Can we avoid climate change? Sadly, no. The awkward truth is that some consequences of climate change have already arrived and have done it to stay. In fact, although greenhouse gases to the atmosphere will be issued right now, we would still suffer for a while the effects of the gases that have already been emitted, since the climate system responds to the changes with some inertia, that is, the consequences come with a certain delay. However, we can still contribute to climate change being less intense and that, therefore, has lower negative consequences for a lifetime that houses our planet. Therefore, according to the Paris Agreement, it was determined that, so that the consequences of climate change are not worse than they are already going to be, global warming must be stopped at 1.5 ºC of ascent. To get this, the carbon footprint must be lowered. But what is the carbon footprint? This represents the amount of greenhouse gases that human beings emit throughout the year. For 2017, it was almost 50 billion tons of equivalent CO2, a figure that increases every year. Well, that amount will have to be 0 around the 2045-2050 if we want to meet the objective of the Paris Agreement and it will have to reduce 45% by 2030.
From Ecology Verde, we respond to doubt about How to avoid climate change Or, rather, such as avoiding its worsening and reducing it. Here we tell you how to reduce climate change from home by decreasing our carbon footprint. We give you a series of tips so that, among all, let’s change course and lead a more sustainable lifestyle.
Use public transport or share private transportation
The Measures to reduce climate change that can be taken regarding the use of transport are very important due to the reduction of the carbon footprint that can be obtained with them. It is about avoiding the use of combustion engines, therefore, making use of public transport or sharing private transport will avoid the massive use of cars and, therefore, emit more CO2 to the atmosphere.
We recommend you read this other post about vehicular pollution, its causes and consequences.
Replace your car with combustion engine with another hybrid or electric
Along the same lines, another of the things we can do to combat climate change It is replacing our car with combustion engine with another. We can opt for one that is hybrid or we can also opt for one electric. The energy of which it will be supplied will have to have a renewable origin, if not, we will not have solved anything. Here you can know the advantages of plug -in hybrid cars.
Choose not to have a car
We continue with transport, and that is that the use of this is something crucial in this effort that we must do among all to fight climate change. Thus, if you are not essential to have a car, it is better to opt for Not having a car. Let’s not forget that the car manufacturing process also requires energy and raw materials that are often not recycled once we get rid of them.
Try not to travel by plane
Traveling from one point of the globe to another at a very high speed has a very high energy cost. If the number of flights that are made a year is reduced and chooses to travel, for example, in train or bus Avoid burning many tons of kerosene of fossil origin. Opt for Other means of transport It involves investing more time and money, but it is much cheaper ecologically speaking.
Telework
If you have the Luck of power teleworking It is another very good choice to be able mitigate the effects of climate changesince in this way you avoid having to make use of any means of transport, in addition, the excessive use of buildings for work and, therefore, costs associated with its construction and maintenance would also be avoided.
Carries a healthy diet
Producing food has a Great impact on the carbon footprintnot only because of the energy that is cultivated, but also because we are occupying land in which CO2 could be stored in the form of forests. For that reason, eat healthy Reducing the amount of meat you consume is another good idea to alleviate the effects of climate change, since animals feed mostly that they need large extensions of earth and water to occur.
Stop a vegetarian diet
Made vegetarian It can be an unpopular measure in some places, but to produce the same amount of calories it is much more expensive in terms of CO2 emissions produce meat than producing vegetables, especially in the case of beef, which is converted into a whole Environmental luxury.
Consume seasonal products and local products
The Seasonal products They do not require the use of heating or refrigerators for their production, so they have a lower carbon footprint. Also, if we consume local products We are preventing energy from being spent on transport, although the impact is not too high because it is transported in great amounts by boat.
Here we tell you what ecological foods are.
Do not waste food
Do not waste food It is so important or more than wearing a healthy diet. We have to buy by adjusting only what we are going to need, not only for take care of our planetbut also for ethical reasons (in some places food is wasted while in others there are serious famine and people die for it).
Dare to read more about this issue in this link to food waste: causes, consequences and how to avoid it.
