Steps to Reduce Climate Change

Abstract

Climate change is real and is happening all the time. Humans are the leading cause day to day for the reasoning behind climate change and how rapidly it is declining. There are multiple ways we can reduce and help lower the cause of climate change in our world. An easy way to reduce waste and pollution is to eat better. Ways to help with this would be to eat non-meat foods, buy organic foods, and limit the waste of food people throw away. Another important factor is to vote, registering to vote is the first step to solve any world problem. More ways we can solve climate change would be transitioning to a clean energy economy, which will bring in more jobs. Furthermore, we need to be reducing, reusing, and recycling everything we can to reduce the eco-footprint we are leaving on our home. Following these steps can improve the wellbeing of the earth and help benefit the people that inhabit it. By coming together and making a difference towards our environment we can save the pollution from worsening.

Better Eating

Climate change is rapidly declining our environment in our world. An impact that is creating more heat for the Earth is animals. In an article, David stated that “Animal agriculture produces huge amounts of greenhouse gas emissions, consumes massive volumes of water and causes a lot of pollution.” (David Suzuki, 2016). The problem with animal agriculture is that it is so widespread over the world and produces so much pollution caused by the runoffs of waste and pesticides. An easy solution to stop this cycle would be to go vegetarian or vegan. By cutting out meats in our diets and in our world we wouldn’t be endlessly killing animals, forcing animals to give birth, rip the babies from their mothers and slaughter them, as well as torturing the mothers to either reproduce or make milk for the sake of human consumption. The killing of animals and the waste that we produce from this is also catastrophic. Not to mention the fact that the more forests and land we are cutting down to provide for farms, we are killing the oxygen needed and bringing more greenhouse gases into our environment. If you want to take a different step instead of cutting meat completely out, an easy way to prevent the decline is to not waste food. If we are wasting food and not eating or saving what we make then the whole production and eco-footprint that went to raise and slaughter and package that food is all for nothing. We can do more portion control or better planning for our food to make it last instead of just throwing it away every day when we’re simply done with it. The UN Environment website stated that “most uneaten food rots in landfills where it accounts for almost 25% of U.S. methane emissions. Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas that is 21 times more harmful to the environment than CO2.” (thinkeatsave, 2014). So by cutting back and portioning better, we can be saving the amount of food that we just waste away and sits in a landfill somewhere taking up more space and adding to the harmful gasses that are threatening our environment.

Voting matters

The main way to get anything resolved is to get the attention of the higher powers. And a way to do that would be to vote. Voting is so important in this world regarding wanting something to change, or to get better. If people want to see change happening in the world regarding climate change, then people need to be registered to vote and start sending letters to their congressmen/women and get the word out there that we need change to be able to save our planet. Right now there is not enough effort put into climate change as a high ranked “issue” to deal with in the political side. An article by Oliver Milan states that “An obstacle in the US is the large pool of environmental voters who don’t actually vote, according to public records and polls analyzed by the Environmental Voter Project.” (Oliver Milman, 2018). The issue is that so many people think they care about climate change, but when it comes time to show that they care they don’t put their voices out there. If everyone could read more and understand more and vote, people could make a difference for the environment, which in turns helps in more ways than one. The issue of climate change gets swept under the rug when facing “more important issues” like terrorism and the economy. But if we really wanted to help improve the economy then we would work towards better ideas and ways of saving the environment and controlling the use of harmful gasses that are affecting our air. People can start innovating ways to limit the use of gas and waste that we put out into the world. Taking a stand and getting the word out there that there needs to be a change and a force in motion to start taking better care of our environment and taking climate change seriously will only benefit everyone around. Voting for this matter can only make a good impact. Voting needs to be done to limit the waste that people throw away, making the landfills bigger and bigger until there is no more room to put trash. There need to be voted out there for more use of renewable energy to save the energy and resources needed to make power.

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Transitioning to clean energy

