Humanity has greatly affected the environment since ancient times and continues to do so. Have you ever thought about how I can prevent the effects of global warming, which we feel the effect of today? So let’s take a look together.
What is Global Warming?
Global warming, “Since the industrial revolution, especially due to the rapid increase in the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere by various human activities such as burning fossil fuels, deforestation, agricultural activities, and industrial processes, as a result of the strengthening of the natural greenhouse effect with the effect of urbanization, the earth and the lower layers of the atmosphere. (lower and middle troposphere) can be defined as the temperature increase detected.
The increasing population density in the world, migration and urbanization movements, rising living standards, increasingly increasing and excessive consumption of fossil fuels such as oil, coal, and natural gas for the last 150 years, and changes in land cover as a result of the increase in intensive industrial production. The release of gases and particles into the atmosphere are the most important factors causing global warming.
What Are the Gases Causing Global Warming?
In the atmosphere, there have been significant increases in the amount of chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) gases that reduce the concentration of ozone (O3) and greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O). The greenhouse process strengthening in the atmosphere due to these increases has brought about the current global warming and global climate change problem.
What Can We Do Against Global Warming?
1- Use less of your personal vehicle and move towards public transportation
Use your bike, walk, or public transport instead of using your personal vehicles. 150 g – 380 g of carbon dioxide will be saved for every kilometer where no gasoline car is used. Contribute to making our cities cleaner by reducing traffic and pollution.
2- Reduce your use of packaged products
Recycle or recycle the packaging of your purchased products because plastic packaging takes a thousand years to disappear in nature. Be careful not to use plastic bags for shopping. Buy shopping bags that you can reuse. Make your environment aware of this as well. At this point, we can apply the 3R (Reduce-Reuse-Recycle) Target. To the 3R target; It can be achieved effectively by focusing first on ‘reduction’ then ‘reuse’, and then ‘recycling’.
3- Plant trees
In the fight against global warming, the first action we should take is seen as planting trees. Trees act as insulators by absorbing and reflecting some of the solar heat, thus reducing the heat and scorching effect of solar radiation. Plant at least one tree each year. A tree absorbs 1 ton of carbon dioxide during its lifetime. In addition, ETH Zurich researcher Ecologist Thomas Crowther stated that “trees are the most powerful weapon in combating climate change”.
4- Save water
Saving water is of great importance in the fight against global warming. The small steps we take in geography where water resources are limited can have big effects. For this, you can minimize the total amount of water you will use in a year by taking measures such as replacing the faucet batteries we use in homes, repairing flowing installations, keeping the short time while brushing teeth, and taking a shower. According to the United Nations World Water Development Report 2020, water use has increased six times in the last century. The report stated that the protection of wetlands is “vital” because these areas stop floods, purification the water, and conserve as much carbon as forests. “If you’re saving water, you’re saving energy,” said Richard Connor, editor of the report. In this way, the greenhouse gas emitted to produce energy that will bring water will decrease,” he said.
5- Turn off your electronic devices
Energy-efficient – choose environmentally friendly electronics. Even if your device is energy efficient, do not use them excessively. Turn off your refrigerator if you will not be visiting your home for a long time. Do not use the heater too much, unnecessarily during the winter months. Coffee machines, microwave ovens, and desktop computers equipped with LED clocks also consume power when not in use. Turn off these devices completely unless you need them. When you calculate the amount of energy saved at the end of the year, these small savings will eventually turn into big savings.
6- Try to use renewable energies
With the use of renewable energy sources, it is possible to reduce the carbon footprint arising from global energy use. By 2030, doubling the share of renewable energy could reduce emissions by about half, and combined with energy efficiency, the average rise in global temperature could be kept below 2 ° C (1.5 ° C), preventing climate change from becoming a global catastrophe. For these reasons, I prefer more renewable energy sources such as wind and solar energy.
7- Reduce your meat-eating habits
Studies show that animal husbandry is the source of at least 15 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. This ratio is higher than greenhouse gas emissions caused by air and land traffic. Animal digestion releases methane gas into the atmosphere, while manure production emits CO2. The use of fossil fuels in animal husbandry is also an important problem for the environment. On the other hand, animal feed production (especially soy) causes deforestation, reducing the planet’s greenhouse gas elimination capacity. Eating less meat and more locally grown vegetables and fruits reduces carbon emissions.
Global warming causes shortening of seasons, deterioration of the food chain, droughts, decrease in the amount of fresh water on the planet, mass extinction of species, diseases, and melting of glaciers. We all have a role and responsibility for global warming. Global warming can eventually make the world uninhabitable. If we do not change our lifestyle and habits, we may experience worse consequences. Now is the time to act.