Day 4... UN Climate Change Report. What now?

 plazamoyua.com

It has been a few weeks since the United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released its 2018 Climate Report. The report describes what the world will look like in 2040 if the global temperature rose by only 1.5 degrees Celsius - more humans dying from severe heat waves, 99% of reefs gone, increased extreme weather phenomena, half of the fishing populations dead, and ice caps on track to completely melt within the century. That means you can say goodbye to most polar bears, sea lions, and Miami or other low-level cities that would be flooded by an increase in water level.

The scariest part is the fact that it says ONLY 1.5 degrees Celius. Effects of climate change are already present at 1 degree Celius and temperatures are set to increase by .2 degrees Celius every decade. Hurricane season in the Atlantic is longer and producing more severe storms. There have been cases on individuals in Canada dying from heat stroke due to increased temperatures. Bee populations are dying at an alarming rate, and bees pollinate a lot of the crops that are eaten in a normal western society diet. These are just a few examples of the current consequences of climate change.

While this is extremely alarming, there are still individuals that don't believe in climate change, that push for expanded coal production and pull out of legislation related to climate change. So what can you, as an individual, do to curb the effects of climate change? Look at the graphic from a 2017 National Post article to see that having one fewer child, living car-free, or switching to an electric car have the biggest reduction on environmental impact. Some of the things that I discuss are on the list, like living a plant-based diet, make the list, but the impact is fairly low. When you are comparing reductions from living car-free (2.4) and a plant-based lifestyle (.8), they aren't really that different. Why? Because individuals actually can't reduce our impact on the world as much as we would like. We need to be asking who is facilitating and causing climate change the most. According to a 2017 Guardian article, 100 companies are responsible for 71% of climate change. That leaves the other 29% for everyone else, the rest of corporations and individuals. I'm not saying that individuals have no impact. If a lot of individuals switched to plant-based lifestyles or had fewer children, the aggregate impact would be large, but that isn't the most effective way to reduce climate change effects.

So what is the most effective way, you ask? Vote for politicians that back an environmentally strict agenda. Don't allow more politicians who are climate change deniers to be in office. Also, pay attention to the corporations that make up the 71%. Make sure that you reduce the use of their products or advocate that the corporation start to use more environmentally friendly practices. Reach out to politicians or people of power and let them know that you care about the planet and would like to see positive changes. If they don't believe in climate change, vote them out at the next election.

While I practice a plant-based lifestyle, try to minimize waste production, shop at thrift stores, drive a fuel efficient vehicle, and make sure to think about my actions, I am only one person, so I choose to vote for representatives that agree with me on climate issues.

I am scared of what a future will look like if drastic measures are not made now, but I am realistic that unless there is a catalyst, things will not change. So why not be that catalyst and show people what you believe? Don't wait for a catastrophic natural disaster to be like, "I told you so." Don't wait for polar bears to be extinct or cities to be flooded. Start making changes now. Reject single-use plastics, avoid name brand or the 71% corporations, and vote for people that will make legislative changes today.