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4 Habits that Contribute to Climate Change

 4 Habits that Contribute to Climate Change!

Recycle Reduce Reuse (Getty)

Written by: Erica Kang (high school intern, June/July 2021)

The author emphasizes that everyone is responsible and has the capacity to reduce the impacts of climate change. Aside from establishing and implementing efficient policies and stopping corruption in climate actions, as individuals, we can contribute our fair share by being responsible citizens of this Earth. Erica defines four of such responsible actions below.


Using phones, computers, tablets

Anything requiring electricity can contribute to climate change. In fact, the World Economic Forum states that electronic devices that we use can produce 3.5% of global emissions within the next 10 years. The manufacturing process of the phones itself causes CO2 emissions. As more and more people use phones, servers are required to store energy from billions of devices. A Swedish researcher named Anders suggests that 1,200 to 3,000 terawatt-hours will be used annually by 2025. To help solve this problem, we could limit the number of digital products we own or even limit the data we store on our phones.


Leaving Food to Waste

Every day, approximately one-third of the food produced in the entire world goes to waste. The total amount of food equals 1.3 billion tons, which is enough to feed everyone in hunger. This is not only a problem of exploitation, it is also a problem to the environment. Wasting the food itself means that all the energy that was used to produce it has been neglected as well. Additionally, food that is left to rot produces methane, which is even stronger than carbon dioxide. Therefore, we must think of ways to not let food go to waste. First, before shopping for food, we could plan out the amount of food we need, and try to buy less rather than more of what we need. Second, we could use freezers for storing food for longer periods of time, especially seafood and produce (fruits and vegetables). If we take actions like these, we can reduce 6-8% of all greenhouse gases in the world.


Buying clothes often

The Fashion Industry produces 10% of the Earth’s carbon emissions. This is surprising even more than the total emissions caused by plane flights and maritime shipping. Additionally, 60% more garments were bought in 2014 than in 2000 and are continuing to increase. On the other hand, 85% of textiles are thrown away every year. Sixty percent of the garments thrown away include polyester, which is hard to break down in the ocean. Furthermore, the production of polyester causes 2 to 3 times more carbon emissions than cotton. However, this does not mean that cotton is sustainable. One cotton shirt takes approximately 700 gallons of water to produce, while jeans take 2,000 gallons. This is because cotton is very water-intensive. These numbers are clearly a sign that we must start looking towards second-hand fashion and limit our shopping for clothes. 


Receiving plastic eating utensils that come with the ordered food

It is a problem that plastic utensils take at least 200 years to decompose, while 40 billion utensils are being thrown away each year. Nevertheless, most people receive utensils when they order food, whether at home or work, almost like a habit. Instead, people must replace plastic utensils by bringing their own utensils around, just like how water bottles should be replacing plastic bottles. According to WWF, plastic will be responsible for 13% of carbon emissions by 2050. In 2021, researchers estimate that plastic items and the process of their production and decomposition will release 850 million tonnes of greenhouse gases and 2.8 billion tonnes by 2050.


Sources:

1. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/12/why-your-smartphone-is-contributing-to-climate-change 

2. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/01/fashion-industry-carbon-unsustainable-environment-pollution/

3. https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/fight-climate-change-by-preventing-food-waste

4. https://www.forbes.com/sites/lauratenenbaum/2019/07/16/plastic-cutlery-is-terrible-for-the-environment-and-we-dont-need-to-have-it-delivered/?sh=346ee3cd4019

5. https://innovate-eco.com/how-long-does-your-garbage-take-to-decompose-or-break-down/ 

6. https://www.wwf.org.au/news/blogs/plastic-waste-and-climate-change-whats-the-connection#gs.6h93ww


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Reviewed by:
Abraham Sumalinog



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