The former South African President and human rights revolutionist, Nelson Mandela, once said: “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” And that same theory can also be applied to the climate crisis.
Here, Climate Wise founder and director Stephen Castree shares his thoughts on the global challenge we’re facing, and explains how the little things we do as individuals can make a big difference collectively.
Have you heard of the snowball effect? It describes something that starts small and increases in power and momentum as it grows.
When looking at the sheer scale of the climate crisis, it can seem like an impossible mountain to climb, and it’s easy to feel helpless. However, as individuals, we all have the power to trigger meaningful change – starting with the little things we do.
You might think that, as one person, your impact on the environment is minimal, but the amount of greenhouse gas emissions attributable to you alone may come as a shock. Globally, the average person emits an estimated 12.7 tonnes of CO2e per year, that’s equivalent to 12,695 pounds of coal burned. A pretty significant footprint when you consider the size of our global population.
But the question remains – are we as individuals willing to put in the work to reverse the harmful effects of climate change?
The global response to the Covid-19 crisis has shown that the public is willing to accept changes to their lifestyle, as long as they consider them necessary. But as the coronavirus pandemic rumbles on, we’re facing another global crisis that is arguably the biggest threat to our existence the human race has ever seen.
Just because we ignore it, climate change isn’t going to disappear – and its effect on the planet is becoming increasingly evident with each year that passes. However, if we act now, 2021 can be the turning point in tackling the climate crisis.
To limit global warming to 1.5C, as called for in the Paris Agreement, greenhouse gas emissions must fall by 7.6 % each year. By communicating the urgency of the crisis that is climate change, we hope to encourage others to adopt carbon cutting measures to protect our planet from reaching dangerous temperatures.
With world leaders introducing green recovery measures to reduce emissions and increased pressure on businesses to meet SDG’s, it’s now up to us as individuals to do our bit and come together to reduce our collective carbon footprint.
At Climate Wise, our mission is to drive real, sustainable change to protect the world in which we live. Joining our community of like-minded individuals means you’ll be contributing to the preservation of our planet, so that future generations can enjoy it too.
Find out how you can kick-start your carbon offsetting journey here.
Or for more ideas on how to reduce your impact, check out our blog on ‘Five simple ways to act on climate change in 2021’.