Climate change is the warming of the planet due to the adding of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere

 

What are greenhouse gasses?

“any of the gases whose absorption of solar radiation is responsible for the greenhouse effect” (dictionary.com)

Examples: carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor

 

What is a “fossil fuel”?

A fossil fuel is simply a fuel that is created from fossils. Millions of years ago when plants and animals died and got buried under sediment and they decomposed. Over the years, all of that debris turned into what we know as oil, coal and natural gas.

 

How are they added to the atmosphere?

Burning of fossil fuels- coal, oil, natural gas

Cow farts

 

Do scientists actually agree on this?

Yes. They do. The argument that scientists are unsure whether or not climate change is occurring is simply false. There are certain aspects of the phenomenon that experts are uncertain about the exact impact they will have.

 

Why is 2 degrees Celsius  a big issue?

Think about the earth as a collection of systems that all work together to keep everything alive and well- kind of like the human body, right? Well, what happens when your temperature goes up 1 degree? Nothing too serious, but you can tell that something is a bit off. Another degree or two and things start to go wrong- sweating, nausea, lethargy. What about a couple more degrees? Irreversible damage and potentially death.

The same thing is happening to the Earth as things are heating up. Plants and animals are moving out of their native ranges to avoid the warmer temperatures. The ones that are unable to move in time are dying. The pH of the ocean is changing which is dissolving the shells of lobsters and other shellfish. The ocean is also expanding due to the law of thermal expansion.

 

What can I do about this?

Low investment-

  • drive less, use public transportation, walk or ride a bike
  • minimize electricity usage
  • plant some trees
  • support legislation in favor of reducing greenhouse gas emissions
  • support businesses with sustainable practices

Medium investment-

  • opt for white meat instead of red meat, consume less meat overall
  • petition to your local government officials for better legislation

High investment-

  • invest in a more fuel-efficient car
  • invest in renewable energy like solar panels or geothermal systems for your home

 

What do others have to say about this?

In this blog post, author Annick de Witt describes the link between the meat industry and climate change- explaining that “a global transition toward low-meat diets could reduce the costs of climate change mitigation by as much as 50 percent by 2050”

This post discusses the impact of our traveling habits on the climate. The more we cut back and opt for more environmentally friendly alternatives, the easier it will be to save the planet.