Climate change

Planet Earth is overheating. Two main causes of this man-made crisis are:
  1. Emission of greenhouse gases (GHG) and 
  2. changes in land use.

Since industrial revolution surface temperature has risen exponentially as seen in the image below.

To slow down the temperature rise, it is critical to stop burning fossil fuels (oil, coal, natural gas) to energy and CO2 (carbon dioxide) and to limit methane leaks. Since many gases in the atmosphere stay there decades or over hundred years, we have to support natural planet wide processes that transform CO2 to oxygen. That means stopping deforestation and supporting corals and other marine life forms that act as lungs of our planet.

Had we acted 1972, when the Club of Rome published “The Limits to Growth”, transition could have been smooth. But due to prolonged planet wide procrastination we are in a situation, where the Globally accepted target of +1,5OC is slipping away – between July 2023 and July 2024 average global temperature has been +1,64OC over 1850-1900 temperatures. Even +2 OC cannot be reached with current policies. 

So, at the moment we are failing as humanity in solving the largest matter of our times. 

It includes us all – you and me!

Consider:

Since humanity has caused climate change, we CAN also slow it down, even though we cannot stop it any more.

We are over 8 billion people, so changes in the way, frequency and magnitude of what we eat, buy and how we live and commute do really matter. We are past waiting; all of us need to take small steps daily and plan for larger steps on longer run.

Tasks:

1. What is YOUR climate action of TODAY? 

Can you share the act with someone?

2. What will you do differently – or leave undone NEXT WEEK?

Could you pick more climate friendly entertainment, transport or meal?

3. How can you have more climate friendly holiday NEXT YEAR?

How can you travel with less carbon emissions? Can you choose holiday activities that are more climate and nature friendly, than this year?

4. How could you change your life to consume less Earth’s resources?

Could you buy less and repair more? How could you contribute on reconstituting nature close to you?

Links – read more about climate change:

Origins: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_change#Causes_of_recent_global_temperature_rise

Politics: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_change#Policies_and_politics

Consequences: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_change#Impacts

Long article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_change

Take action:

United Nations: https://www.un.org/en/climatechange

Greenpeace: https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/challenges/climate-change/

United Nations Environmental Programme: https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/10-ways-you-can-help-fight-climate-crisis

Stories:

Stories and tasks about climate change

Access to posts covering following topics:

Arctic art Central Australia Colonialism Conservation Consumption COVID-19 Deserts Dingo Diving Drought Economic growth Ecotourism Endangered Environmental education Expedition Fiji Globalisation Helsinki Hiking Ice climbing Kayaking Longhouse Minority rights Mountaineering Nature New Zealand Planetary boundaries Polar vortex Population Possum Rain forest replacing fossil fuels Rock rat Skiing Storm Sunrise Surfing Sustainability Transformation Watersports

Article by Toni Niiranen, 2024