The earth’s biosphere is becoming rather uninhabitable due to the greenhouse gas emissions and the adverse climatic changes on earth due to human activities. It is no secret that in every passing year, the average global temperature is rising. The outcome has been rapid melting of glaciers, rising sea levels, rising ocean temperatures, extreme flooding, heat waves, augmented storm surge threats, dead zones, widespread desertification, and drought.
The world has also continued to witness an alarming rate of permafrost formation and extreme winter weathers owing to the changes in global temperatures. All together, these adverse medium to long-term impacts of climate change have been given the name climate crisis. The climate changes over time coupled with the immediate, present, and future danger, therefore, defines climate crisis.
It is an agenda that is currently being pursued by various international organizations, environmental regulatory agencies, and countries in connection with the historic Paris Agreement as a framework for fighting climate change and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. It is thus only right that man comes up with solutions to save the earth of this eminent crisis. Some of the top ten promising solutions to tackle climate crisis include;
10 Powerful Solutions To Tackle Climate Crisis
1. Enactment of laws and strengthening the already existing ones
To avoid climate change and global warming disasters in the next five to ten decades, immediate action must be taken by states. And for this to be achieved, nations need to have a common agenda for the enactment of laws and policies that prohibit carbon emissions according to the Paris Agreement.
Great examples include the carbon tax policy, emissions tax on GHG emissions, and energy tax. The laws enacted must be backed up with heavy penal sanctions and fines, termination of climate sceptics, and the shutting down of industries generating high levels of greenhouse gases to ensure the laws are enforced.
2. Use of renewable energy
Green or renewable energy is the safest option to avert the effects of climate crisis. Based on a report published by Energy Transitions Commission in 2017, global emissions could be halved by 2040 if the world focuses on an objective of using 100% renewable sources. The leading examples are wind and solar energy – both have zero carbon emissions.
Other reports also underscore that if 100% of the world’s energy needs could be met with renewable energy in the next five decades, the world may actually attain the 2015 Paris resolution of reducing global greenhouse gas emissions way below the forecasted 2 degrees Celsius. Besides, the dropping costs and advancements in renewable technology, and solar grid parity promises cheaper and much more eco-friendly options of harnessing and using energy.
3. Investing in energy efficient appliances and energy saving bulbs
Over the years, research has proved that efficient appliances help in keeping up to 2.3 billion tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. If the practice is maintained and we ensure that whenever we are buying appliances such as refrigerators, dishwashers, computers, printers, and washing machines they are certified for energy efficiency, we can significantly help in mitigating climate crisis. The use of LED bulbs also consume less energy as compared to the conventional ones.
4. Save water
Study has shown that saving water, for instance, turning off a tap while brushing your teeth, taking shorter showers, and installing low flush toilets helps a great deal in reducing carbon emissions into the atmosphere. This is because a lot of heat and energy is used in pumping of water, contributing to the emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
5. Use of fuel efficient vehicles
Automakers should design and manufacture vehicles that are more fuel efficient to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. For example, vehicular emissions namely cars, buses, trucks, and motorbikes powered by gasoline are responsible for 28% of the greenhouse gas emissions in 2016 according to a report published by the Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks 1990–2016. Given the statistics, the global greenhouse gas emissions could double or triple that of the U.S. in 2016 owing to the ever increasing number of vehicles on the roads.
Another report indicates that a typical passenger vehicle releases roughly 4.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually. To effectively mitigate this problem, the world’s population should consider using electric vehicles and if it has to be fuel cars, then they have to be fuel efficient and those that release less greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere.
6. Avoid planes
Just like the vehicular greenhouse gas emissions, planes are not excluded. At the same time, the use of airplanes for public and mass transportation is rapidly increasing. From 1992 to 2005, for example, passenger kilometres increased at a rate of 5.2% annually. Furthermore, studies have shown that air transport is a major source of greenhouse gas emission.
And since the Kyoto Protocol is not doing enough to curb the emissions from air transportation, the only viable way to mitigate climate crisis is to avoid planes. For neighbouring regions, nations or shorter distances, commuters should consider using public transport or electric trains to reduce the amount of fuel used. Alternatively, move closer to work.
7. Reduce consumption and avoid single use items
Cutting down on one’s consumption goes a long way in reducing the amount of fossil fuels burnt to produce more items. Therefore, investing in efficient and durable items can tremendously help in tackling the planet’s looming climate crisis.
The habit of buying of products and single use items every now and then merely increases the demand for such products and this makes manufactures to continue producing them, which results in increased greenhouse gas emissions during the production, packaging, shipping, and recycling processes. Durable, reusable, and effective items last longer thus reducing the need to buy new.
8. Strengthen lobby groups, campaigns and individual initiatives
Lobby groups, city greenhouse gas emission resistant campaigns, and individual initiatives can offer impressive steps towards tackling the imminent climate crisis. Lobbying and campaigns can essentially urge parliaments and governments to table and adopt initiatives for limiting greenhouse gas emissions and committing to become carbon neutral.
Moreover, as much as many states have laws and policies in place to minimize emissions, the majority are quite reluctant and unwilling to implement them. Lobby groups and campaigns can in such situations signal the need for urgent action. It is also argued that the simplest and best way to tackle climate crisis starts from individual actions and as such, it can influence others or friend’s action.
Talking to friends, relatives, and colleagues about the significance of re-use, buying durable and energy efficient items, avoiding wastage, biking or walking to work, and switching to renewables can be helpful.
9. Regulating logging and curtailing deforestation
Logging and other forms of deforestation increase carbon emissions by up to 1.5 billion metric tons into the earth’s atmosphere, and 23% of current man-made carbon dioxide emissions is attributed to forest loss. The national geographic has also stressed that the destruction of rainforests is a chief contributor to climate change. The reason for this is because forests and trees acts as carbon sinks – they trap carbon from the atmosphere and store it for years.
Simply put, trees are reservoirs of stored carbon as they absorb CO2 from the air for photosynthesis and whenever they are burned or cleared, the carbon is released back into the atmosphere – all part of the carbon cycle. It, therefore, means that controlling logging and planting new trees can offset greenhouse gas emissions.
10. Upgrading our infrastructure
Another way to restrict greenhouse gas emissions is through upgrade of the old infrastructure and the construction of new ones with the guidance of the contemporary green building codes. Research shows that buildings all over the world contribute up to forty three percent of the total carbon emissions into the atmosphere.
Of course, when old infrastructure are upgraded and new ones constructed as per the recommended modern green building codes, it could considerably mitigate climate crisis. Buildings and offices, for example, can be made to be more energy efficient by encouraging natural lighting, and the use of solar and wind energy for cooling, heating, and cooking.
