Is Climate Change Real?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Yes. There is so much research and absolutely no doubt as of 2023. Doubts of the past have been erased by data that is so overwhelming that it is not \u2018probable\u2019, but \u2018definite\u2019 (Source<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first question is, do you need to change your behavior? And the answer is\u2026 unclear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The vast majority of the CO2<\/sub> in our atmosphere is emitted by a few large companies and countries. But many Western countries are making great progress in this area. The UK, for example, has reduced their CO2<\/sub> emissions by 44% from 1990 levels and they\u2019re continuing to make progress while the economy continues to grow (Source<\/a>). At the same time, the USA has not reduced emissions at all over the same timeframe (Source<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n While there is debate about whether its worth making personal changes, the personal changes you can make do make some difference. It\u2019s worth knowing that one of the changes you can make is how you vote. If you currently vote for so-called moderate Democrats, or for any Republican candidates, you are currently allowing the US to remain a laggard in this respect. The USA has emitted 25% of all historic greenhouse gases, which means that it holds a disproportionate responsibility for the state of the climate as well as its trajectory. China and India have much larger populations but they are managing to reduce their growth in greenhouse gas emissions even as their economies grow much more rapidly than, for example, the USA (Source<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you place food waste in the trash, it often converts to methane (Source<\/a>) \u2013 a more powerful greenhouse gas than even carbon dioxide. In addition, to keeping that methane out of the atmosphere, composting provides fertile soil for your garden, or the gardens of others. If you don\u2019t have a backyard, and if none of your friends do, stores like Whole Foods have drop-off locations near their entrance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Recycling also saves CO2 and reduces other environmental damage from mining, etc., but better than recycling is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n A lot of people buy things for various reasons. The most obvious reason is that it\u2019s something you need. A loaf of bread, a pair of shoes, a glass from which to drink water might all be things you need. But a lot of people buy things they don\u2019t need. Clothes that won\u2019t be worn next year, gadgets or doohickeys that aren\u2019t necessary. Zip-lock bags, cheap Tupperware-like containers, drinking straws, cheap toys, etc. Purchasing only want you will really value has three advantages:<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to some research, your pension investments are, surprisingly, the largest single change you can make to combat climate change. This requires some effort, so I encourage you to do some reading, starting with the source (Source<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Meat consumption is a major contributor, not just to climate change, but to other environmental damage. The science of animal sentience is also making meat eating a more challenging ethical dilemma. Personally, we have reduced our meat consumption, but not eliminated it. Veganism is the most environmentally friendly option, but it is my opinion that there needs to be a balance between quality-of-life and environmental ethics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you have control of the area around your home, consider planting deciduous trees that can shade your windows in the summer, but allow sunlight in during the winter. You will probably still need to heat or cool your home, so install heat pumps \u2013 they are more than 100% efficient, meaning they use less than $1 of electricity to generate $1 of heat. This efficiency means that, compared with oil, they will save around $1,000 per year, and compared with an electric heater, they will save around $400 per year at last year\u2019s lower electricity prices (Source<\/a>)! Our oil tank is nearing the end of its life, so we needed to spend some money, and the only logical choice was to move away from burning a dirty fuel inside our home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Climate change is happening because we are increasing the amount of CO2<\/sub> that is in the atmosphere. CO2<\/sub> naturally goes through a cycle, storing some of it underground while some of it is in the atmosphere. By getting the stuff underground and adding it to the air, we are increasing how much of the sun\u2019s heat the air can trap. The rapid rate of change of the world\u2019s temperatures is unprecedented and is bad for us, but also for other organisms which won\u2019t have time to adapt over generations to the changed realities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Without regulations, landfill might continue to be cheaper than recycling, single-use plastics will remain cheaper than more sustainable alternatives, and gasoline vehicles and machinery will continue to be easier<\/em> to use than alternatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That all said, the IPCC (International Panel on Climate Change) has made it quite clear that every little helps. Each gram (or ounce) of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere makes the climate crisis worse (Source<\/a>). So go ahead, make a difference, and tell us about your experiences in the comments below. Which of these tips are you going to try, and which have you tried already? What could we do to make these things easier?<\/p>\n\n\n\n I write short stories and o\u00feer fiction – check \u00feem out at shortbooks.online<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Like many creative people on \u00fee internet, I have a Patreon account. If you would like to support my creative writing (on https:\/\/shortbooks.online<\/a>) or my blogging efforts, please take a look at my Patreon page<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nBecome a Patron!<\/a>Personal responsibility?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nWhat can you do?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Compost and Recycle<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Use only what you need<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Invest your pension savings differently<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Eat less meat<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Home heating and cooling<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Why is the world getting hotter?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
So, should I do these things?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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