Now I know I'm treading water in dangerous shark infested seas right now due to the emotional ties that come with the mention of this tragedy but I'm sorry, I just can not stand by and not voice my positive opinions on this story.
For those of you that know me, I am a huge advocate for being eco-conscious. I actively recycle, take public transport or walk instead of using the car, have a major obsession with turning all the lights out in the house before I leave it (which drives my mother berseck), and I am constantly badgering my friends about their anti-eco friendly practices (like my best friend who goes out of her way to annoy me by driving to the cinema instead of catching the train). The result of all this is that I am constantly aware of the devastating effects that global warming IS (yes i am using the present tense) having on our world and am not as shocked about events like the "Black Saturday" bushfires as other people who do not believe global warming is something that will happen to them in this lifetime.
Ok so now you're probably thinking, hang on I thought this was supposed to be positive? I don't want to feel bad about my fuel-guzzling 4X4 which I use to drive the 400m walk to the shops every day. Or the fact that I spend 20 minutes in the shower because hot water all over my body just makes me feel soooo good in the morning.
Well, yes you have a right to feel wary at my attitude towards these *cough*selfish*cough* acts, but let me tell you this.
Front page news, like today's, detailing the "horror" of such catastrophic events like the "Black Saturday" bushfires, only prove to the reader that global warming is happening. You can not deny it now. Yes it was easy 4 years ago to witness the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in the US and the wreckage left behind by the 2004 tsunami in Bali because it wasn't happening on our soil. Like everything else in human life, things become so much easier to deal with when we can say "Oh, it will never happen to me". Well people, its time to wake up and smell the sulfure because Black Saturday I believe, can officially be declared Australia's first example of the effects of climate change on our planet.
So the good news? The good news from this ladies and gentlemen is that it is not too late. Scientists believe that if we can reduce our carbon emissions by 70% in the next century, then we will be able to avoid all the devastating effects of climate change that WILL happen if we do not do something. This means making small lifestyle changes (I say small in the sense that making such changes really wouldn't have that big an impact on your life in comparison to having to deal with 100m sea level rises). Here's what you can do:
- Walk/cycle/tram it/swim to work - cutting out driving eliminates 0.8 TONNES (yes that 800kilos) of carbon emissions.
- Eating more vegies - Producing 1kg of beef results in more CO2 emissions than going for a three-hour drive while leaving all the lights on at home.
- Swith Off! - using electricity in the home generates around 20% of the world's overall greenhouse gas emissions.
- Finally, become more conscious of your overall energy useage - knowing how much energy you use around the house will effectively assist you in be able to work out ways in which to reduce this consumption
These are just a small number of steps we can integrate into our daily lifestyle to prevent future natural disasters like the "Black Saturday" bushfires. They are easy to implement and as you can tell, are all healthy alternatives for your current way of living.
So, my fellow readers, I know that I will have taken your emotions through the wringer today but I assure you, global warming is not something to panic about. If it takes us 100 years to create the damage we are seeing in the world right now, then it will just as easily take that long to undo it.
In closing, make a stand. Don't let the tragedy of "Black Saturday" unfold again this summer. And most importantly, don't worry. Be happy!
0 comments:
Post a Comment