5 Actions Your “Socially Woke” Friends Are Taking To Fight Climate Change.

Days of being “woke” just in terms of fashion are far behind. Now we use the term to describe anyone aware of every social thing happening, not only in fashion. The new woke generation is speaking up against environmentally degrading actions and requesting a change from large corporations, business owners, and the government. Why are you left out? Luckily this article would bring you to speed on happenings regarding climate change.

Climate change refers to both human and naturally produced warming and its effects on our planet, measured as the average increase in earth’s global surface temperature (NASA. 2021). Unlike what you may think, the sun is not to blame for the warming of the earth.

Don’t take my word for it, watch this short video form Bill Nye, our favorite science guy as he describes climate change and its impact.

In a research carried out by a team of scientists in 2020, the oceans were at the warmest ever in 2019, 0.075 degrees Celsius (0.135 degrees Fahrenheit) higher than the average; while that number may seem small, it is a large amount of it to be absorbed by the seas of the earth. Cheng et al. (2020) “The amount of heat we have put in the world’s oceans in the past 25 years equals to 3.6 billion Hiroshima atom bomb explosions.” Continued actions like this would have far reaching effect on life as we know it.

How Can You Join The Good Fight? Be Woke!

1. The first and obvious way is to use energy judiciously- by making some lifestyle changes like unplugging your appliances when they are not in use, buy energy-efficient appliances. Air-dry your hair and your clothes. 60% of the energy associated with a piece of clothing is spent in washing and drying it. Turn off or down your heater, air conditioner when no one is in the room. These little actions help you pollute less and also help you save money in the long run.
2. Eat consciously-  buy organic and locally grown food, don’t waste food, and eat less meat. Researchers found that meat and beef production affects the climate. According to the United Nations, as reported by the Times Newspaper, “Meat such as beef and lamb is particularly inefficient to produce because livestock need lots of space to graze, and that involves deforestation. According to the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organization, meat and dairy specifically accounts for around 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions, Lowering the amount of meat we eat would also decrease emissions from livestock, and the amount of fertilizer raising them requires” (Times Newspaper 2019).
3. Clean transportation methods – electric vehicles like Tesla aren’t the only way to switch to clean transport. Letting go of old inefficient, gas-guzzling cars, carpooling, taking public buses, riding a bicycle, and flying less are ways to green your movement.
4. Invest in renewable energy, not just financially, by buying solar panels or physical appliances. You can diversify your wealth by investing in green energy solutions and technologies.
5. Effect change in your network, office, and the local community- lending your voice is a way to ensure that a difference is made. Support a clean energy group of your choice and get tips on how to have climate change conversations with your friends, family, and colleagues. Young people are the ones with a higher stake in this, and our future is at stake, so speak up.

My Commitment

Congratulations, now you up to speed and woke for the right reasons. I am committed to reducing climate change by undertaking these actions, more specific activities listed in numbers 1,2,4, and 5.   Please leave a comment stating what ways you intend to take steps against climate change for the future.

Resources

• Communication starter kits: Climate Change Solutions – Call for Code – IBM Developer
  Coolkit-revision-22.compressed.pdf (ubc.ca)

• Fight misinformation with critical thinking app- Cranky Uncle vs Climate change. Access this game iPhone: https://sks.to/crankyiphone Android: https://sks.to/crankyandroid Browser: https://app.crankyuncle.info

• Calculate your personal footprint or help a friend realize the impact of his/her action on the planet through these apps android and iOS compatible; -footprint (minus footprint), WWF Footprint Calculator.

Thank you for committing to environmental responsibility.

References

Cheng, L., Abraham, J., Zhu, J. (2020). Record-Setting Ocean Warmth Continued in 2019. Adv. Atmos. Sci. 37, 137–142 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00376-020-9283-7

David Suzuki Foundation. ( n.d). Climate Change Basics: Top 10 Things You Can Do About Climate Change. Top 10 things you can do about climate change – David Suzuki Foundation

Renee Cho. (2018). How Climate Change Will Alter Our Food. Earth Institute; Columbia University, How Climate Change Will Alter Our Food (columbia.edu)

National Geographic. (2015). Climate Change 101 with Bill Nye (2015). Climate Change 101 with Bill Nye | National Geographic – YouTube

United Nations. (n.d). The Lazy Person’s Guide to Saving the World. United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The Lazy Person’s Guide to Saving the World – United Nations Sustainable Development