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 >
How can our daily lives change to affect our carbon footprints?
My carbon footprint was affected most because of the food I ate. As well as the driving my family does for me on a daily basis. The simple way to get around transportation is probably for me to carpool more with others or possibly take the bus to school. Which I plan to do, but next year. Un.org says that eating plant-based foods can help you reduce the greenhouse gas emissions you put in the world. This website also provides a chart that provides evidence for this claim. Another way that you can change your food intake is to eat homegrown food since it takes down the emissions that go into the air when you have to transport the food to your local market or to your house. Other ways to change your carbon footprint is to use a more natural heating and cooling system such as opening the window when you are hot or putting a blanket or more clothes on when you are cold. Also having an electric car helps with transportation as well as many other electric devices. Overall our daily lives can change massively to affect our carbon footprints in an eco-friendly way.
Lowering your carbon footprint is a great way to reduce emissions. Since there aren't a lot of collective actions being made, individual actions can positively affect the carbon in the air and help reduce it.
I agree, just our daily lives can affect our carbon footprint. Just driving to and back from school is releasing carbon into the air, and increasing the rate of climate change. Being aware of our actions can help to bring down the amount of carbon in the air.
Even the efforts that seem small that you are able to do, play a big role in reducing your emissions into the air. Any effort is actually a huge part into helping climate change.