Solving The Climate Crisis For Her

Today, my youngest sister came to me with something that I never expected to hear her say. She was distraught, face pale, tears in her eyes as she sat down next to me. When I asked her what was wrong, she was hesitant to tell me, but I pressed the point, seeing how troubled whatever was on her mind was making her.

“Everything in the world is dying and there’s nothing I can do to stop it.”

What do you mean? I asked her.

“Cities are flooding, animals are dying, polluted air is making people sick, and everything is on fire!”

My sister is a spritely, quick-witted, and intelligent teenager. She’s also empathetic – at times, to her detriment – and is learning about how the world works for the first time. Unfortunately, what she has learnt in her short time on this planet, is that there is a crisis at hand, and that none of the adults she sees in positions of power are willing to do anything about it.

Of course, it is a testament to her, and most young people that they are so worried about things like climate change, because that means that when it comes the time for their generation to step in, they are likely to do something about it. But as an older sister, it fills me with a lot of sadness to see her in such an inconsolable state. Telling her not to worry so much, was not enough for my sister. It was not what she wanted to hear…

“But what about my children, or my grandchildren? I don’t think I want to have kids because I’d feel too guilty about bringing them into a world that is so messed up.”

What my sister wants to see is action. Although she isn’t properly aware of the corporations and political parties promising to cut net emissions by such and such a number, in five, ten, fifteen, or even twenty years… What she does see are major oil spills, Bottom Trawls destroying more deep-sea reefs than there are forests on earth, and people she used to look up to mocking those who believe climate change is a problem – or even that it is real.

I’m not one who believes in sugar-coating serious issues to keep the peace, yet at the same time, I’d hate to see somebody so bombarded with doom and misery that they simply decide to give up. So I’m sat there, wracking my brains to find something positive to say. Not to calm her down and make her think that climate change isn’t as big an issue as we all know that it is, she’s much too smart for that. But to tell her about the progress being made right now, and what we can do to hurry that progress along.

The Solutions For A Completely Green World Already Exist

One of the first things I mentioned to my sister was that not only have we been making great leaps in switching to energy-saving bulbs, solar panels, or using wind technology. There has also been a visible jump in the usage of electric cars and public transport, as well as a reduction (or in some countries, strategic plans to ban/stop production) of things like diesel-fueled vehicles. Diesel is known to damage vegetation, trees and crops, as well as causing acid rain and worsening conditions such as asthma in humans.

Not only do these plans, if developed responsibly, look to cut emissions by two thirds, but they are also both profitable and sustainable in the long term. There has never been so much information about things we can do to cut down our energy usage, nor has it been easier to implement than it is today. What we need is for more people to make the switch to reducing their carbon footprint and for governments to pave the way with strong guidelines. Governments and corporations can band together to make the switch a lot more feasible to the everyday person by making energy-efficient alternatives more affordable for everyone.

Stop Putting Money Into Organisations That Are Still Ignoring, Contributing To, Or Denying That The Climate Crisis Exists.

If the melting ice caps and the burning forests haven’t been enough of a wake-up call for certain organisations, it’s time to stop investing our money into them. Even though presently there are fewer offenders denying climate change is real to the world, we all know that there are certain organisations who would not only stand to benefit, but also profit from climate change deniers. Oil companies come to mind here. Many oil companies didn’t want to admit that climate change is real because it would've meant a giant loss in profits for them.

At least, that was until investors started pulling out because of the above behaviour. Now, we see that companies such as Shell, Chevron, and ExxonMobil have recently backtracked on their previous stances on climate change and have made strategic plans to either bring in a lot of green initiatives or go the whole hog and aim to become a completely carbon-zero company. Though a court ruling in regards to The Paris Agreement was what kicked this off, it was investors pulling out that spurred them into action. Money talks. We need to hold companies like this to account for their actions by refusing to invest in any way shape or form if they do not hold good on their promises. More than this, we should choose to buy from, or invest in eco-friendly companies instead. Let’s make going green more profitable than destroying the planet.

Cut Down Your Consumption Of Fish To Stop Overfishing.

