Buy, buy, says the sign in the shop window
Sir Paul McCartney
Why, why? says the junk in the yard.
Introduction to climate change
Climate change, or any kind of change really, is inevitable. Good changes are things we do as tiny acts, they’re long-term and they lead us far into the future. Drastic changes are rarely good, they often hurt us, cause us trauma and make our future unsustainable.
“Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. These shifts may be natural, such as through variations in the solar cycle. But since the 1800s, human activities have been the main driver of climate change.” – UN.org
We humans have caused our Mother Earth trauma. We’ve accelerated her healthy-natural order of change to an insane-drastic order and as a result, our future is now in danger.
Causes and Consequences
Every second, 1000 metric tons of Greenhouse Gases are being pumped into the atmosphere. World average per capita Carbon Footprint was 6.3 tCO2e in 2020. That’s a very sad state of affairs. For those people who are not familiar with the terms such as, ‘Greenhouse Gases’ and ‘Carbon Footprint’, please hold on, I’ll explain everything in detail.
The cause of ‘Climate Change’ are greenhouse gases. These gases, due to their molecular structure, absorb energy/heat, they trap the heat of the Sun inside our atmosphere. The immediate outcome of this heat-trapping is Global Warming but that’s just the tip of the iceberg because our Mother Earth is One. She’s here, there, everywhere and everything is connected.
“The consequences of climate change now include, among others, intense droughts, water scarcity, severe fires, rising sea levels, flooding, melting polar ice, catastrophic storms and declining biodiversity.”–UN.org
Carbon Footprint is the measure of Greenhouse Gases pumped into the atmosphere by the actions of an individual, organization or a committee. 6.3 tCO2e per capita means that on average, one person is emitting 6.3 tons of Greenhouse Gases into the atmosphere per year. To put things in perspective, let me state that this value is more than 150 times higher than it was in 1850.
99% of this pollution is C02, and the other 1% is almost entirely Methane. Many of us know, how important the reduction of CO2 is because it can linger in the environment for a long time. But, what few of us know is that the 1% Methane can cause more Global Warming over the next 10 years than all that C02 in our atmosphere.
What can we do?
We can minimize this pollution right now from the comfort of our homes without paying a penny, on the contrary, we’ll actually receive incentives while we do it.
Improper waste management: When waste is not disposed of properly, it not only takes up valuable space, but it also releases harmful chemicals into the environment. Landfills, for instance, emit methane. The largest landfill in the world has 50 Million tons of WASTE.
Improper disposal of plastic and other synthetic materials, such as littering and dumping into the ocean, is especially dangerous. These materials do not biodegrade, but instead break down into smaller and smaller pieces, contaminating the soil and water and causing harm to wildlife.
“Waste is a big problem”. But, it’s all about perspective. Where some see problems, some see solutions. We, the people, have to come up with affordable and effective strategies to manage this waste. The least we all can do is choosing sustainable options, like recycling, reusing and reducing the consumption.
Final Say
The impact of improper waste management on the climate change cannot be overstated. It is a global problem that requires a global solution, and we all have a role to play in resolving it. Whether it’s through reusing our waste, properly disposing of what we do generate, or advocating affordable policies for stronger waste management, we all have the power to make a positive difference.
Let’s change the world for the better with one small-green choice at a time. Let’s work together to create a cleaner, greener future for ourselves and for generations to come.
© M. Jay Dixit, September heart-to-hearts, 2023 All Rights Reserved
Dear readers and fellow bloggers, I wrote this article for a waste-management startup company. I researched the topic for 3-4 hours and then it took me around 3 hours till I came up with this final draft. Yesterday they rejected me. So, I thought I should post it here and get your feedback, what went wrong? Any kind of feedback would be appreciated.
I posted this article in LinkedIn first, I am trying to make a good network over there, but LinkedIn community is not friendly like this one, so, dear reader, you’ll be doing me a huge favor if you go there and like/share/comment on this post!
Here is the LinkedIn link for this article: LINK
September heart-to-hearts 