A way to reduce pollution is to transition to using clean energy efficient solutions. Renewable energy is a clean natural way to get the energy we need, things like wind turbines and solar panels work efficiently and do not put off carbon dioxide to create gases that are resulting in global warming. “In the United States, about 29 percent of global warming emissions come from our electricity sector. Most of those emissions come from fossil fuels like coal and natural gas.”  (Environmental Protection Agency. 2017.) (Energy Information Agency (EIA). 2017.) If we continue to burn fossil fuels we are going to destroy the environment with all of the harmful gasses that are increasing the heat in the atmosphere which is resulting into stronger storms, the earth shifting, the ice caps melting, and the extinction of certain animals. A step in the direction to clean energy would be to cut back on the electricity you use. Turn off lights when not using them, unplug power cords that are not in use, and make sure to not have your water running for a long period of time. Whether that be brushing your teeth, or doing the dishes. These small steps can help not only the electric bill which will save money but the carbon output that is needed to power the process to make this. Investing in solar power for your roof will benefit the environment and your budget in the long wrong. Businesses and schools which are open all the time could really benefit from using the solar panels to produce the power needed instead of wasting money and energy to keep the electricity going all the time from companies like JEA. And with the use of renewable energy, the industry for that would bring in more jobs. “In 2016, the wind energy industry directly employed over 100,000 full-time-equivalent employees in a variety of capacities, including manufacturing, project development, construction, and turbine installation, operations and maintenance, transportation and logistics, and financial, legal, and consulting services.” (American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). 2017.) with more people wanting to make the change to make a difference, more jobs will be made available.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Being able to reduce, reuse, and recycle is so important to teach people of all ages, from children to adults. We should all be doing our part to keep our planet clean. An easy place to start this would be at home. Things like ditching plastic bags is a great way to start, reusable bags are everywhere nowadays. They can be purchased at local grocery stores when you’re checking out. Small steps like this save the planet from pollution. The amount of bags and plastic could be prevented from contaminating our oceans by simply switching to reusable bags. Another way we can help this is by ditching the plastic straws and using an eco-friendly reusable straw. “Plastics are very long-lived products that could potentially have service over decades, and yet our main use of these lightweight, inexpensive materials are as single-use items that will go to the garbage dump within a year, where they’ll persist for centuries,” (Richard Thompson, 2017). A great way to start reusing is by buying used items. Buying used clothes, or building materials will help save the pollution from happening that is created when building new materials for the products. Recycling last of all is just as important. Anyone can do this simple easy thing, at the house, outside, or in a store. Things that can be recycled include; plastic bottles, paper, cardboard, metal and plastic bags. When throwing away trash, stop and think if this could be recycled, then dump it into a recycle bin and you’re doing your part in saving the earth from all the harmful pollution that comes from plastics which can’t be easily broken down and gets washed up in our oceans and contaminating the animals. By doing our part in reducing, reusing, and recycling people are helping themselves, the environment, and the animals. Waste that ends up in oceans eventually ends up inside of humans when they consume seafood which can result in illness. Not to mention the fact that animals weren’t designed to digest waste from humans. More animals are getting killed by the pollution that’s in the oceans. Sea turtles are getting sick or dying by the use of plastics that are thrown away. It’s important not only for our environment and keeping the air clean and the world from our pollution but it is also important to save the lives of these animals that are getting impacted as well.

Furthermore, the effects that are happening caused by pollution are impacting the climate and changing it day by day. Climate change is real and needs to be taken seriously. There are signs all over suggesting the damages that are being done thanks to our declining environment and the number of harmful gasses that are heating our world up. The ice caps are melting each year more and more and the animals that inhabit it like polar bears are forced to swim miles and miles to find food. Ways that can make a difference and make a change are eating a non-meat lifestyle. The more animals we are breeding and killing the more heat and runoff waste is deposited into the earth. Voting is so important if we want to be able to get heard. Climate change is swept away time and time again versus more important issues but if this doesn’t end and nothing is done then there will become a bigger issue when it is too late to stop it. Transitioning to a clean energy economy is a gateway to solving this issue. If we can use our resources and the technology available we can find ways to economically and environmentally use the powers given to us to power our world. Lastly, the reduce, reuse, recycle program is around for a reason. This needs to be implemented daily to prevent the further damage of pollution.

References

• “AWEA | American Wind Energy Association.” AWEA – American Wind Energy Association, 2017, www.awea.org/.
• “Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks.” EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, 16 Apr. 2018, www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/inventory-us-greenhouse-gas-emissions-and-sinks.
• Milman, Oliver. “’We Need Some Fire’: Climate Change Activists Issue Call to Arms for Voters.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 12 Oct. 2018, www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/oct/12/midterms-climate-change-activists-voter-turnout-environment
• Suzuki, David. “Eating Less Meat Will Reduce Earth’s Heat.” David Suzuki Foundation, 2016, davidsuzuki.org/story/eating-less-meat-will-reduce-earths-heat/
• Thompson, Richard. “The Environmental Toll of Plastics.” EHN, EHN, 20 Dec. 2017, www.ehn.org/plastic-environmental-impact-2501923191.html.
• User, Super. “Environmental Impact of Food Waste in the US.” Think.Eat.Save. Reduce Your Footprint Campaign, 2014, www.thinkeatsave.org/index.php/be-informed/fast-facts/14-food-waste-campaign/355-environmental-impact-of-food-waste-in-the-us.
• “U.S. Energy Information Administration – EIA – Independent Statistics and Analysis.” Factors Affecting Gasoline Prices – Energy Explained, Your Guide To Understanding Energy – Energy Information Administration, 2018, www.eia.gov/electricity/.