What Can We Do to Stop Global Warming

You lot've probably heard our planet is in trouble: glaciers are melting, sea levels are rising, and wildfires, hurricanes, and heat waves are becoming more severe. And yous've probably had friends, influencers, and media outlets tell you how to help: "Don't use plastic straws" "Get vegan" "Only use reusable bags."

But while these tips may be helpful, are they actually impactful?

Equally it turns out, a lot of the trendy global warming solutions practice not make the biggest impact. While information technology'due south beneficial to cut your plastic straw usage, they only business relationship for .0025% of the plastic in our oceans, according to The Atlantic. Not to mention, our plastic problem barely makes a dent in rising temperatures.

And then what does?

Global warming, explained

Let'southward offset from the showtime. Global warming is caused by likewise many 'greenhouse gases' in our atmosphere – aka, gases that trap estrus and warm our planet.

The #1 sector responsible for greenhouse gas emissions in the US is transportation, and cars account for 82% of this, according to the U.s.a. Environmental Protection Bureau (EPA). Electricity production comes at a shut second.

Why do transportation and electricity impairment our planet and then much? To generate power for these sectors, you need to fire fossil fuels like oil, gas, or coal. Burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide, which makes upward 82% of the gases in our atmosphere that trap heat, co-ordinate to the EPA.

In other words, also much transportation and electricity means too many gases in our atmosphere that warm our planet.

Merely there are other causes of global warming, likewise. While carbon dioxide takes up most of the headlines, there'southward some other greenhouse gas that'southward seriously warming our planet: methane. It's responsible for about 20% of global warming, co-ordinate to National Geographic, and a big portion of methane comes from cows (more than on that later).

Sowho is emitting the most greenhouse gasses? Consider this:

• The U.s. is responsible for the highest number of emissions, and Americans have the highest carbon footprint per capita
• 100 companies (most of them oil and coal producers) are responsible for 71% of the world'due south greenhouse gas emissions.

The best global warming solutions

To figure out the near impactful global warming solutions, nosotros looked into the behaviors that accept the highest bear upon on the biggest causes. For example, nosotros asked: What is the nigh impactful manner for individuals to cut downward electricity usage? And while things like composting, smart thermostats, and recycling help our planet, they do not address the biggest sources of global warming as much every bit other solutions exercise.

We too asked: Which of these high-touch solutions are realistic for individuals to implement, correct now? While there are some super impactful solutions that aren't on this list, such as wind turbines, solar farms, and regenerative agriculture, we purposely omitted them because they're impossible to implement at an individual level.

While you'd ideally implement all of the following solutions, the truth is, it's hard to alive a life optimized for sustainability. Maybe driving a automobile is the just mode you can get to piece of work, or it's too hard for you to lower your heating bill in the winter.

That's okay. Not anybody can exercise everything- the most of import thing is that we all exercise the virtually nosotros tin to assistance relieve our earth. So here's a toolbox of the most impactful solutions for global warming (in no particular club) that yous can exercise, today – and can pick and choose equally you meet fit:

 1. Plant trees

What to exercise :

• Plant copse in tropical rainforests in Brazil, Indonesia, Bharat, Colombia, and Madagascar. (If you plant trees through Treedom, you can choose the type of tree yous plant based on how much carbon it removes from the atmosphere.)
• Protect what remains of our existing tropical forests through nonprofits such as Cool Globe

Why it'southward impactful:

Reforestation is the nigh price-effective  fashion to prevent global warming, co-ordinate to research presented at the American Association for the Advancement of Science briefing. Why?

Trees blot carbon dioxide (reminder: which makes up 82% of greenhouse gases in our temper), and then planting more trees can aid reduce the corporeality of carbon in our temper. In fact, we could remove roughly two-thirds of human-made carbon merely past letting all forests regrow, according to a study published in the journal of Science. Yep, 2-thirds.

