The UK yesterday made history by declaring a climate emergency. It’s certainly good news for those of us fighting for the planet, but what does it actually mean to declare a climate emergency? It’s very difficult to define what this actually means because it’s such a new concept. For many people, put simply it means that drastic measures have to be taken to reduce carbon emissions while at the same time planting more trees to absorb the excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
| “Labour is calling on the government to make changes which include setting a new target of reaching net zero emissions before 2050.The current target is to reduce carbon emissions by 80% (compared to 1990 levels) by 2050.” “Many local councils say they want to be carbon neutral by 2030” – source The Green Party, understandably, has clear goals – here are their suggestions for what the UK should do to combat climate change – Green Party Policy – Climate Change. |
Definitions:
- Carbon Neutral – making or resulting in no net release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, especially as a result of carbon offsetting.
- Carbon Zero – If a company or an organization is carbon-zero, it does not release any carbon dioxide into the environment.
- Negative Emissions – the removal of carbon from the atmosphere.
Becoming carbon neutral or aiming to be carbon zero is a good idea, but in my opinion doesn’t go far enough. We’ve declared a climate emergency so we need to take it seriously and rather than just aiming to reduce emissions we need to offset the excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. We should be aiming for negative emissions.
What are the biggest causes of global warming?
| “there are several greenhouse gases responsible for warming, and humans emit them in a variety of ways. Most come from the combustion of fossil fuels in cars, buildings, factories, and power plants. The gas responsible for the most warming is carbon dioxide, or CO2. Other contributors include methane released from landfills, natural gas and petroleum industries, and agriculture (especially from the digestive systems of grazing animals); nitrous oxide from fertilizers; gases used for refrigeration and industrial processes; and the loss of forests that would otherwise store CO2” – source |
The figures below come from the World Research Institute (WRI), summarised by CNN.
- 30. 6% – Electricity and Heating. The burning of fossil fuels to provide for electricity and heat is the biggest cause of climate change.
- 14.8% – Transport. Driving and flying being the biggest contributors in this sector.
- 13.3% – Manufacturing and Construction.
- 11.1% – Agriculture. Giving up beef or seriously cutting down on it’s consumption globally would have a very positive effect on climate change.
- 8.2% – Burning Fuel. Burning other fuels like wood, in commercial and residential properties as well as for agriculture and fishing.
- 5.8% – Industrial Processes. For example cement and aluminium production. (Because of the heat needed to decompose rock and the natural chemical processes involved in making cement, every tonne made releases one tonne of C02, the main greenhouse warming gas. – source)
- 5.7% – Deforestation and Land Use Change. Rainforests are often referred to as the lungs of the world and this is because they trap a lot of carbon from the atmosphere. Rainforests are being decimated at an alarming rate and this must stop. (Although the WRI states that deforestation accounts for 5.7% of climate change other estimates can reach up to 20%)
- 5.3% – Fugitive Emissions. Gas flares and other emissions associated with energy production.
- 3.1% – Waste. Landfills are big culprits here as they release methane into the atmosphere.
- 2.2% – Bunker Fuels. This includes ships and planes in and over international waters.
| Confused by all the seemingly new eco-friendly terminology? Check out this Glossary of Green Words. |
What can the UK do?
- Stop the building of the 3rd runway at Heathrow airport.
- Put a stop to all fracking in the UK.
- Put into place a rewilding policy.
- Reliance on fossil fuels must be phased out.
- Renewable energy to be prioritised.
- All new housing to be built to a far higher standard. All new builds must be made from sustainable materials and contain energy efficiency measures. Solar panels must be fitted as standard.
- All existing housing to be retrofitted to meet a much higher standard as above.
- Companies who produce high levels of carbon emissions to be required to have negative emissions or face large fines (reduce their carbon emissions, offset their carbon emissions and invest in reforestation for the removal of additional carbon from the atmosphere).
- Electric vehicles to be subsidised to encourage their use and charging stations to be increased in number.
- All single use plastic to be banned. (It contributes massively to the amount of waste going to landfill).
| Check out these Radical Ways To Tackle Waste |
What can individuals do?
Although the climate emergency means that our leaders have to step up and take some drastic measures each and every one of us can reduce our own carbon footprint. If every single person made a few changes it would have an impact.
- Shop with your feet. Don’t support businesses you know are contributing to climate change (supermarkets with their excess use of single use plastic for example).
- Switch to a green energy supplier.
- Have solar panels fitted.
- Find a tree planting community near you and volunteer to plant trees
- Start composting.
- Question businesses at every opportunity. Make your voice heard (ask them where they source they wood if you’re buying furniture – does it come from a rainforest? Is it from a sustainable source?)
- Reduce the waste your household produces.
- Pressure the Government and your local MP to vote for policies which help the environment rather than damage it and vote against them if they’re unwilling to put the planet first.
| Read 50 Simple Ways to Go Green for more ideas |
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