We bet you’ve wondered at least once what your future will look like a few years from now. We all have. Maybe traveling around the world, having your diploma in your hands, accomplishing any kind of goals that might be crossing your mind as we speak about them.
But there’s one thing we need to talk about first: climate change solutions. Because we might have different achievements ahead, but we want that future to be green, don’t we?
That’s why we’ve created this article to unite all the stuff we must consider when we’re trying to make a change and help reduce global warming.
We’ll give you a complete walkthrough of 10 solutions for climate change. Plus, we’ll dive deep into what climate change is and briefly discuss its effects and causes — we’re saving the full explanation for our next blog post 😉
Understanding climate change
What is climate change?
Regardless of the type of natural climate we consider — there are at least 5: tropical, dry, temperate, continental, and polar — the truth is that since the 1800s, human activities have been causing some trouble. By trouble, we mean that the use of fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas, has been causing climate change.
But why is climate change so important? Let’s check out how it works. There are some changes that are natural, because, for instance, they’re due to some variations in the solar cycle, but the fossil fuels’ kind of change is neither natural nor good.
When we burn fossil fuels, we create greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the most produced one, if we compare the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere between now and the 19th century, we’ll see that it’s around 50% higher. Those emissions work like a blanket that wraps the Earth: they trap the Sun’s heat and make the temperature rise.
The acceleration of climate change is mostly generated by agriculture, energy, our homes, factories, and transport, but also incentivized by clearing lands and forests because those actions release carbon dioxide too. All those sources and others are making our Planet 1.1°C warmer now in comparison to how it was in the 19th century.
The number by itself doesn’t say much. But climate scientists say warming must be kept to 1.5°C by 2100. Why 1.5°C? They note that it’ll help us reduce the worst climate impacts and live in a more livable world.
But if we continue to follow this path and do nothing to change it, we’ll reach 2.4°C of warming by the end of the century — according to a Climate Action Tracker group report in 2021.
Key numbers about climate change
NASA created what they called the “Vital signs of the Planet”. They provide key data to understand how climate change is affecting the Earth. We’re going to explore some of it.
We’ve talked about carbon dioxide before, that gas that traps the heat from the Sun. Well, the numbers that NASA has about CO2 are just as worrying as the ones that we’ve seen. They say that carbon dioxide has increased 150% in comparison to 1750. They have an animated map that lets you discover how CO2 has been growing lately.
A higher global temperature also leads to changes in ice sheets. The rate of change for this one has been about 150 billion tons per year in Antarctica and 280 billion tons per year in Greenland.
Ice sheets like the ones from Greenland and Antarctica — those two store like two-thirds of all the freshwater on the planet — are melting and it’s not only a loss in terms of freshwater but also it makes the sea level grow.
Actually, that’s another rate from NASA: the sea level has gained 4 inches since 1983 thanks to ice sheets melting and the rise in the water temperature that boosts its expansion. Did you know that the ocean absorbed almost 90% of the warmth caused by climate change in the last decades? This also increases the chances of hurricanes and shifts in ocean biochemistry.
Causes of climate change
To better understand the climate change solutions we’re going to jump into later, we have to find out what are the causes of global warming so the actions we mention make more sense.
If you have been paying attention, you won’t be surprised by this: 75% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas. Plus, they’re also accountable for almost 90% of all carbon dioxide emissions.
Take note of these 5 climate change causes:
Generating power by burning fossil fuels. As we said before, this produces carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide. Just a quarter of electricity in the world comes from renewable sources that generate little to no greenhouse emissions.
Manufacturing and industry. They cause emissions due to fossil fuels too because they use energy generated from those sources to produce goods like cement, iron, clothes, steel, electronics, food, and plastics.
Fossil-fueled transportation. Transportation is a huge contributor to greenhouse gases, it’s accountable for almost one-quarter of energy-related carbon-dioxide emissions around the world. The majority of transports like cars, trucks, ships, and planes use fossil fuels.
Deforestation. Trees store carbon so when someone cuts them they let that carbon-free. It’s calculated that more or less 12 million hectares are deforested each year. By doing so, we’re eliminating any chance that nature has to help us fight climate change.
Extra consumption. Private households are also accountable for a large volume of global greenhouse gas emissions. That’s connected to how we choose to live our lives: Do you buy things you don’t need and throw away others easily? Do you leave the light on when you’re not home? This can be thought of as a social class matter too because the richest 1% of the population in the world is responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions than the poorest 50%.
