The United Nations says that we only have 11 years left to prevent irreversible damage from climate change. We're having a climate crisis. It's great to see people starting to change their lifestyles in order to preserve the earth, but we need to do more. I think Bill Nye the Science Guy says it the best.
I'm going to share four simple ways you can change your life to help our planet. I'm going to tell you what you can do, why it’s important, and why you should do it. I don't want to just list a bunch of facts you already know. I want to tell you why you need to do this and how you can change your life and reverse the damage we've done.
Remember: no one can change their lifestyle overnight. If you can, I'm impressed. But I don't expect anyone to have that ability. Just remember that a little progress each day will go a long way. You may feel small compared to the rest of the world, but don't feel like your actions are unnoticeable. The little things make the biggest differences!
Warning: I am not a scientist. I wish I was, that'd be cool. I include a lot of data and research (this is very nerdy of me), but it's important to do your own research and understand that these are not the four main components to solving the climate change crisis.
Another warning: I'm sorry if I come off as a little aggressive. Or too aggressive. But this issue is for real.
Enjoy.
*cue we love the earth by lil dicky*
1. Reduce the amount of plastic you use.
This is a pretty common one. Almost all of the plastic we use is single-use or for short term: straws, grocery bags, to-go cups, Ziplock bags, water bottles, shampoo bottles... the list goes on. A lot of people don't really understand where the plastic goes, and how a lot of plastic we try to recycle doesn't even get recycled. Let me break it down.
NPR explains that "for years, America sold millions of tons of used yogurt cups, juice containers, shampoo bottles and other kinds of plastic trash to China to be recycled into new products. In January 2018, it banned almost all [plastic] imports." Plastic takes lifetimes to "break down" and it releases harmful chemicals into the surrounding soil and water, affecting a lot of ecosystems.
We use a lot of plastic. Forbes stated that "At the rate at which plastic is accumulating in the oceans of the planet, it’s predicted that, by 2050, the mass of plastic in the world’s oceans will exceed the mass of all the fish that live there” This blows my mind. If this becomes true, then we can no longer teach our children that the ocean is where fish live and instead is a toxic place where plastic accumulates. We have put hundreds of species at risk of becoming endangered, as well as negatively affecting ourselves.
In the most simple terms, plastic is no good. It's cheap to make, but has deadly consequences for our environment. So think about using your reusable water bottle and to-go cup, investing in a few reusable grocery bags, and overall being more conscious about the waste you create when you purchase something. It's great to start off with the small things, then work up.
2. Conserve energy.
It always frustrates me when I come across lights that are turned on when no one's around, or a tv that's on that's not being watched. Ever since I was a kid, I knew that turning off the lights when you leave the room was good for the environment, but I never understood why. Here's how it goes.
"There’s a direct connection between your energy use and the environment. When you consume less power, you reduce the amount of toxic fumes released by power plants, conserve the earth’s natural resources and protect ecosystems from destruction." And that is really the core of what you need to know about conserving energy. If you're done using it, turn it off; if you don't need it, don't use it. Turn off your lights if you're done with them, open the windows and turn off the AC.
3. Conserve water.
Our water supply is finite. "Even though our need for fresh water sources is always increasing because of population and industry growth, the supply we have stays constant. Even though water eventually returns to Earth through the water cycle, it's not always returned to the same spot, or in the same quantity and quality. By reducing the amount of water we use, we can better protect against future drought years" Try reducing your shower time from 20 minutes to 10 minutes. Don't leave the faucet running when you're brushing your teeth or washing your face! Use the water you need, don't let it go down the drain unused.
4. Consume less meat and dairy.
This one is definitely controversial, but scientists have backed up the claim with a lot of evidence. I swear you throw in the word vegan in any sentence and people get extremely defensive and call you a hippie. "where do you get your protein? how do you just give up bacon?" I don't care what you eat and I'm not trying to call people out or aggravate anyone, but people get really sensitive when you ask them to change their eating habits even in the slightest. I am definitely not vegan, but I always try to find alternatives for dairy if I can. I haven't eaten red meat in 3 years, but there's definitely room to improve. I really like cheese and ice cream - props to anyone who has the willpower to take that out of their diet.
Okay back to what I should be saying. Here's what you should know about the meat and dairy industry:
National Geographic even concluded that the meat and dairy industry production includes "greenhouse gases, water and crop use, nitrogen or phosphorous from fertilizers, and the potential for biodiversity to take a hit should a region be converted into farmland. [If we tried] managing all these factors, the report's say climate change-inducing gases could be reduced and enough land could be reserved to feed the world's growing population."
So in a nutshell, eating meat and dairy isn't the best (view image to left). We may not see the issue now, but in 30 years, our population of 10 billion people may not have much to eat, or even a place to live. You don't have to go cold turkey, but maybe try decreasing the amount of dairy and meat you consume. Imagine the difference you can make for simply participating in "Meatless Monday's"...
Overall, climate change is real and we are to blame.
Sea levels are rising, heat waves are getting more intense, areas of our planet are experiencing severe droughts, people are dying from wildfires, hurricanes are getting becoming stronger, the arctic is likely to become ice free.
If you still feel indifferent about the climate crisis, maybe this will speak to you:
NASA, a government agency that's sole purpose is to explore the world and beyond, and to inform the public on the world itself, says "scientists have high confidence that global temperatures will continue to rise for decades to come, largely due to greenhouse gases produced by human activities." It is completely our fault that our planet has become so damaged. We are the only ones that are able to stop the damage from getting worse - Earth won't do it for us.
It's amazing that we have to tell people that they will be personally affected by something before they act on a cause. We don't take action until our lives are being damaged, and it's sad to see this. We don't give back to this incredible planet that has given us so much.
We need to stop being selfish! We can't say "oh it won't matter, I'll be dead by then."
If you care about the planet that has given you a place to live and to thrive, then make a personal change! It's unfortunate that many large companies are at fault for the damage done to our environment, so it's important that we stick up for our planet and tell them what's really important, but also making a change ourselves. Do your research, make some alterations to your lifestyle. It's likely that you'll be alive for 10 more years, and this is when we'll start to see the damage if we don't take action. Give back to the planet that has given us so much!!!
And if you're still not motivated, just do it to make Bill happy. Bill Nye THE Science Guy. If you don't love this man, I don't know what else to tell you.
Other articles/websites that are worth the read