Can we solve the climate crisis without confronting global inequities?
A recent study in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA found that white residents in the USA produce more climate pollution than black or hispanic residents, but black and hispanic people are exposed to more air pollution.
And that is just the USA! Think about the global inequities in the "haves" and the "have nots".
And how are we going to lift people out of poverty without making the climate crisis even worse?
If you are a resident in a wealthy country, is it your responsibility to address both problems at once? And what would that look like in terms of national and international policy?
Environmental Justice >
What are the main causes of climate change?
There are 6 main reasons that cause climate change.Firstly Burning fossil fuels to provide power and heat accounts for a sizable portion of world emissions. Burning coal, oil, or gas still provides the majority of electricity generation. A little over a quarter of the world's electricity is generated by renewable energy sources including wind, solar, and other natural resources. Secondly, Carbon from manufacturing and industry are mostly the result of burning fossil fuels to create energy for the production of items like clothing, electronics, plastics, cement, iron, and steel. Some products, including plastics, are manufactured from chemicals made from fossil fuels, as are many of the machines used in manufacturing. Thirdly Cutting down forests to make way for ranches, farms, or for other purposes increases pollution because when trees fall down, the stored carbon is released. Around twelve million hectares of forest are burned yearly. A percent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions are caused by deforestation, along with farming and other changes in land use. Fourthly Fossil fuels are typically used to power cars, trucks, ships, and airplanes. As a result, releases of greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide, are greatly affected by transportation. However, pollution from ships and aircraft are still rising. The majority of carbon dioxide pollution related to energy come from transportation.Fifthly In addition to cutting down trees and clearing land for farming and eating by cows and sheep, production and use of manure and fertile soil for growing crops, and the use of energy to run farm machinery or fishing boats, typically with fossil fuels, all impact the production of food, which results in pollution of carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases. Due to all of this, food production plays an important part in climate change. Finally, more than half of all electricity is used to power homes and businesses. They continue to produce a significant quantity of greenhouse gases since they use coal, oil, and natural gas for heating and cooling. Energy-related carbon dioxide pollution from buildings have increased over the past few years as a result of rising energy demand for heating and cooling, rising air conditioner ownership, and increased electricity use for lighting and connected devices.
Resources:
-https://www.epa.gov/climatechange-science/causes-climate-change
-https://climate.ec.europa.eu/climate-change/causes-climate-change_en
-https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/climate-change/causes-of-climate-change