Effects of climate change
How will climate change affect us? Or more accurately: How climate change is affecting us? Heatwaves, drought, and flooding are just three consequences of the shifts that climate is suffering from greenhouse gas concentrations and heat. In 2022, the temperature is estimated to be 1.15°C higher than it was in 1850–1900.
What does this mean? Let’s explore some key changes and their effects on Earth:
The ocean is getting warmer. So far during this year, 55% of the ocean surface has suffered at least one marine heatwave but only 22% of this surface has experienced a marine cold spell.
Glaciers and ice are melting. Just like we said before, we can add that in 2022 the European Alps have reached glacier melt records. Thickness losses there are counted between 3 and more than 4 meters, a number that’s greater than the previous record in 2003.
Extreme weather. East Africa is suffering from drought — and therefore from 18.4 to 19.3 million people are dealing with a food crisis — , large lands of the northern hemisphere were also dry and too hot, and even large lands of Europe faced extreme heat too.
How can we help with climate change
Embracing global warming solutions is a job that makes different disciplines like science, economics, society, and politics join together to face climate change. Emissions that keep generating climate change come from all over the world but the 100 least-emitting countries produce 3% of total emissions while the 10 ones that have the largest emissions take that number to 68%.
There are global frameworks and agreements like the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement that exist to ease cutting emissions, adapting to climate impacts, and financing the shifts that have to be done.
But there are individual solutions to climate change that you can apply to your daily routine by just making some adjustments. A lot of climate change solutions can even drive cost reduction apart from, of course, boosting our lives and protecting the Planet.
Note that the main reason for having climate change solutions is to doall that’s possible to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and get them to zero. And that also committing to tackle climate change involves both adaptation and mitigation.
You have to adapt to the existing shifts in climate but also mitigate them by reducing emissions and stabilizing the levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
10 ways to help
Keep the adaptation-mitigation approach in mind because now, it’s time to meet 10 solutions for climate change 😀
1. Fossil fuel should be left underground: Switch to renewable energy
If we want half of the greenhouse gas emissions to be cut by about half by 2030 to achieve 2050 net zero emissions, fossil fuel production must be reduced by 6% per year between 2020 and 2030.
How can we help to get there? One way to achieve that is moving to renewable sources of energy like solar or wind. But you can also switch to LED light bulbs and make sure all your electric devices are energy-efficient. Plus, another good idea is to use cold water to wash your clothes and leave behind the drier by hanging things to dry instead.
Taking these little steps has great significance. For example, by using an electric heat pump and not a gas or an oil furnace, you can reduce your carbon footprint by up to 900 kilograms of CO2 (carbon dioxide equivalent) each year.
2. Choose your transportation wisely
2 tons of CO2. That’s how much your carbon footprint can be reduced if you just take one less long-distance return flight. This one is just an example of the impact that our little actions have on the planet. Airlines represent large amounts of fossil fuels and generate great quantities of greenhouse gas emissions.
But airplanes aren’t the only ones. Petrol and diesel vehicles and ships also use fossil fuels. So we encourage you to choose electric vehicles instead. Cheaper electric vehicles are getting into the market although there are some issues still to be solved like the batteries those cars use or the electricity which they’re fueled with — sometimes it comes from fossil fuels. Despite that situation, even a hybrid vehicle can save up to 700 kilograms of CO2 for you each year.
These kinds of climate change solutions do not only help with global warming but also with pollution. So go with sustainable transportation 💚
3. You can walk, you can bike — or pick public transportation
Just like it was “You can dance, you can jive” for ABBA, is “you can walk, you can bike” for us. Connected with the other climate change solutions we’ve discussed, there’s still another choice you can make in your daily routine.
If you live in a city, you must be acquainted with the picture of thousands of vehicles stuck on the road trying to get to work, to the University, or to wherever they have to get to day by day. While they wait to keep driving they’re not only losing time but also generating up to 2 tons of CO2 per year in comparison to those who choose a car-free lifestyle.
That’s why we encourage you to walk or ride a bike instead of driving. This climate change solution will also improve your health and fitness. But if the distance is large and you can’t make it by walking or riding a bike, then we suggest you take public transportation or even carpool.
4. Keep your recycling mode on
We’ve talked about extra consumption as a climate change cause. Taking that into account, reducing, reusing, repairing, and recycling makes total sense. Keep in mind that every kilogram of textiles that’s produced means about 17 kilograms of CO2.
