Most of us are at least vaguely aware that something called ‘climate change’ is happening and that it’s bad juju for our planet. At the same time, we’re burning through resources at a rate our planet can’t keep up with, prompting the more eco-concious among us to make sustainable choices. But how concerned should we REALLY be about these issues?
Of course, the thought of our beautiful world sinking below sea level or running out of food at any point is horrifying. But how immediate is the concern? Is it likely to affect us, or our children or grandchildren? Or is it something that will happen in the very distant future, when (as depressing as it is) we’ve been long forgotten?
Here at Amodrn, we can’t predict what’s in store for the future. In fact, nobody can! However, what we can do is give you the lowdown on the current state of affairs and what you can do to help.
Climate change
What’s happening?
Earlier this year, New York Magazine published its most read article of all time — David Wallace-Wells’ ‘The Uninhabitable Earth’. Based on dozens of interviews and exchanges with climatologists and researchers, the epic piece has one key message: if we continue doing what we’re doing, climate change will render our planet uninhabitable in our lifetimes. The article lists a seemingly endless list of horrifying consequences — including economic collapse, widespread disease, social conflict and extreme weather like droughts, hurricanes and floods. You can read the piece in full here.
Then, there’s the more immediate effect climate change can have on our health. New research showing that high levels of ozone pollution caused by rising temperatures can exacerbate respiratory conditions and asthma and eventually, limit the amount of time we can spend outdoors exercising. It can also threaten our nutrition, as increased CO2 levels has been shown tor reduce the concentrations of protein and essential minerals in our food and increase the amount of carbohydrates.
What can we do about it?
The best way to play a more active role in ending global warming is by reducing your carbon footprint. This is all about making small changes that add up, like being more energy efficient by turning off lights when you’re not using them, limiting the use of your car where possible and going vegan or vegetarian (or even just introducing meatless Monday once a week.)
Sustainability
What’s happening?
Around 70 million people are born every year. If the population continues to grow at this rate, we’re expected to reach 9 billion people by 2050. In order to feed all these people, we’d need to produce almost twice as much food as we do now. But considering we already use 70% of agricultural land, the oceans are overfished and climate change and pollution threaten our crop production, that’s not going to be easy. For this reason, we’re expected to be eating insects as our primary source of protein by 2050. So, yes, the threat of running out of resources in our lifetimes is unfortunately very real.
What can we do about it?
Thankfully, environmentalists and eco-savvy brands are always coming up with new ways we can make more sustainable choices. Some great places to start is by shopping locally where possible, opting for sustainable brands and reducing your amount of food wastage. Need a helping hand? You can check out some of our favourite ways to reduce waste (and save money) here.