Plus, as Jaron Pazi from Treedom told us,

"Trees do more than than blot carbon. When planted in sustainable agroforestry systems, they upshot in enhanced biodiversity, water retentiveness, soil health, food security and economic development for local communities."

But not all forests are created equal – some remove carbon from our temper more than finer than others. According to a paper published in Science Advances, tropical forests in countries like Brazil, Republic of indonesia, and India will most efficiently pull carbon out of the atmosphere, since they're dwelling house to a huge amount of biodiversity and play a major role in the planet'south air and water cycle.

2. Create more sustainable transportation habits

You lot knew this one was coming…

What to practice:

Exercise at least one of these things:

• Instead of ordering a private ride, practice a rideshare
• Avoid rapid acceleration and braking, and turn on prowl control on longer trips
• Walk and bike to your destination whenever possible
• When buying a new car, cull a climate-friendly option (here's a skillful tool to discover a climate-friendly car)

Why it's impactful:

As aforementioned, cars are ane of the biggest contributors to climate change: 82% of emissions from transportation come from cars. And while cutting automotive transportation out of your life would brand the most impact, this isn't possible for most people. So instead, tweak a few habits that will have a bigger collective impact.

For case, if you refrain from harsh braking and rapid acceleration, you can cutting your fuel consumption by as much as forty%, according to the US Section of Energy. If y'all also keep your tires inflated and automobile maintained, you lot'll cut your fuel consumption by almost half when driving.

three. Lower your heating beak

What to do:

In the wintertime, take steps to lower your heating bill:

• Prepare your thermostat at 68 degrees F, and lower your domicile's temperature vii-x degrees for eight hours a twenty-four hour period. (Simply don't turn down the heat more than 10 degrees if it's merely for a few hours- it'll have too much energy to heat support.)
• Shore up your windows, seal up the doors, and plug up dafty holes (here's a comprehensive guide that shows you how).

Why it's impactful:

Electricity is one of the biggest causes of greenhouse gas emissions, and heating systems are the single biggest energy expense in the home. And then lowering your heating bills is the nigh impactful way to reduce your electricity consumption (and isn't and then bad for your wallet, either).

In add-on to monitoring your thermostat, improving insulation and airtightness through your walls, roof, and windows is a great mode to avoid heat from escaping your home, since the biggest sources of heat loss are your walls (35%), roof (20%), and windows (15%).

 4. Divest from coal, and encourage others to do the same

What to do:

• Divest your 401k from fossil fuels (you tin clarify your stocks on fossilfreefunds.org, which shows what % of your funds are invested in fossil fuel companies)
• Make sure your bank, insurance company, and university (some of the world'southward biggest investors in coal) have agreed to divest. If they haven't, phone call on them to do so.

Why it's impactful:

Coal-burning power plants are by far the biggest emitters of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council. Aka, coal is a large deal.

20% of industrial coal emissions are funded by public investors. And then when people or companies stop investing, it's more difficult for coal producers to finance more than coal production.

For case, "the more insurance companies that bring together the divestment endeavour, the more difficult information technology will get for companies to derive pregnant revenue from burning coal," Bloomberg Journalist Bryony Collins wrote. That's why Lemonade became the kickoff US insurance visitor to not invest in coal.

Example in point: When the globe'due south biggest coal company (Peabody) announced bankruptcy, it said the divestment movement had made it difficult to enhance capital.

v. Consume less beef

What to exercise:

Create a rule for yourself that limits your beef consumption, such every bit:

• Don't cook beef at home – only eat information technology out
• Only consume beef on the weekends
• If there'due south an selection to choose between beef or another protein when ordering a dish, become with the alternative protein

Why it's impactful:

Emissions from beast agronomics account for around 15% of all human emissions, and beef is responsible for 41% of that, co-ordinate to the United nations Food and Agronomics System.

If cattle were their ain nation, they would be the globe's third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases. Let that sink in.

Why?

