A recent UN report states that urgent action must be taken to prevent climate change, or else the world is in big trouble. Temperatures are increasing rapidly, and if we don’t do anything to stop it, we will face major natural disasters. “Preventing an extra single degree of heat could make a life-or-death difference in the next few decades for multitudes of people and ecosystems on this fast-warming planet, an international panel of scientists reported Sunday” (New York Times). The UN report discusses how the slightest increase in temperature could lead to many environmental disasters. Currently, the temperature increase since industrialism is almost at 0.85 degrees Fahrenheit. While that may not seem like a lot, it makes a large difference. The UN states that if we could somehow limit the temperature increase to 0.9 degrees Fahrenheit, it would greatly help the issue. It would mean fewer droughts, fewer heatwaves, and fewer deaths and illnesses from pollution. While some state that the goal of limiting the increase in temperature isn’t possible, others remain optimistic. These people claim that while it will be hard to limit global warming, if the world community makes a long-term change, it can happen.
There isn’t one specific solution to stopping global warming. It takes small changes in everyone’s lifestyle to make a difference. However, there are many ways that we, as citizens, can combat global warming. The first is to do so politically. It has been around a year since President Donald Trump dropped out of the Paris Climate Agreement, an agreement within the United Nations in which countries come together to stop greenhouse gas emissions. The United States is the country with the second largest amount of carbon emission and by dropping out of the Paris Climate Agreement, the U.S. is not required to combat climate change alongside other nations. To fight against this policy decision, Americans can contact local government officials, asking them to make a change in climate policy. Citizens have the power to pressure their elected leaders into making changes for the better.
The second thing everyone can do is make small adjustments throughout their everyday life which combines to drive large scale change. One way to do so is by reducing carbon emission through transportation. By taking cars everywhere, we are creating more than our share of C02 emission. That’s why whenever it’s possible, try and walk, bike, carpool, or take public transportation. Not only will this help the environment, but it saves money and is a great way of getting exercise. The second way to limit our impact on the planet is to consume less. By buying more clothes and using more products, people are increasing greenhouse gasses. More factories are built, and more transportation is needed to move products. By limiting consumption, we can limit climate change. Limiting plastic and paper use is also a great way to limit your environmental impact. Whenever you go to the grocery store, you should make sure to bring a bag so as to not use more paper than needed. In addition, try and get local products, and products with glass bottles that can be returned. If everyone makes a change in their lifestyle, we can slow global warming, and make the world a better place for future generations to come.
Click here to read more about the recent UN report:
https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2018/10/07/science/ap-us-sci-climate-ambitious-goal.html
Sources:
https://davidsuzuki.org/what-you-can-do/top-10-ways-can-stop-climate-change/
https://www.brookings.edu/blog/planetpolicy/2018/06/01/one-year-since-trumps-withdrawal-from-the-paris-climate-agreement/