Produces your own food
If you are fortunate to have a certain space to be able to grow your own vegetables and fruit treesyou will be contributing to Issue less CO2since the energy that can be spent throughout the chain of intermediaries is eliminated. This will help reduce climate change produced by people or anthropogenic and will bring you healthy food and greater well -being.
Here we tell you how to grow fruit trees in pot.
Reinforces the isolation of your house
Correctly isolates windows and doors to prevent the cold or heat from abroad entering your home. You can also ventilate to refresh the house and wear more clothes and textiles to get heat. It is necessary to avoid excessive use of heating and air conditioning.
Use a heat pump
Many Europeans use fossil gas to heat water that then heats the entire house, which is not especially efficient. Heat Instead it is more ecologically speaking. Its operation is to take the heat in a cold environment and transfer it to another that was already hotter. It works practically like a refrigeration machine, if not because it changes the goal: to contribute heat.
Use efficient appliances
It is advisable to have efficient appliances at home. You can also Save energy using their capacity, above all, in the case of appliances such as dishwasher or washing machine. One of the sites where more energy is spent in a house is the kitchen, where we recommend not having gas, but induction or electric plate.
Buy an efficient house (passive houses)
Another option is to build efficient houseswhose construction materials are close and take advantage of in their architecture Natural lightas well as build very intelligent channeling systems that get the house to temper without using practically energy. They are similar to old houses with wide walls, only that materials and available space are more efficiently used.
Use electricity of renewable origin
At the time of Choose an electricity suppliermake sure that the origin of this is 100% renewable. You have to be careful with this, since some sell electricity with somewhat misleading or confusing advertising. In this way we can reduce our carbon footprint In a good percentage.
Heat your home with renewable energy
Do not use fossil gases (natural gas) To heat your home, use better electricity that comes from renewable energies. It is a bit more expensive, but if you can make that effort you will be putting a grain of sand more in the fight against climate change.
Generate your own renewable energy
Although not everyone can afford it, another very good option is Install solar panels In our homes. The efficiency of these will depend on the orientation of the house and the place where we live, because there are not the same amount of sunny hours or solar radiation is so intense in all places.
In this other post we tell you how to install solar panels.
Reduce, reuse and recycle
Reduce, reuse and recycle help to the environment In a lot of aspects. Especially reducing the waste you throw and reuse the materials you already used, since recycling entails the emission of CO2 by the transport and processing of materials.
Here we tell you everything about the 3R of ecology and here we discover you the 7r of ecology.
Participate in reforestation
Repopulate those spaces where there were trees and that have been eliminated for various reasons is the objective of Reforestation. It is a good form of decrease climate changeWell, as we have already mentioned, they are carbon deposits on our planet.
Dare to know more in this other article about what reforestation and its importance are.
Inform and educate others
Share all these tips with your closest circle It can help mark a change. However, it is not necessary that we all take each and every one of the measures, it is about choosing the ones that best adapt to each one. Thus, little by little, we will all be in the same ship and we will be influencing companies, governments and legislators to take all the necessary measures.
Here you can learn more about environmental education activities for young people.
Why it is important to stop climate change
That the planet temperature increases globally is not just synonymous with spending more heat. Here are some of the main consequences of climate change.
- The thaw and the consequent elevation of the sea level will cause floods and also erosion in the coastal and low altitude regions.
- Extreme weather conditions cause floods and also reduce water quality. Meanwhile, in other places there is a gradual decrease in the amount of water resources.
- The Mediterranean areas are transforming into places with more heat waves and with less humidity, which makes these areas even more vulnerable to fires and to suffer large droughts.
- The inhabitants of developing countries are usually more closely linked to their natural environment and, therefore, do not have so many resources to face climate changes.
- Human health is also in danger with more heat deaths and with diseases transferred through water (among others).
- Climate change is happening very fast and many species of animals and plants are having difficulty adapting, which leaves them seriously danger of extinction.
We also encourage you to see the video below in which we talk about these tips to avoid climate change or, rather, to mitigate it.
If you want to read more articles similar to How to avoid climate changewe recommend that you enter our category of climate change.
