CLIMATE CHANGE AND HOW TO FIGHT IT

Climate change has been a serious topic since the beginning of 2000. As more people are living on Earth each day, the supply and demand of each product increase every year. More cars are created and used releasing more carbon dioxide along with other harmful substances creates the greenhouse gas effects. Other activities, such as burning coal and oil, cutting down forests to create more factories, or killing more livestock have crucial effects which also release huge amounts of carbon dioxide, methane, carbon monoxide, and other toxic substances. The Earth’s condition has become worse as global warming, which has made the temperature of the Earth increase and cause more bad effects to the Earth.

According to NASA, the Earth’s temperature has gone 1.01 Celsius higher each decade since 1880 and there have been nineteen warmest years since 2000. The increase in temperature has affected ice sheets in Antarctica. The ice mass of the world has lost 427 million metric tons per year since 2002, which also affects the sea rise level that has gone 3.94 inches higher since 1993. 

Climate change is a real problem for us. The UN and every country is starting to find solutions to decrease the impact and start fixing the Earth’s condition. As a citizen, we should take actions to fight climate change starting with ourselves. Here are some steps to fight climate change and try to save the Earth that you can simply do.

• Try to Eat More Plant-Based Food

As stated above, killing livestock, such as chicken and beef, will release methane which will create greenhouse effects. When greenhouse effects reach the atmosphere, global warming will increase. Try to eat more plant-based food, such as fruit and vegetables, in order to reduce the amount of methane released into the atmosphere. For some of us who prefer to eat meat instead of being vegan, there are a few restaurants where they serve you fake meat (meat made up of plants). It could be an alternative for people who like the taste of meat, but want to contribute to eating plant-based food. 

•  Use Public Transportation Frequently

In some countries, renewable fuels are rare and most of them still use fossil fuels which are not renewable. When people use fossil fuels, it will release carbon dioxide into the air. These gasses will also cause global warming. Most countries have good public transportation including Indonesia. In a crowded city, such as Jakarta, there are a few types of transportation, such as buses and MRT. If you are not comfortable sitting in public, you can try online transportation since you are not using any private vehicle. That transportation can reduce the usage of using private vehicles and decrease the amount of carbon dioxide released into the air.

• Reuse, Reduce, Recycle (3R)

Every year, there are a lot of plastics that end up in the sea that are polluting and harming marine ecosystems. Not only the sea, but lakes and rivers are also polluted with plastics, which won’t attract people to visit the sites. Plastics take about 1000 years to decompose. By implementing 3R (Reuse, Reduce, Recycle), we not only clean the ecosystems, but also decrease the effects of climate change. “Reduce”, such as taking stuff that you really need rather than buying what you want and end up in the trash can. “Reuse” by turning a plastic bottle into art or a house appliance. Lastly, “Recycle”, such as putting our waste into the recycle bin in order to be processed into new items. 

• Turn Off Electric Equipment When Not in Use

There are some people who are too lazy to unplug their chargers after their phones have finished charging. This kind of habit not only can consume more of your electricity, but also can cause climate change. How? Electric productions are one of the causes of greenhouse effects since it is made of gas emissions. Most of our electricity comes from fossil fuels, coal, and natural gas. Therefore, turn off your electronic equipment when you are not using it. Not only chargers, but also other electronics, such as AC and light switches. By doing that, you are also saving your electricity bills!

• Speak Up and Spread The News

Lastly, speaking your ideas and movement to stop climate change will persuade people to decrease the effects of climate change. Spreading the ideas now is easier since we have social media. There are many climate change movements that you can also participate in together, such as from the UN or independent movement. All actions will help the Earth to be a better place for the next generations. 

There are still many other ways to help the Earth to decrease the effects of climate change. Maybe some people think that it is not a big deal since they haven’t experienced the effects. But sooner or later, those effects will come out eventually and by the time it comes, all actions will be useless. Before that happens, let’s start to save the Earth in small steps because everything starts from the bottom to the top. Let’s save the Earth!

References:

Causes of climate change. (n.d.). European Union. Retrieved May 11, 2022, from https://ec.europa.eu/clima/climate-change/causes-climate-change_en

Denchak, M. (2022, April 20). How you can stop global warming. NRDC. Retrieved May 11, 2022, from https://www.nrdc.org/stories/how-you-can-stop-global-warming

Global climate change vital signs of the planet. (n.d.). Climate Nasa. Retrieved May 11, 2022, from https://climate.nasa.gov/

Meade, M. (n.d.). 10 ways you can fight climate change. Green America. Retrieved May 11, 2022, from https://www.greenamerica.org/your-green-life/10-ways-you-can-fight-climate-change

Reduce, reuse and recycle: Simple routines to take a stand for the environment. (2022, February 16). Santader. Retrieved May 11, 2022, from https://www.santander.com/en/stories/reduce-reuse-and-recycle-the-three-rs-to-help-the-planet

United Nations Environment Programme. (2021, December 16). 10 ways you can help fight the climate crisis. UNEP. Retrieved May 11, 2022, from https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/10-ways-you-can-help-fight-climate-crisis

WWF. (n.d.). What you can do to fight climate change | pages | WWF. World Wildlife Fund. Retrieved May 11, 2022, from https://www.worldwildlife.org/pages/what-you-can-do-to-fight-climate-change