Climate change is a real problem – scientists agree, it’s time to start making a difference before it’s too late.
According to multiple environmental studies conducted by the United Nations, this decade is our last chance to reduce the damage we have done to the Earth through our global greenhouse gas emissions. Otherwise, we are going to see a drastic increase in global climate temperatures, which will cause more catastrophic weather events, including tornadoes, floods, and wildfires.
Let’s get into how climate change has quickened in the last 5-10 years and how being sustainable is the only path forward.
The Science Behind Sustainability
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Climate Change: Historically vs. Today
In the last 5-10 years, you may have noticed more heatwaves, storms and other severe weather events. The increase in wildfires, droughts, tornadoes, and hurricanes is directly related to our oceans rising, which is, in turn, directly related to the increase of global temperatures. Higher temperatures result in faster evaporation of water. When there is more water vapor in the atmosphere, we experience more frequent, more torrential storms.
That’s pretty crazy. According to NASA, the global temperature increased by .8°C over 140 years but is currently projected to increase by 1.5°C in only 10 years. This dramatic increase in rising global temperatures is exactly why we need to make some serious changes now. By the year 2100, which is only 80 years away, we are on track to experience a 3.9°C increase in global temperatures, which will be catastrophic to the beautiful green planet we call home.
If you have kids, grandkids or plan to start a family, the changes that you make right now can help improve the quality of life for future generations and hopefully in saving the planet.
A study conducted by the University of Michigan found that the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States is from burning fossil fuels for transportation, power, and heat. The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimated that in 2017, the U.S. emitted 5.1 billion metric tons of energy-related CO2 into the atmosphere.
When compared to the global emissions of 32.5 billion metric tons, that’s a big contribution from our country that we need to drastically reduce.
Eco-Friendly Today for a Better Tomorrow
The Paris Agreement put into effect by the United Nations Conference on Climate Change, is a global pact to cut the projected 3.9°C increase a little more than half, to an only 1.5°C increase.
But we’re currently not on track.
Although our government and other world leaders need to make these important changes, we can’t always count on that – especially in such an industrious world. We have to do our part to keep our planet safe for future generations.
The Science Behind Sustainability
There are six greenhouse gases in our atmosphere: water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone, and CFCs/HCFCs/HFCs. Of these six, there are three problematic gases: methane, nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide. CO2 is the worst of our emissions and the one that humans contribute to most.
Carbon dioxide is created when we burn fuels. Those fuels include coal, natural gas, and petroleum. Although we aren’t hanging out with friends in the backyard burning copious amounts of coal and petroleum, we are part of the problem.
As one of the top producers of harmful greenhouse gas emissions, our industrious country needs to take action in order to be more sustainable. If every single person in the United States adopted just one eco-friendly resolution each year and followed through, it would significantly reduce our carbon footprint.
♻️ What’s My Carbon Footprint? Curious how much you’re contributing to greenhouse gas emissions? Click here to use a carbon footprint calculator from Nature.org and find out now!
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