut down on energy resources like burning coal to get electricity, which ultimately only pollutes the environment.
4. Eat a more environmentally friendly diet
The rate at which we are currently eating meat is absolutely unsustainable. Issues such as deforestation, the improper disposal of animal waste, and it also leads to higher global warming due to the high rate of energy consumption caused by meat and dairy energy. One of the best ways to help fight climate change is to switch to a more plant-based diet, which has become a much more affordable and easy option to do. Even small changes such as incorporating meatless Mondays, or cutting down on dairy makes a huge difference. Buying local and organic food also makes an impact on the fight for climate change.
Try not to waste food as much as possible and grow your own food. Growing your own food is a fun hobby too, and an even better way to make sure you’re eating healthier and taking care of yourself. Eating a vegan diet is more accessible than ever and is known to be a much healthier way of life. Again, we don’t need 7 billion people doing it perfectly, but we do need as many people as possible doing it imperfectly. Basically, just getting more people to cut down on their meat consumption will make force the meat and dairy industry to change their methods and make more environmentally friendly policies.
5. Start talking about climate change more
Simply start by talking to the people around you, and raising awareness about climate change. People are more likely to listen to their peers, loved ones, friends, and family than they are to listen to scientists and experts. The best way to raise awareness is to open up the conversation with the people around you.
We need to be having this conversation with the people around us to be making a difference. Ignorance is not bliss, and the only way to open people’s eyes is to spread awareness. By creating a conversation, you’ll be creating change.
6. Find a greener way to do your commute
This is also a great way to increase your social life and make new friends. Carpooling is great because you save on petrol costs, you don’t have to drive by yourself, and you can even take turns in who drives so one person doesn’t get stuck doing it. You can also drive in the carpool lane, which is often faster. Another way to make your commute greener is by using more public transport – such as trains or buses. Most cities have incredible public transport systems, and this could even be an opportunity for you to spend your commute reading or spending time getting through some emails. You can drive a hybrid or electric car if you choose to drive, and if you have to fly, you can offset your carbon emissions. Wherever possible, try to fly less and use more trains.
7. Consume less, waste less
We live in a society of waste. We use far more than what we need – most of which lands up in garbage dumps or landfills. By creating meal plans, we can focus on buying only the ingredients we need, which will help us avoid throwing away unused food. Wherever possible, try to shop plastic-free, and even something as simple as avoiding buying plastic bottles of water or soda can make a huge difference. Recycle, up-cycle, and reuse as much as possible. Get your community involved too, and spend more time experiencing new things rather than spending money on things. There are so many ways to bring down your consumption.
8. Invest in renewables
Even if you can’t install solar panels or buy an electric car, you can join local renewable energy co-ops that ensure you’re apart of a community that focuses on energy savings initiatives, and you’ll get a more than worthwhile return on your investment.
You should also look into investing in corporations that don’t make use of fossil fuels, and by doing so, you’ll also be investing in a healthier future.
9. Support or join community projects
There are many protests and organizations to join or support if you can’t physically be involved. You can support them by donating money, signing petitions, and sharing their information on social media to encourage others to support and join them too. If teenagers and children can make such a big difference and sacrifice their time, so can you.
10. Get politically involved
As much as it’s extremely important that we reduce our individual waste and carbon footprint, we also need to put structures in place to ensure that globally and locally, we are reducing climate change. Vote for local representatives and politicians who focus on protecting the environment. Be registered to vote, and put pressure on your local government to fight climate change.
Ultimately we can all make an impact if we fight together, and if each of us does our part, we can begin to reverse the harm we’ve done. It’s quite easy to make changes – for example, by carpooling with co-workers or friends, you can reduce your carbon emissions. Climate change is a serious issue, and we need to work together to ensure we can all enjoy our future on this planet.
References
- https://edition.cnn.com/2019/11/14/europe/veneto-council-climate-change-floods-trnd-intl-scli/index.html
- https://davidsuzuki.org/what-you-can-do/top-10-ways-can-stop-climate-change/
- https://davidsuzuki.org/what-you-can-do/carbon-offsets/
- https://davidsuzuki.org/queen-green/
- https://www.theguardian.com/environment/live/2019/sep/20/climate-strike-global-change-protest-sydney-melbourne-london-new-york-nyc-school-student-protest-greta-thunberg-rally-live-news-latest-updates
- https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/nov/29/climate-change-strike-thousands-of-school-students-protest-over-bushfires
- https://www.saveonenergy.com/learning-center/post/does-solar-save-energy/
- https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/energy/g2825/7-ways-to-power-your-home-with-renewable-energy/
- https://content.sierraclub.org/grassrootsnetwork/team-news/2016/10/10-reasons-why-meat-and-dairy-industry-unsustainable-0
- https://www.tni.org/en/article/waste-and-capitalism
- https://sweden.se/nature/sweden-tackles-climate-change/
- https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/save-electricity-and-fuel/lighting-choices-save-you-money/how-energy-efficient-light
- https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/may/31/avoiding-meat-and-dairy-is-single-biggest-way-to-reduce-your-impact-on-earth
Written by The Original PC Doctor on 03/11/2020.