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The images of the devastating fires in the Amazon and Australia and of the catastrophic plastic islands that have formed in the Pacific have gone around the world and more and more of us are trying to find efficient solutions to end these related natural problems with irresponsible anthropogenic actions that promote global warming and climate change. Despite the fact that various scientific studies affirm that the warming caused by anthropogenic emissions will persist for centuries, with consequent long-term changes in the climate, it is urgent to become aware of and respond to this problem, trying to include in our routines as many as possible of solutions to this global warming.
If you are also concerned and are interested in finding some solutions, continue reading this interesting article by Green Ecologist to learn in detail advice on how to avoid global warming.
What is global warming and its causes
What is global warming exactly? Simply explained, we can define global warming as the increase in global temperature of the planet that is part of a natural cycle of the Earth of climate change or readjustment of this (since it has warming and cooling stages) but that, as a consequence of different actions, humans have super accelerated and the temperature increase is getting bigger and faster.
Thus, the causes of global warming Today they are linked to people, as it is a phenomenon that has been induced by humans and that showed its first signs after the First Industrial Revolution, a time in which huge amounts of CO2 and other gases began to be emitted in a massive and uncontrolled way. greenhouse effect to the atmosphere. Various data from scientific studies show how global warming is currently increasing at a rate of 0.2 ºC per decade. Thus, in 2022 a rise of +1 ºC had been reached with respect to pre-industrial levels (according to the IPCC report - Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change).
Said global warming is directly related to the accelerated climate change that the Earth is suffering, which is a direct consequence of anthropogenic activities harmful to the environment and independent of the natural climate change that, every thousands of years, the planet suffers and self-manages through natural modifications of energy flows and climatic factors that characterize it.
Find out more about it in this other Green Ecologist article on Global Warming: definition, causes and consequences.
How to avoid global warming
The solutions for global warming they focus on changes that societies in the different countries of the world must adopt, fundamentally those of those countries that produce the greatest actions and emissions of polluting gases. These changes must be focused on the consumption and management of natural resources and waste that are produced, as well as mitigation measures to avoid climate change and its devastating consequences.
Various indicators have been developed in recent decades in order to quantify and summarize the effects of the main actions of consumption and management of natural resources, linked to global warming. These indicators include the ecological footprint, the carbon footprint and the Water footprint or virtual water. Here you can find out about these indicators, what they are, how they are calculated and much more:
- How to reduce the ecological footprint.
- How to reduce your carbon footprint.
- What is the water footprint.
Let's see in the next sections, some of the measures to avoid global warming in our day to day that can be more efficient; because each action, no matter how small, adds up.
Use public transport
Encouraging the use of public transport, both on a day-to-day basis and during our trips, entails the reduction of large amounts of CO2 emitted into the atmosphere, with the consequent air pollution in cities and main urban centers.
More and more public transport companies and travel agencies offer the possibility of offsetting our CO2 emissions, as well as alternatives to sustainable tourism and means of electric public transport to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases directly related to global warming.
Save energy and water
Decrease water consumption and natural gas entails benefits both for our economy and for the conservation of the environment and the reduction of the negative effects of global warming. A) Yes, reduce the use of natural gas and other compounds derived from petroleum, as well as promote renewable energies as much as possible in our day-to-day lives, they make a great difference with respect to the use we make of the increasingly scarce non-renewable natural resources, such as fossil fuels from which oil and natural gas are obtained.
In addition, betting on recycling and reuse measures for water and electrical products that we use at home will also be vital to reduce the consumption and subsequent waste of these goods. There are energy labels that inform us of the ecological quality of household appliances, as well as water and energy saving programs by companies that allow us to bet on an ecological and efficient use of them.
Responsible and local consumption to stop global warming
Without a doubt, one of the main strategies for decrease global warming is to opt for a local consumption and conscious, in which food that comes to us from long distances is avoided, and its derivative CO2 emissions when transported for import / export. Within responsible consumption, the decrease in the consumption of meat and other products must be taken into account (such as soy in countries where it is not native), whose needs for water and other natural resources for its production are very unprofitable and drastically negative and polluting for the planet.
Beyond food, the measures of responsible consumption They also extend to the purchase of biodegradable and / or reusable products, with the least amount of plastic and other packaging, thus promoting the consumption of solid products (such as soap in cosmetics) and reducing the use of highly chemical products. harmful to global warming, such as aerosols and pesticides.
Directly related to consumption, waste management plays a fundamental role in avoiding global warming, where strategies such as Zero waste, recycling and the purchase of second-hand products (clothing, appliances, etc.), reduce the huge amount of waste that is generated and dumped into the environment year after year.
Find out more about what is responsible consumption here.
Inform and disseminate about the problem of global warming
Each action focused on decrease global warming, and thus prevent it from continuing to increase rapidly, it is more than beneficial for the environment and the societies that inhabit the planet, so it will always be necessary keep us informed and willing to offer disclosure of this environmental / anthropogenic problem that involves all of us.
There are more and more documentaries, scientific articles, websites and magazines specialized in environmental issues that allow us to update ourselves and be aware of all the consequences and actions that global warming entails and, as a whole, the accelerated climate change that we are experiencing.
It is also important to acknowledge the work and collaborate with one of the many NGOs that fight (nationally and internationally) for the conservation of the environment and to reach mitigation and justice measures within the environmental and social problems of climate change.
Consequences of global warming
The consequences of global warming are considered by various scientific studies as the possible results and negative impacts that accelerated climate change it has (and will have) in the different natural and human systems. They are generally considered the negative effects on lives, the means of subsistence, the states of health, the economic, social and cultural assets, as well as the interactions on the ecosystems.
Specifically, direct and dangerous consequences have been identified in extreme meteorological and climatic phenomena, which tend to occur in specific periods of time, thus exposing the societies and ecosystems with which they interact to a drastic vulnerability. These consequences on geophysical systems have been grouped into a subset of impacts called physical impacts, which includes devastating impacts. floods, droughts and sea level rises (mainly due to the melting of the poles).
If you want to read more articles similar to How to avoid global warmingWe recommend that you enter our Climate Change category.
Bibliography- AEMET & OECC (2022). Climate Change: Global Warming of 1.5ºC. State Meteorological Agency and Spanish Office for Climate Change. Ministry for the Ecological Transition, Madrid.
- Rogelj, J. et al., (2022). Mitigation Pathways Compatible with 1.5 ° C in the Context of Sustainable Development. In: Global Warming of 1.5 ° C. An IPCC Special Report.
- United Nations Environment Program (2022). Emissions Gap Report 2022. UNEP, Nairobi.
