It isn't easy being green — but you're trying

(Steven Senne/Associated Press)

Global warming or climate change is the increase observed in more than a century of the temperature of the Earth’s climate system and the effects of that increase. Multiple lines of scientific evidence show that the climate system is heating up.

It should be noted that the greatest human influence has been the emission of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrogen oxides. The projections of climate models summarized in AR5 indicated that during this century the global surface temperature will probably rise 0.3 to 1.7 ° C for its lowest emission scenario using strict mitigation and 2.6 to 4.8 ° C for the older ones.

Likewise, anticipated effects include an increase in global temperatures, a rise in sea level, a change in precipitation patterns and an expansion of subtropical deserts. In this way, warming is expected to be greater in the land than in the oceans and the most pronounced occurs in the Arctic, with the continuous retreat of the glaciers, the permafrost, and the sea ice. Other likely effects include more frequent extreme weather events, such as heat waves, droughts, torrential rains, and heavy snowfall; Ocean acidification and extinction of species due to changing temperature regimes.

Increasing Concern

It is necessary to indicate that the public’s reaction to global warming and its concern for its impacts are also increasing. In fact, a 2015 global report by Pew Research Center found that an average of 54% considers it “a very serious problem”. There are significant regional differences, with the Americans and Chinese, whose economies are responsible for the highest annual CO2 emissions, among the least worried.

Clearly it is not easy to be green, even so, there are those who try, which is appreciated. And there are many who act to make a difference, taking steps to reduce their carbon footprint and live more generally sustainable.

An example of this is, Diane Boisjoli wrote to say: “We are reducing our use of plastics by using biodegradable compost bags in all of our garbage cans in the house”.

For his part, Sébastien Picard tallied a few of his household’s sustainability measures, which include cycling, “no long-distance travel”, “less meat” and “[opening] windows first before using AC”

Just like them, more and more are joining the care of the planet.

Read more.

Source: What on Earth? | CBC News