Every day there is talk of the negative effects that climate change is producing around the world. There are many people who, individually, want to participate and contribute their grain of sand to combat and reduce it.
Although all the effects of climate change, perhaps because of the area where you live, seem a bit far from you, we are all responsible for this phenomenon. Do you want to know how to contribute your grain of sand to combat climate change?
Be aware that we are part of the problem
Although we do not feel protagonists in the advance of climate change, given that our personal impact does not have much impact, we must bear in mind that we do not live alone in the world and that, like us, there are another 7,5 billion more.
At the individual level we emit CO2 and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere when we use our own vehicle or public transport. When we use electricity at home, we do the shopping, etc. Almost everything we consume has emissions associated with its production, packaging, distribution, etc. For this reason, our daily actions contribute to the increase in global warming and, therefore, to the development of the effects of climate change.
Since it is impossible to fight against climate change individually, we can help to eliminate habits that promote it. There are many actions that are beneficial for the environment and that help to avoid the increase of climate change.
Actions to stop climate change
The actions that we must change are both individual and collective. Social participation is essential to build public policies that help us reduce our impacts on the environment. Policies should be aimed at decarbonisation and energy transition mainly, since they are the source of pollution that contributes the most to climate change.
Renewable energies are the future of energy. We are forced in one way or another to develop and use renewables as the main energy source, sooner or later. Either because the effects of climate change are devastating or because of the depletion of fossil fuels.
Allowing citizens to participate in public policies would allow generating more detailed, informed, better understood and fairer policies for all, in addition to increasing trust in institutions. It has been mentioned that at the individual level not much can be done, but social participation against climate change is of vital importance, since society is the main cause of changes in consumption, energy and mobility models that contribute to the current increase in greenhouse gas emissions. If a society limits itself to asking for changes for a more sustainable and less polluting mobility, it will be reducing the emissions that contribute to climate change.
For this, there are already tools implemented in cities such as the well-known Agendas 21, originated at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, have as one of their basic principles citizen participation through the Citizen Forum to define the municipal environmental action plan.
To successfully participate in the development of more sustainable environmental policies, you must think globally and act locally. For example, one of the individual actions you can take to combat climate change is to recycle waste properly generated in your home. This will increase the reuse of materials and the reduction of raw materials with the consequent reduction in polluting emissions, something that is also related to practices and sustainability. In addition, by recycling, you contribute to adapt plants to climate change and its impact on the environment.
Use specific messages
At the time of broadcasting on climate change, it has been corroborated since the alarmist messages that proclaim the end of the world they are not efficient in increasing citizen participation. Therefore, it is more correct to emphasize the viable and possible solutions to a certain environmental problem and discover the benefits that can be obtained from it.
To help society participate in combating climate change, we must increase the amount of conversations about it in our daily lives. This way, we can instill knowledge about it in those around us and spark interest and curiosity to learn more and take appropriate action, as mentioned in the case of Germany and its effects in the environment. For example, the cities that could disappear due to global warming They are a topic of great concern and must be addressed in our conversations.
