According to instrumental measurements of air temperature, scientists talk about an abnormal global rate of temperature rise. In this regard, natural disasters occur more often, causing irreparable damage to nature and humanity. Depending on the region, it can be flooding of large areas located at sea level, melting glaciers, or more frequent droughts, fires, and other undesirable phenomena.
Why is this happening? The causes of global warming can be divided into two categories: natural and artificial, that is, those created by people. While solar activity, increased water vapor, and climatic cycles also play a role in rising temperatures on Earth, human activities are more damaging to nature. These are deforestation, the use of fertilizers, and, most importantly, an increase in greenhouse gas emissions. The thing is that the excessive amount of carbon dioxide that is released when fossil fuels are burned to generate energy has disturbed the natural balance of nature. Although this greenhouse gas is natural and has always been present in nature, due to the turbulent activity of mankind, it began to contribute to the heating of the Earth.
It became clear that it was necessary to act quickly and radically. Therefore, the governments have built some ambitious plans that need to be implemented in the next ten years. For example, the Paris Agreement was adopted in 2015 aiming to consolidate efforts of the international community and combat climate change by reducing carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere. Thus, the sharp rise in global temperatures should decline to at least 1.5 degrees Celsius.
To date, it has already been possible to achieve some success in the fight against carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere. This is due to the replacement of fossil fuels with renewable energy sources. This “green” energy comes from water, wind, sun, and tidal energy sources.
Take the sun, for example. It supplies the Earth with the greatest amount of energy, and this amount is more than enough to satisfy humanity’s energy needs. You have probably seen special panels on the roofs, both in photographs on the Internet and in real life, with the help of which sunlight is converted into electrical energy. At the same time, to obtain energy, it is not necessary to place such panels in countries where the sun is constantly shining because energy is generated even in cloudy weather. Solar and wind energy can already compete with traditional energy in some countries as it is a cheaper option.
The question remains, how can international agreements affect the life of the population, and most importantly, can ordinary people like us fight against global warming? First, it should be noted that the changes that must occur to improve the climate are primarily the task of large enterprises and the states themselves, while residents will not notice significant changes in their lives.
At the same time, environmental organizations and activists make some recommendations for people who want to do their bit for the environment. The greatest harm through emissions of greenhouse gases is caused by humanity due to the use of cars. As a way out, use a bike more or get to your destination on foot or by metro, and if this is not possible, you can buy an electric car. Traveling by train is also more environmentally friendly than using airplanes.
Huge quantities of greenhouse gases are also emitted into the atmosphere during the production of meat and milk. For the production of animal products, a large amount of water and fertilizers are used for the land. At the same time, people do not need to stop eating meat completely – even reducing its consumption by half will give the necessary positive result.
It is also important to reconsider your policy on the consumption of things and food. Responsible human consumption aimed at reducing their carbon footprint is already a new trend. Reusing and reducing consumption is the best thing each of us can do. You can start small, such as turning off electrical appliances at night, skipping plastic bags, or sorting waste. Your ability to control impulsive purchases of new clothes is also important – you need to think carefully about whether you really need this item. “Fast fashion” leads to the fact that we simply do not have time to wear purchased clothes that will soon go out of fashion, and we throw them in the trash.
Awareness of the harm we do to nature is a crucial step. World governments have already abandoned the carbon policy and continue to introduce new initiatives, which are facilitated by civil organizations. Now it is the turn of each of us to help the next generations live in a better environment than we do.
