Climate Change is discussed more and more on TV, social media or through campaigns; it’s a topic we see daily. Many of us may not understand the importance of what is happening worldwide; I know I didn’t realise it until now!
Throughout this article, I will discuss some of the most concerning climate change issues and what needs to be done to stop them from progressing.
What’s going on?
The leading cause of climate change is burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas to produce energy and power transport. When fossil fuels are released, carbon dioxide into the air causes the planet to heat up. Our day-to-day activities, from driving our cars to heating our homes to even cooking our dinners, are also pushing the emissions of greenhouse gasses such as methane and carbon, which prevent heat emitted by the earth from escaping, causing global warming to occur.
Climate Change is becoming more of an issue than ever, from the destruction of rainforests. Trees store carbon as they grow, and cutting or burning these down releases the carbon into our atmosphere. An example of this is farmers cutting down the trees in the Amazon rainforest to clear land using fire to produce soya for animal feed.
Transportation like cars, buses, planes, ships, etc., unless they are electric and charged with renewable energy, all produce emissions by burning fossil fuel. In 2019 it made up 27% of emissions, mainly from the use of our cars.
Plastic and waste are made from fossil fuels, releasing emissions through production. It is found that 40% of plastics are used in our packaging as so little is being recycled. When the plastic is wasted, it is burnt or put into a landfill which releases emissions making the problem even more significant.
Generating Energy has caused many problems in the past within the UK. Still, emissions have decreased due to growth in renewable energy generation and the reduction in coal use. However, most home heating still burns fossil fuels like gas, so there's still a way to go for our planet.
Here you can read more about some of the climate change issues at Greenpeace.
What has already been done?
United Nations Member States introduced the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals in 2015 to provide a blueprint for future peace and prosperity for people and our planet. Goal number 13 is for climate action. The UN Environment Programme is tackling the climate crisis by encouraging low. Zero carbon emissions in critical sectors like energy, agriculture, transport, etc. within this programme, they are working closely with governments to improve air quality and reduce emissions. They hope to support public engagement and change people’s behaviour through the campaign by educating them on climate matters.
if you want to read more about goal number 13, Sustainable Development Goals for climate change, click here.
10p bags reduce the plastic people use as, through my experience in retail, people would rather not pay that extra 10p for a bag. Many retailers have changed from plastic bags to paper bags which many of you will know is to help the environment, which is correct, but do you know why it’s terrible for our environment? Plastic bags litter the landscape as they can’t decompose, threatening our wildlife. Plastic straws have been removed, and paper straws introduced through many fast-food chains like McDonald's to reduce how much plastic is being wasted.
What can you do?
Many of us have a vague idea of what can and can’t be recycled. However, do you know what materials you should try to avoid in your household when possible?
If you use plastic bags a lot in your household, STOP NOW! If you can reduce the amount you use, that would be a great start in helping protect our environment. If you are using them to put things such as our cans and bottles in, please don’t bother, as you are wasting your time! As plastic bags are disposed of separately, they must be separated from the rest of the litter, making the process even longer.
When it comes to recycling your bottles, should you keep the lid on or remove it? Many people need clarification on this question due to earlier recycling stages where it was advised to dispose of them separately. However, moving forward, it's now recommended to keep the lid on your bottles so they can be disposed of together to avoid the lid being separated during the screening process.
If you want to learn more about recycling effectively, visit Clearance Solution.
If you can walk or cycle to work, this is an excellent way of using our cars less to help protect biodiversity. It will create less noise and pollution and result in fewer emissions that are warming the atmosphere. Less noise will allow wildlife to stay and thrive in their habitats.
What needs to be done now?
Keep updated with the climate issues and what you can do to support these changes for our planet, and If you need help with recycling an item, follow the advice of Gov.UK.
Let's Keep Fighting for Our Planet!