Climate Change

By FPL_LorrieP

Climate change is a "hot" (pun intended) and controversial topic these days. According to the United Nations, "Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. Such shifts can be natural, due to changes in the sun’s activity or large volcanic eruptions. But since the 1800s, human activities have been the main driver of climate change, primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas. Burning fossil fuels generates greenhouse gas emissions that act like a blanket wrapped around the Earth, trapping the sun’s heat and raising temperatures."

Not everyone supports this view. Some people think that human activity has little to no effect on our climate. This includes laymen and scientists alike.

GreenPeace has come up with the following list of things that can be done to limit climate change, opens a new window, especially if we take collective action. 

• Keep fossil fuels in the ground
• Invest in renewable technologies such as solar, wind, wave, tidal and geothermal power.
• Switch to sustainable transport, opens a new window (electric vehicles)
• Improve farming and encourage vegan diets. Reduce meat and dairy consumption, or go fully vegan. Urge businesses and food retailers to provide more plant-based products to help people make the shift.
• Restore nature to absorb more carbon.
• Protect forests like the Amazon. Forests are crucial in the fight against climate change, and protecting them is an important climate solution.
• Protect the oceans, as they, like forests, absorb large amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, which helps to keep our climate stable.
• Reduce how much we consume, as transport, fashion, food and other lifestyle choices all have different impacts on the climate.
• Reduce plastic, opens a new window. Plastic is made from oil, and the process of extracting, refining and turning oil into plastic (or even polyester, for clothing) is surprisingly carbon intense.).

No matter where you stand on Climate Change, you’ve likely heard the names, Greta Thunberg, Al Gore, or David Attenborough, activists in the fight against this issue. These individuals, and many more, are demanding action, encouraging global involvement, and thus inspiring hope.

To find out more about the topic of Climate Change, check out the books on this list:

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