CLIMATE
CHANGE
Throughout Earth’s lifetime the planet’s temperature has always been changing due to occasional and natural changes in the planets’ orbit varying the amount of solar energy that it receives. Bearing in mind that the Earth’s environment and temperature has always been changing, scientists have tracked and monitored these changes and researched why they came about. Before humans these changes, albeit still significant, occurred naturally over a long period of time. Since the human habitation of Earth and discovery of technology and mass production resulting in a boom in population, the change to the Earth’s temperature has changed drastically over a short period of time compared to it’s more natural previous fluctuations. Through research of the planet’s climate and changes on a global scale, scientists figured out that an increase in greenhouse gases subsequently causes the Earth’s temperature to rise. Testing of ice cores taken from Antarctica and other areas like tropical mountain glaciers are proof that the Earth’s environment changes during an increase in greenhouse gas. Other tests such as looking at tree rings and other sediment cores also shows that the environment changes in response to the rise in greenhouse gasses.
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CLIMATE
CHANGE
Looking at this evidence shows that currently our temperature is changing ten times faster than the ice-age-recovery warming. According to Nasa, the Earth’s temperature has changed rapidly since the 19 century. Most of the warming has occurred in the last 35 years due to carbon dioxide and other emissions caused by humans in the past century. These emissions are caused by numerous things such as our use of polluting machinery, farming and waste. As our population has increased rapidly as well as our consumerism we are creating an abundance of waste and most of it doesn't degrade over our lifetimes. We are also taking more resources from the Earth than can be replenished naturally over time. Since 2014 globally we’ve had some of the hottest weather on record. For instance all of the wild fires that have happened around the world in the past couple of years are in some way caused by climate change. This rise in temperature does not mean that everywhere the climate has become hotter and humid. This change in temperature affects areas and ecosystems differently causing fluctuations in weather making some areas hotter or colder but mostly it causes damage to the ecosystems that are irreparable, melting glaciers and causing droughts.
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Throughout Earth’s lifetime the planet’s temperature has always been changing due to occasional and natural changes in the planets’ orbit varying the amount of solar energy that it receives. Bearing in mind that the Earth’s environment and temperature has always been changing, scientists have tracked and monitored these changes and researched why they came about. Before humans these changes, albeit still significant, occurred naturally over a long period of time. Since the human habitation of Earth and discovery of technology and mass production resulting in a boom in population, the change to the Earth’s temperature has changed drastically over a short period of time compared to it’s more natural previous fluctuations. Through research of the planet’s climate and changes on a global scale, scientists figured out that an increase in greenhouse gases subsequently causes the Earth’s temperature to rise. Testing of ice cores taken from Antarctica and other areas like tropical mountain glaciers are proof that the Earth’s environment changes during an increase in greenhouse gas. Other tests such as looking at tree rings and other sediment cores also shows that the environment changes in response to the rise in greenhouse gasses.
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WHY SUSTAINABILITY IS IMPORTANT
Although we have created hundreds of years of waste and pollution and damage to the Earth’s natural resources there is still time and hope to slow down and even halt further damage. This can be done by being more mindful of what we consume and how it breaks down, that is if it does, after we throw it away. One big thing is to use mainly products that are biodegradable or compostable and will break down rather than adding to years of carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas emissions in landfills. Being sustainable and using less damaging and wasteful products allows for of course less pollution but also rather than consuming more resources can allow for natural resources to have more time to actually replenish themselves naturally. Which is what they are supposed to do except we keep consuming and don’t give time for them to replenish. Being mindful of what we use will not only be healthy for our environment but will also be healthy for us.
Using products that are more sustainable can consist of using reusable products but also by using products that are non toxic and contain little to no chemicals. Many of our daily products such as lotions and soaps contain ingredients like palm oil that are damaging because of the way they were sourced. For example palm oil is considered unethical because the farming and sourcing of it causes deforestation. Other plants such as soy also cause deforestation in order for large amounts of it to be grown. Even though it was initially a good thing because it allowed for us to have a protein replacement for meat which is even more damaging but the increase in consumption of it has led to deforestation to make room for growing it. There are products that are just generally unhealthy for us to consume because of fats, sugars and chemicals but there are also products that are unhealthy for us because they damage the environment.
CALL TO
ACTION
Every little thing counts when it comes to saving and protecting our environment. The easiest thing that most people can do is to live more sustainably. In some places living sustainably may be hard to achieve due to available supplies and finances but little things like not using plastic bags when shopping can help. Most people when faced with the challenge of living sustainably are wary because they don’t know where to start or think that it will be too expensive. In some cases living sustainably could be more expensive such as buying sustainable, locally produced food can be more expensive than buying something cheaper but unhealthier at a grocery store. If there are barriers such as price then you don’t need to fully change to buying sustainable food, although it would be healthier all around, you could maybe eat less meat or try to get a few things that are sustainable while grocery shopping in place of something that’s more harmful.
There are also sustainable ways of living that can save you money such as using reusable products and buying used clothes or mending and repurposing old clothes. It is also best to donate old clothes if you no longer have need for them than throwing them away. That way someone else can use it instead of buying brand new clothes which cause even more waste. Clothes can also cause pollution by the way the fabrics are sourced and made and the products used to clean them. It is best to buy clothes that are ethically sourced and made that are also durable and last longer for more uses and can withstand being mended. Being sustainable now will not only benefit us but future generations as well. By saving and not exploiting resources will allow for the same resources to be availalble in the future, whereas if we were to continually consume the Earth’s resources without giving it time to replenish then in the future most of those resources will be gone.
