Breaking down the Climate Breakdown

Global heating? Emissions?? Cow flatulence??? The climate crisis has been at the center of conversations as of late, and rightfully so. We have a serious problem: not only is the state of our planet declining but so is the safety and security of the future generations of people to inhabit it. The current political atmosphere around climate change is marked by accusations, denying, and big talk with little action. The media coverage of this climate breakdown is also equally poor in that it gives terrifying pictures or random scary statistics, but does not provide individuals with any resources on what they can do to fix it. So I would like to take this opportunity to shed some light on the nature of this climate breakdown and share some ways you as an individual can reduce your carbon footprint and live in a more sustainable manner. 

Our Earth's climate has undergone many changes throughout time. The earth has experienced multiple glacial advances and retreats, including 7 cycles in the last 650,000 years. Our current climate is the result of the end of the most recent ice age approximately 7,000 years ago. So, given this information, you may be asking why this period of climate change is so significant if it is a natural occurrence? Why should I be concerned? From what scientists have gathered, periods of climate change in the past are due to small changes in the Earth's orbit that alter the amount of solar radiation our planet receives. However, this current period of climate change is not natural, rather, it is man-made. Human activity since the mid- 20th century is responsible for this climate breakdown, and not only is this alone unprecedented but so is the rate at which our earth is warming.

Changes over time in average precipitation and sea levels due to climate change,

So what does climate change actually mean and look like for our Earth? In order to understand the process of climate change, it is important to understand what the greenhouse effect is. In our atmosphere, there are various greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor, nitrous oxide, and ozone. When the sun's radiation reaches the earth's atmosphere, some radiation is absorbed by the land and bodies of water, which is what heats the Earth. That heat is then radiated from Earth into space, and some are trapped in our atmosphere by the greenhouse gases, which is how the planet maintains its temperature. However, animal agriculture, burning of fossil fuels, and other human activities have led to a significant increase in emissions of greenhouse gases and thus their presence in the atmosphere. The result is that more and more heat is being trapped and our Earth is getting warmer. As a result of this warming trend, we are able to observe shrinking ice sheets, glacial retreat, warming oceans, decreased snow cover, sea level rise, declining Arctic sea ice, ocean acidification, and an increase in extreme weather events.

But why are these things significant? Does it actually change anything or affect us? If there is no immediate action to combat the climate crisis, our global climate is projected to continue to change, and produce even more costly and significant damages as time progress (until the effects are completely irreversible, that is). By 2100 it is projected that sea levels will rise 1-4 feet. This effect alone has the potential to cause catastrophic damage to coastal habitats, including destructive flooding and erosion to soil contamination and loss of habitat for marine life. Higher sea levels are also responsible for more powerful hurricanes and typhoons which will result in stronger storm surges that can demolish communities. But rising sea levels are not the only things we will have to worry about... by the end of this century we can expect more droughts and heat waves, the Arctic to become completely ice-free, increased heavy precipitation, longer and more powerful wildfire seasons, increased air pollution, destruction of marine ecosystems, disruptions to our food supply, growing threats to our electricity supply, etc.

Currently, it is the poor and marginalized groups of people that are suffering the effects of climate change the most. Impoverished families and minorities are systematically pushed into less desirable neighborhoods and communities. As a result, they are the ones who are dealing with high asthma rates due to air pollution, they are the ones with unsanitary drinking water due to contamination, and they are the ones unable to recover after constant climate-related disasters. Yet, this is not acknowledged because it is not affecting those with power. But, that will change very quickly if our attitude towards the climate crisis does not shift.

A possible future scenario: New York City underwater due to the rise in sea levels

While this may seem like impending doom (I guess because it is), the really crazy thing is we actually know how to fix it (aka no one reading this has any excuse not to act)! There are many small and big switches you can make today that will help you live a more sustainable lifestyle and contribute to the reversal of this climate breakdown...and I am going to share a few:

1. Say NO to fast fashion! Thrift shop instead! Fast fashion is responsible for 5% of ALL greenhouse gas emissions! That is more than air travel! It also wastes a tremendous amount of water and is responsible for a great deal of chemical pollution. Buying and wearing used clothing is much more sustainable... (And fashion styles always repeat themselves, so what is in right now is probably already waiting for you in a thrift store).
2. GO Plant-Based! Animal agriculture is the single biggest supplier of greenhouse gases, at 18% of ALL emissions! Going vegan, vegetarian, or simply cutting out red meat is the single most significant thing a person can do to combat climate change. 
3. Use Clean Energy! Fossil fuels are the dominant source of energy and their environmental impacts are extremely dangerous. Not only does burning them and drilling release greenhouse gases, but large amounts of water are contaminated and wasted, the air is polluted, marine and terrestrial ecosystems are disrupted, etc...  Clean energy is the energy of the future! Wind power, solar power, geothermal energy, biomass for electricity, hydroelectric power, hydrokinetic energy are all a; alternative energy sources that require fewer resources and have a significantly smaller environmental impact. 
4. Ditch the PLASTIC! When exposed to light, plastics emit the greenhouse gases methane and ethylene the effects of which we know are very harmful. So, Going to the grocery store? Use reusable bags! (some stores will even give you a discount for doing so!) Packing snacks? Use reusable sacks! Buying a drink somewhere? Ask them to put it in your reusable bottle and drink it with your reusable straw! Eating lunch? How about you do it with your reusable utensils! Are you sick of me saying reusable yet? Good. 
5. Recycle or Ditch the PAPER! Trees, as we should all know, are our absolute best-friends as they absorb CO2 (a no good greenhouse gas)! Recycling paper means no trees are being used and they can continue to do their vital jobs, the process also requires 1/2 as much energy as paper production. If that hasn't sold you yet, the paper that ends up in landfills, which is 80% of all non-recycled paper, produces methane (this bad guy has no limits). When it comes to ditching or cutting down on paper there are many different alternatives. For example, picture this: you are going to the bathroom, need to make a #2, and when you finish, instead of using 1/4 of the entire roll of toilet paper (on a good day) you use your TUSHY!! (do yourself and the world a favor and click the link). 
6. Last, but not least... VOTE! Voting gives you the opportunity to elect individuals who you feel will best represent you and will stand for the issues you are passionate about! So make sure you are letting politicians know during local, state, congressional, and presidential elections that climate change is a core issue, by casting your ballot for candidates who recognize and accept the climate crisis and will push for legislation to combat it! 

Now you have the facts, and so I leave you with this- "There are risks and costs to action. But they are far less than the long-range risks of comfortable inaction." -JFK

Cow flatulence contributing to global warming