Beef product requires 28x more land, 6x more fertilizer, and 11x more water than these other proteins than the calorie-equivalent of pork or chicken, co-ordinate to a newspaper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

And if you gene in deforestation to make way for livestock, forth with methane emissions from cows and fertilizer utilise, beef product creates as much greenhouse gas emissions equally all the world'south cars, trucks, and airplanes combined, according to The Guardian.

6. Educate girls

What to practise:

Give to a charity that makes school more affordable and accessible for girls in low- and lower-middle-income countries, such as the Malala Fund.

Why it's impactful:

In the nigh comprehensive written report on constructive climate solutions, Project Drawdown named educating girls every bit the #six well-nigh impactful solution (for reference, composting is #60, and rooftop solar is #10).

That's considering women with more years of education take fewer children, and therefore a lower carbon footprint. Not only that, but "women take a disproportionate share of decision making around water, cooking, food waste, fuel choices, and how homes are heated, built, and used," said scientist Jonathan Foley. "It's one of the near powerful climate solutions of all."

"Educating girls is 1 of the most toll-effective, high-impact ways for every nation to fight rising temperatures," Shabana Basij-Rasikh shared on TED. "It'southward non a topic well-nigh Westerners think almost, since girls' teaching is a given. "

7. Advocate for a healthy planet

What to practice:

Support climate legislation by doing 1 or more than of these things:

• Transport a letter to political party leaders and candidates telling them your vote depends on their opinion on global warming
• Volunteer for a candidate that supports efforts to stop global warming
• Talk to friends and family about the importance of voting for climate action
• Write a alphabetic character to your elected leaders to support and implement a set of climate solutions

Why information technology'due south impactful:

Reminder: 100 companies produce 71% of emissions worldwide. What volition compel big companies to act sustainably consistently, on a big scale? Lawmakers.

They tin:

• Place limits on the amount of carbon companies are allowed to emit
• Provide resource to prevent emissions leaks from equipment
• Subsidize efficient industrial technology to make it more affordable

They tin can likewise help individuals act more than sustainably. Copenhagen's government is working to make it the earth'due south first carbon-neutral city past 2025, by installing cycle lanes across the metropolis, restricting polluting cars, and building new current of air turbines.

And how tin nosotros enact political alter? It all starts with yous.

8. Convince your friends to behave sustainably

What to do:

Choose an impactful, sustainable behavior from this list, and endeavour to convince your friends to do it too. Using the example of ridesharing, you can say things like:

1. "I talked to Jordan, Leah, Hannah, and Danny, and they're all ridesharing. Are y'all?"

ii. "When'southward the next time you're going to rideshare, and what app are you going to employ?"

three. "You're a ride sharer, aren't you?"

4. "I'll text y'all next calendar week to encounter how the ride sharing has been going!"

Why information technology'due south impactful:

While you're on your way to becoming a climate warrior, your friends and family unit members might not. Because of a niggling thing called the drop-in-the-bucket effect (read: "my actions won't actually make a difference"), 80% of Americans don't consistently brand an effort to alive a sustainable life, co-ordinate to Pew.

And since Americans have the largest footprint worldwide, convincing your friends and family unit to reduce their emissions can transcend our own bear on, and inspire others to help save our planet too.

Giving your friends these nudges is scientifically proven to help sway them to act sustainably. For case, ane of the biggest findings in behavioral science is that humans are motivated to do what other people around them are doing. If you lot tell your friend that your other friends are using sustainable low-cal bulbs, they'll be more compelled to do and so, too.

Become a climate warrior

Adopting a sustainable life isn't easy, especially since it'due south difficult to feel that your actions are truly making a difference. And each time you take a step to preclude global warming, you're usually giving up something, whether it'southward time, money, or convenience. That's why you should make sure the sacrifice you're making really has a significant impact.

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BTW, Lemonade has but launched motorcar insurance, and it's designed with the planet in mind. Learn about what makes Lemonade Car different.

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Source: https://www.lemonade.com/blog/climate-change-solutions/

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