Last week, the Alliance of World Scientists, a group of over 15,000 experts across many scientific disciplines, published a warning for humanity: fix our environmental problems and reduce emissions or we could be facing the end of life as we’ve come to know and love it on earth.
The paper warned of species extinction and environmental collapse of vital ecosystems. What would that look like? I honestly don’t want to know what the ocean dying would look like, do you?
Unfortunately, we see some of it happening already. The degradation of our environment isn’t an abstract concept. It’s happening everywhere even though we may not make the connection. Ocean dead zones in the Gulf of Mexico, those raging wildfires on the U.S. west coast and in Spain, and periods of drought and record-breaking rain are all linked to humans’ effect on the environment. Intact, our ecosystems provide us with clean water and air, pollination, and food but we are beginning to see the dangerous effects of destroying our environment.
And unless we do something different soon, it will get a whole lot worse.
However, this paper is not just about the real and serious effects of our actions. It also lists the actions that we can take to change.
Actions
- Large-scale restoration of natural habitats (especially forests) with native plants and animals.
- Create areas of the world where ocean and land ecosystems are preserved and halt the destruction of natural areas (like forests and grasslands) for development
- Protect endangered species and end poaching and the illegal trade of wild and exotic animals (which is the second largest cause of species extinction behind habitat loss).
- Reduce food waste and eat a predominantly plant-based diet
- Reducing the rate of population growth through education and awareness of family planning options for men and women worldwide
- Increase outdoor education so that the next generation can gain an understanding and appreciation of our environment
- Divest and remove subsidies from fossil fuel and investing in renewable energy
- Reduce wealth inequality and reduce negative externalities to ensure that goods and services are priced in a way which reflects their environmental impact
It is daunting knowing that destruction is happening on such a large scale.
If we want to prevent widespread destruction in the coming years we must come to terms with how our lifestyle is contributing to these issues. We cannot continue living as we have for the last few decades. Preventing climate chaos means taking steps today to reduce our personal impact and urging our leaders to make radical changes as well. We have the power to transform our society for the better. During World War II, we made broad changes to transform the way we lived to help the war effort. We can call for a similar shift to save the environment and protect the future from disaster.
Many of the necessary actions on the list are broad and difficult to simplify down to everyday actions.
Here are some areas to start:
Give
Donate to organizations preserving wildlife and protecting endangered species or organizations that help spread family planning resources or put young girls through school. I have decided to forgo gifts this year and ask for donations to notable environmental protection organizations.
Eat
Reduce food waste. This is a real area where individuals can have a massive daily impact!
Eat a plant-based diet. This doesn’t mean you have to go full vegetarian or vegan! Eat meat just a couple times a week or avoid beef (which is energy and water intensive to produce). If you are interested in a vegan or vegetarian diet then try it out! There are a ton of Pinterest recipes to inspire you!
Vote
Advocate for nature and science classes in schools.
Reduce wealth inequality (this seems broad but here is an article with suggestions from a number of experts).
Support politicians and initiatives that protect public land and preserve sensitive ecosystems.
Divest
Remove your money from investments in fossil fuels (it won’t be profitable in the long run anyway).
Encourage your employer to remove retirement investments from fossil fuel companies.
Push banks, municipal governments, etc. to eliminate financial support from fossil fuels.
I have definitely been struggling to come to terms with being on the brink of climate catastrophe. However, I am committed to taking these steps to reduce my impact and I hope others will be inspired to do the same. When my future kids (or anyone from the next generation) ask me what I did to try to stop climate chaos, I want to be able to tell them I did everything in my power. I feel like anything less is a failure on my part.
What will you be able to say you did?