Therefore taking actions like buying fewer things, repairing what you can repair instead of getting rid of it easily, shopping second-hand, and recycling are little habits you can introduce to help reduce climate change. By doing so, you will make your carbon footprint smaller but also lower waste.
5. Put more vegetables in your dish
Reducing the meat you eat and the dairy products you consume is one of the best ways to help tackle climate change. What can you eat instead? Vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds are just some ideas. If you migrate to a vegetarian diet your carbon footprint can be reduced by up to 500 kilograms of CO2 per year and you can take it to up to 900 kilograms if you go fully vegan.
Why? Because producing plant-based foods generates less greenhouse gas emissions and requires less energy, land, and water.
6. Go shopping consciously
Sometimes reusing is not possible. One example is food. So -if you have to go shopping- do it by choosing wisely the products you’ll buy. A lot of companies create their products by following strict environmental guidelines to, for instance, use resources responsibly and commit to reducing their gas emissions and waste.
Part of using your money consciously can also be to invest it in environmentally sustainable businesses instead of letting it be invested through, for example, a pension fund, because those organizations might be supporting fossil fuels or even deforestation.
7. A classic one: Reduce plastic
If the demand for plastic stays the same and/or continues to rise as quickly as it does now, creating and disposing of plastics will be responsible for 17% of the global carbon budget by 2050. Remember that plastic is made from oil and all the process to extract this material, and refining it, and transform it into plastic is very carbon-intense. And as it takes too long for it to be decomposed in nature, it’s burned, an action that boosts emissions.
8. Help protect forests
As we said before, trees work like carbon storage so cleaning forests contributes to an increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. You can join movements that seek for governments to take action to defend them and/or support projects that protect them. You can find these last projects on the Lemu app. Just download the app and start funding them.
9. Unplug your appliances
Some appliances like TVs, computers, and battery chargers consume more energy when they’re switched off so unplugging them is a better idea.
10. Spark a discussion about climate change
Fighting disinformation is also an essential part of reducing climate change. For instance, the doubts about global warming and climate change. How do you fight this? By being up to date with the latest information about climate change, its impact, and the future consequences it will lead to.
The importance of taking global warming preventive measures
We’ve seen climate change causes, effects, and solutions. So by now, we know that all the future and actual risks can be reduced if we act with any or all the possible solutions for climate change.
If you’re still doubting the power that your action has, let’s travel to the future and check out how it would look like.
What effects will climate change have on future generations?
If we continue to experience the climate change that we’re seeing so far, by 2100 children that are 12 or fewer years old now will suffer from a 400% increase in extreme events under 1.5°C of global warming and 500% if that temperature changes to 3°C. This isn’t just a change in temperature numbers, this means that by 2100:
Today’s youth in South and Southeast Asia will experience flooding from sea level rise. That means increased losses in coastal settlements and infrastructure.
There’ll be more droughts and floods that will cause less quality and availability of hygiene and food. Talking about food, keep in mind that as the climate gets warmer, it’s going to be more difficult to grow, produce, transport, distribute, buy, and store food.
Children that live in South America will have to deal with more water scarcity and water access. This would be even harder if they live in cities or rural areas where they depend on water from glaciers.
As you could see there are global warming issues to be concerned about, but there are also climate change solutions that we can embrace. We encourage you to be part of the change and stay tuned to our blog to discover actions and key information about our environment.
FAQ
We’ve discussed how to help with climate change, now it’s time to kick off some frequent questions that we all have had at some point in our journey towards fighting it. We wrapped the most common ones here.
What role do renewable energies play in combating climate change?
Ever wondered “How can I help fight climate change?”, well switching to renewable energies is a good way. Renewable energies free us from using fossil fuels. Why is this important? Because when we burn fossil fuels, we generate greenhouse gas emissions, 75% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from fossil fuels. Don’t forget that greenhouse gas emissions are the ones that impact the atmosphere and lead to climate change.
How do carbon emissions contribute to climate change?
Carbon dioxide is the greenhouse gas emission that we produce the most. Those carbon emissions work like a blanket that wraps the Earth and traps the Sun’s heat. This process causes our planet's temperature to rise and, therefore, the climate to change.
How is global warming different from climate change?
“Global warming” stands for the rise in global temperatures generated mainly by the increase of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere. On the other hand, “climate change” is the increasing changes in climate—like precipitation, temperature, and wind patterns—in certain regions during a period of time.