When we think of fisherfolk, what do we imagine? Probably a friendly, white-bearded man with piercing blue eyes, smiling warmly as he brings in his catch of the day. A little bit of research however tells a very different story. If you haven’t yet seen Seaspiracy, I really suggest watching it. As it turns out, fishing isn’t the innocent endeavour it once was. In particular, overfishing and a technique called Bottom Trawling have had a deadly impact on our planet.

Not only are the ‘Dolphin Safe’ stamps we find on things like Tuna Tins null and void because the organisation who issues these blue ticks make most of their money by issuing them (again, follow the money), but unbiased investigators are regularly bribed by the organisations who work at sea, threatened (or worse) if they do not take the bribes, and turn a blind eye to the destruction caused to schools of fish and the seabed below.

Bottom Trawling has decimated our deep-sea reefs, destroying them in such a manner – and so frequently – that nothing is able to grow back. Even worse, deep-sea reefs are desperately important in determining the carbon dioxide levels in our atmosphere. Much more so than even trees! Not to mention that most of the rubbish in the ocean, is not made up of things like plastic straws, but used fishing nets. These nets are the things that sea birds or fish are getting trapped in and unnecessarily starving to death because of.

The good news is that there is a growing movement of those wanting to protect the deep-sea reefs and the wildlife within it. These people are holding organisations (even those who claim to protect sea life yet in fact do not) to account. Activists recognise that ‘sustainable fishing’ just isn’t working, and the only way to slow down this bad practice, giving the ocean a chance to regrow and heal, is to cut down on or stop eating fish. If we do give the ocean a chance to heal, researchers argue that there could be a FULL recovery in under three decades.

Reusing And Recycling

This is one that you may have seen before and is certainly one that my sister is very aware of. It’s about recycling and reusing the things that we buy. Whilst there has been a lot of talk recently about what actually happens to our recycling, where it goes, whether it’s really recycled at all or just ends up on the same rubbish tip as everything else etc. etc… Governement and recycling organisations have since debunked the above statement. Even if the thought of things you have recycled not actually being recycled is still quite troubling to you... You can be ensured that reusing the products that you buy will have a direct impact on how much non-reusable products are purchased.

Instead of getting a new takeaway cup from the café every time you go to get a drink, bring your own reusable cup. Instead of using plastic straws (or even paper ones), bring your own metal straw. Look to buy products in containers that are biodegradable. Or if it is a particular product that would not normally need containers, there will usually be the option to buy them without that container. You’ll find that you not only save money, but also save energy, reduce the pollution caused by the need to constantly harvest new materials, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and help sustain the environment for future generations.

Use Your Voice To Drive Change.

You may be thinking, not buying plastic bags or using plastic straws is all well and good, but what about the corporations pumping oil and/or waste products into our seas and rivers by the boatload? To that I say, you are absolutely right! Tell everyone about it, shout it from the rooftops! Do not recommend places that you know are contributing heavily to climate change because of their wasteful practices.

The movement for preventing climate change is huge right now. But it wasn’t always like this. Not too long ago, the mere mention of the term ‘climate change’ or ‘global warming’ would see you thoroughly ridiculed, labelled a conspiracy theorist, and exiled from your in-group. People like you using your voice has done the impossible. You have moved mountains. You are responsible for The Paris Agreement, you are responsible for governments taking a stronger stance on protecting the planet in general, and you are responsible for corporations shifting their practices to become more eco-friendly. There’s still a long way to go and the urgency is ever-growing but don’t forget how far we have come.

Things can seem impossible to change when we stand alone. When we come together to fight for something we believe in – even if we don’t initially get the results we expected – when we keep pushing at it, sooner or later we change hearts and minds. Sooner or later, those in positions of power have no choice but to alter their behaviour according to the public consensus. Because, and this is a secret that I let my little sister in on today, they need us more than we need them. Each of us is more powerful than we think. Don’t let anybody tell you otherwise.

Young people are the future – quite literally! What we teach them now will most certainly come back around later. It is our responsibility to empower them to continue making decisions that will benefit us all. Let's not leave them destitute. Instead, let's aim to leave them with a better world than we inherited.

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