The world has problems. One of it's biggest is the threat of climate change. Most people, and all scientists feel we are actually beyond the "threat" stage, we are in full on panic mode. There is no threat, the effect is upon us. Rising tides, killer storms, erratic and extreme temperatures are all signs that we may need to start acting fast to reverse the dark destiny upon us. Climate change is real and it is going to cause more damage than you can imagine if we don't act fast.
Redditor u/frankbravo4 wanted us all to discuss how we can make that change by asking.... What can the average person do to help fight climate change?
Where's the Beef?
GiphyStop eating beef. If the average person literally didn't eat beef anymore, it would eliminate a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, and even deforestation.
Think Big!
Time to make big sacrifices. Stop driving! Take the bus, walk or ride a bike - or a combination of all those things. Advocate for better mass transit. No, it's not as convenient but our cars are literally killing us. Transportation accounts for 29% of greenhouse gas emissions, and personal vehicles account for 4/5 of that. There are too many people who live in the city and still insist on driving to work downtown. Don't f{replace1}amp;&@ng do that!!! Think of our driving dependency as a chemical addiction that we have to recover from before we die of it.
Electricity causes 27% of emissions. Stop using it unnecessarily.
So so much....
There are many things you can do:
- Don't use plastic bags, but instead buy one of those material ones. (I had one for two years now and it's still usable).
- Don't drive as much if you can. Public transportation isn't that bad.
- Don't buy things you don't need in general like new furniture, clothes or electronics that are still working.
- Don't buy certain foods often like meat, processed food which production leads to pollution.
- Try not to buy plastic things or things in plastic containers like water. You can buy glass/metal/ceramic bottles for drinks.
- Don't reproduce (1 child max) especially if you live in India, China or any of those countries with too many people already.
I could probably think of more but there are other people here.
Make it Happen...
A lot of people are talking about individual action, and that's great, but you can't actually get the world to net zero emissions unless everybody changes what they do. To achieve that, you need to change the rules society operates under. This means exercising the political power required to do so. You can't do that alone. So pick a group, join in, and make it happen.
It's totally worth it.
Mostly cut down on the red meat and air travel. It also helps to drive an efficient car, wear sweaters indoors in winter, and keep indoor spaces comfortably warm in summer. Support politicians who are committed to mitigating climate change, because we're going to have to make some major systemic changes. The individual sacrifices that make a significant difference are moderate, and the benefits for future generations are expected to be huge. It's totally worth it.
Eat Natural.
Go vegetarian! It has a huge impact and is way easier than you might think. If you're a real superstar, go vegan!
Even just cutting beef and lamb (huge greenhouse gas emitters) or fish (fishing is the largest contribution to plastic pollution) is helpful!
Think Ahead.
Think about your next car, if you aren't ready for an EV, try a hybrid or a low emissions car.
Be Smart.
GiphyCarpool, reduce personal waste, cut down on running showers, plant trees/bushes on your property.
Charge the Gates....
Storm the offices of the organizations that are preventing change.
Do not stop for locked doors or anything else.
Seriously, we need angry mobs like yesterday. xxkoloblicinxx
Slow Fashion.
GiphySustainable aka Slow Fashion. Fast fashion producers like H&M or Zara are build on the misery of many people and animals. In Bangladesh for example the water is so polluted by the industry that even bathing in it is a serious health endangerment. Also, there are millions of tons of textiles that are on landfills. These are just a few issues. Sustainable Fashion isn't much pricier or at all pricier and you support a more worker and planet friendly industry.
It's Just Stuff....
Stop buying stuff you don't need. Shipping & transport are the biggest sources of greenhouse gas emissions.
I second this. I work for UPS air and I get paid by the hour people, not the package.
It's made me hate the christmas season.
Educate yourself.
Educate yourself. I hate to say it, but a lot of suggestions here are well meaning but aren't directly tied into climate change. Recycling is great, but plastic waste doesn't release carbon dioxide. The ozone hole has to do with ultraviolet radiation, not greenhouse gases that cause warming. Good things to care about, but not directly relevant.
Some things are a matter of scale. Try to research how much carbon things are emitting or taking up.
Planting trees helps, but we're emitting every several years in carbon what widespread afforestation of the Earth could absorb. It's a piece to fighting it, but not a one shot solution. One car ride can cancel out the annual CO2 absorption of a tree. Then what happens if that tree dies due to climate change causing a drought? Consider that one mass transit ride could save as much carbon as a tree would absorb in an entire year.
These are difficult questions. There are answers, they just require thoughtful answers. Also political action and the willingness for some personal sacrifices. emumemu
Overpopulation.
Have less kids. 4h4usheer
Right! Adoption is a fantastic thing to do if you want to raise kiddos. Or get pets instead.
Be Smart.
GiphyEat less beef, meatless Mondays, don't buy stupid crap, avoid single use plastic, bike or take the bus to work, recycle properly, buy local, pick up litter, train > plane, VOTE, avoid garbage brands, thrift shop if u need stuff, and then tell ur friends to do all this stuff.
Plant.
Plant trees. There is a lot of tree planting companies. Work for them, earn cash, make a difference. If you want to do even more, spend some of that cash on more trees to plant.
Reduction.
You can reduce the CO2 emissions you cause. Use your car less or get one that needs less fuel, fly less, buy less stuff you won't use, replace red meat with chicken or vegetarian options, ...
You can donate money to projects that avoid CO2 emissions or remove CO2 from the atmosphere, e.g. by planting new trees. As rough guideline: Avoiding 1 ton of CO2 emissions is ~$50. Yearly per capita CO2 emissions in the US and Canada are ~16 tonnes.
Last but not least...
If you want to be fully CO2-neutral you can donate $800 per year to suitable projects, or even less if you cause below average CO2 emissions. This is affordable for many people! And it would be even more affordable if paid relative to the income, e.g. via taxes.
Last but not least: Convince other people to do the same, and vote for people supporting policies that slow climate change.
So Many Options.....
Walk or bike instead of driving, donate and thrift shop instead of throwing away and buying stuff you don't need. Don't use single use items, unplug or turn off lights and utilities if you're not using them, shop locally and organically, cut down on eating meat.
Any One Person.
The biggest things any one single person is:
1 - Push the boundaries of science and business and invent an economical way to get solar panels into space and a way of either safely beaming it down to earth or converting it to a form that can be transported to Earth
2 - Failing this don't have kids.
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