The climate crisis is not slowing down. However, on Earth Day, we want to remind you that not everything is lost. Hundreds of people struggle to reverse negative climate change every day, and sometimes succeed.
The data shows that greenhouse gas emissions have rebounded after the pandemic and are increasing at an insane pace. The safe level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is 350 parts per million (ppm). Parts per million), And at the end of March they reached 418 pages per minute.
Methane emissions are on the rise, and monitoring of these processes is still in its infancy. As a result, the average temperature of the Earth is rising (we write about it, for example, here), the oceans are warming, glaciers are melting, the level of seas and oceans increases, and biodiversity is disappearing.
Plus, the human world has not yet awakened – we continue to consume on a massive scale, politicians often still prevent the green transition, and businesses wash the environment instead of real change.
Therefore, we must not slow down efforts to stop and adapt to climate change. However, we know that negative news makes us feel helpless. This, in turn, plunges you into indifference.
We are not helpless
Meanwhile, we are not helpless. Hundreds of people fight for a better future every day and sometimes succeed. On the occasion of Earth Day, we want to remind you of some of them:
1. Poland does not stand stillU.
This is happening very slowly, but last year the share of coal in the Polish energy mix was 65%. – As estimated by Forum Energii. So far, we haven’t managed to drop below 70%.
In addition, renewable energy, or rather photovoltaics, is developing. And faster than expected. The composite capacity of the Sun has more than doubled in 2020. Now is the time for wind power.
2. For the first time in the history of the European Union, renewable energy sources provided more energy than coal.
It happened in 2020.
3. Global politics says more seriously about climate and green transition. Degree?
- The United States returned to the Paris Agreement, and today the Biden Summit is taking place, in which the participants compete in the Green Announcements (Great Britain, the European Union, the United States). Society can hold rulers accountable for advertising.
- In the past year, many statements have been made to strive for climate neutrality. Zero emissions are not enough, but the move by China, Japan, South Korea and many other countries is important. Yes, even China, which continues to open new coal-fired power plants, because at least we know it plans to shut it down one day.
- There are politicians who say things like this: “It’s too late for announcements, 2021 is the time for climate action” This is, for example, the UN Executive Secretary on Climate Change.
4. Shake the financial world.
For example, 50 of the world’s major financial institutions have already imposed restrictions on the extraction of oil sands or oil and natural gas in the Arctic. In 2020 alone, there were 23 of them, and the first such decision was in 2017. It’s Abad’s test of global operations.
5. Bison
The efforts – and largely Polish – mean the bison is no longer threatened with extinction. This is proof that wildlife conservation can be successful. Some of our negative influence on the world can be reversed.
We’ve described the scientist’s recommendations on how to fight the great extinction of species going on today, for an example here:
Are we entering the era of new epidemics? Yes, unless we take nature conservation seriously
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