Climate Priority

For years, I have been doing research on how to interpret sustainable alternatives to our everyday lives. This year, I have been deeply thinking about why the environment isn’t really everyone’s top priority. One of the most vitally important issues of the 21st century is climate change and many countries like Spain have declared a national climate emergency. Through all of that, we tend to put other needs such as work and school before acting on the climate. This is why I would like to ask you, “why isn’t climate action our top priority?”. 

History of the Climate Change

First, we must take a trip back to the earlier days of sustainable living practices. Millions of years ago, when our ancestors roamed the earth, there wasn’t much energy used for living. They didn’t have pollution nor plastics. The only available materials and foodstuff they had were grown on earth and were 100% Net Zero/sustainable. As time passed, technology evolved. This resulted in more efficiency for humans and less for the earth. As the industrial revolution changed the world with its life-changing technologies, the main goals for humans became “technological advancements' '. Eventually, things like plastic and artificial chemicals/metals started to be widely used to produce technology. During those times, the environment wasn’t a huge concept that was fully understood. In the early 20th century, the idea of climate change was slowly being developed. As this idea developed to a knowledgeable level, it becomes difficult to switch back to more sustainable practices, as our everyday lives depend on technology.

Observations

During the winter break, I spent some time talking with some family friends about what they think about having no snow over winter. I noticed that everyone was delighted with such weather as it made it easier to drive for most of them. No one mentioned how bad it was regarding climate change until I brought it up. Then they said that they never thought of it that way. This got the others thinking about what they can do to reduce CO2 emissions as well as live an equivalent and more sustainable lifestyle with alternatives. I’ve noticed that some of them converted to eating vegetarian/vegan and plant-based. They explained that it helped reduce their CF. Some of them also decided to switch to hybrids/electric vehicles. Something that I found to be unique was that some of them decided to eat more locally grown/produced foods and avoided many fast food/high-end restaurants as most ingredients were shipped from overseas consuming a high amount of energy. Alternatively, they decided to go eat out at local restaurants that served locally grown foods instead. These were some methods that a handful of people followed and it truly developed a strong connection to the community and environment for some of them.

Research

The environment is tied to many things we do such as finance, politics and even production. Due to it being complex, most of us cannot really do much. Climate action involves a lot of money and research. It costs billions just to run research labs. Imagine how much it would cost civilians if they wanted to switch their lifestyle. In fact, sustainable products cost more to produce and many people don’t invest in them. Due to the low demand, it’s not widely available. From my past research in investigating farmer’s markets, I found out that there are a few companies that produce sustainable alternatives. Most of them sell local as well as it reduces the CF of the product. The only thing is that the prices were high and no one purchased them. A study from 2011 shows that only 22% of Americans were willing to pay more for sustainable alternatives. The number might have gone up but still, the word is not spread well.  

Another thing I found to be a major issue is fast fashion. Many companies depend entirely on the fads that pass through amongst us consumers. One month, there might be the concept of minimalism but the next month, VSCO girls are everywhere. The fast fashion industry produces 10% of the world’s carbon emissions and is the second-largest consumer of water. Another issue that is commonly associated with fast fashion is false advertisement. Companies may have the intention to be eco-friendly but the circumstances for mass production don’t align with sustainable concepts. This is why resorting to materials such as cotton, linen and hemp is proven to be the best way to purchase clothes. Another thing is the second-hand clothing. Using items second-hand helps recycle and reuse the article of clothing.

Solutions

Another option is offsetting your offset your carbon. This is done by the purchase of Carbon offsets. This is done by undertaking projects like growing of trees upgrading Power plants improving the efficiency of the plants go for Generators that use Renewable Energy 

Rooftop Solar PV projects Floating Solar PV projects are good examples which can be promoted if it cannot be done at home. When one buys carbon credit where ever such projects are undertaken less CO2 is produced when producing electricity and thus reduce the input of CHG.

Carbon neutrality begins with reduction. It's a concentrated effort to produce less waste and use more renewable energy. After reduction has reached its limit or its comfortable threshold, carbon offsets can make up for the rest.

Carbon offsets are a form of trade. When you buy an offset, you fund projects that reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The projects might restore forests, update power plants and factories or increase the energy efficiency of buildings and transportation. Carbon offsets let you pay to reduce the global GHG total instead of making radical or impossible reductions of your own. GHG emissions mix quickly with the air and, unlike other pollutants, spread around the entire planet. Because of this, it doesn't really matter where GHG reductions take place if fewer emissions enter the atmosphere

Having a carbon tax is another method to reduce fuel use as it becomes expensive to use CHG producing fuels in life. The money collected is given back to people doing renewable energy projects as an incentive. More than reducing pollution we must leave the earth cleaner than what is now for the future generation. There is a waste to heat projects plastic to fuel projects which reduce the landfill with waste and plastic both are very bad for the environment   Many new projects to collect the plastic in the ocean are taking place these helps to keep our ocean clean which will allow more fish to grow and reduce the damage caused to the coral reefs and other sea living organisms. The rise in sea temperature will reduce the CO2 absorbing capacity of the sea and results in sea ice melting. This in return increases the sea level and a good part of the nation's town close to the sea and almost at sea level goes under the water.  

Conclusion

Climate change may be a huge issue along with economics but if we want to make an impact and enforce more sustainable practices, we need government guidance, communication and awareness. Climate action so far isn’t our priority due to many other things being major contributors to it. Our imports and exports cause so many CO2 emissions and the government cannot act upon such things due to the need for money. From the research I have conducted, money is the biggest factor that takes away from strict enforcement. We cannot do much without money and recessions make it harder for families to practice sustainability. Due to such circumstances, the priority of the environment has declined as it intertwines with most government issues. As the years progress, climate action will advance and the importance of it will increase but until then, we need to find ways to make our lifestyle more sustainable.