Friendly Guide to Climate Change - and what you can do to help #everytoncounts

Summary

Este video ofrece un resumen claro y práctico sobre el cambio climático. Explica cómo los humanos somos responsables del calentamiento global debido a la quema de combustibles fósiles, lo que genera consecuencias graves como el aumento del nivel del mar, sequías y olas de calor. La solución incluye cambiar a fuentes de energía renovable, como la solar y eólica, y reducir el consumo de carne de res. También sugiere cómo cada persona puede contribuir a la solución, ya sea a través de cambios personales, inversiones o participación política.

Takeaways

• 🌍 El cambio climático es un problema serio causado por los humanos, pero como lo causamos, también podemos solucionarlo.
• 📈 En las últimas décadas, la temperatura global ha aumentado rápidamente, lo que genera graves consecuencias como el aumento del nivel del mar y fenómenos climáticos extremos.
• 🌊 El calentamiento de los océanos causa la expansión del agua, derretimiento de glaciares y un aumento significativo del nivel del mar.
• 💨 El principal culpable del calentamiento global es el aumento de gases de efecto invernadero, especialmente el dióxido de carbono proveniente de la quema de combustibles fósiles.
• 🔥 Los combustibles fósiles (carbón, petróleo y gas) son la mayor fuente de emisiones de carbono, y necesitamos dejar de usarlos para reducir el calentamiento global.
• 🌞 Energías renovables como la solar y eólica ya son más rentables que los combustibles fósiles en muchos casos, lo que facilita la transición.
• 🚗 Los vehículos eléctricos están reemplazando los autos tradicionales a combustible, lo que es crucial para reducir las emisiones del transporte.
• 🥩 La deforestación y la agricultura (especialmente para la ganadería) también son grandes fuentes de emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero, por lo que comer menos carne de res ayuda al clima.
• ⚖️ Es fundamental que los gobiernos y empresas implementen leyes de precios del carbono y reduzcan subsidios a los combustibles fósiles.
• 💪 Todos podemos contribuir al cambio, desde ajustar nuestro estilo de vida hasta votar por líderes conscientes del clima y apoyar iniciativas de energía limpia.

Q & A

¿Qué es el cambio climático y por qué es importante?

El cambio climático se refiere a las variaciones significativas y duraderas en las condiciones climáticas globales y locales. Es importante porque afecta a nuestro planeta y a todas las formas de vida, incluyendo la humanidad, causando problemas como el aumento del nivel del mar, fenómenos meteorológicos extremos, sequías, incendios forestales y migraciones masivas.

¿Cuál es la causa principal del calentamiento global?

La principal causa del calentamiento global es el aumento de los gases de efecto invernadero, especialmente el dióxido de carbono (CO2), debido a la quema de combustibles fósiles como el carbón, el petróleo y el gas natural.

¿Por qué es buena noticia que los humanos sean la causa del calentamiento global?

Es buena noticia porque si los humanos causamos el calentamiento global, significa que también tenemos el poder para solucionarlo. Podemos tomar medidas para reducir nuestras emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero y mitigar los efectos del cambio climático.

¿Cuáles son las consecuencias del aumento de la temperatura global?

Las consecuencias incluyen el aumento del nivel del mar, el derretimiento de glaciares y casquetes polares, fenómenos meteorológicos más extremos como tormentas, inundaciones, sequías, olas de calor, incendios forestales y escasez de agua, así como la destrucción de hábitats naturales y la migración forzada de millones de personas.

¿Qué es el efecto invernadero y cómo contribuye al calentamiento global?

El efecto invernadero es un proceso natural donde ciertos gases en la atmósfera, como el CO2 y el metano, atrapan el calor del sol y lo mantienen en la Tierra, similar a cómo un invernadero mantiene el calor. Sin embargo, la quema de combustibles fósiles ha aumentado la concentración de estos gases, intensificando el efecto y causando el calentamiento global.

¿Por qué el aumento del nivel del mar es preocupante?

El aumento del nivel del mar es preocupante porque puede causar inundaciones en áreas costeras, erosionar costas, destruir hábitats naturales y obligar a las personas a abandonar sus hogares. También puede afectar a la infraestructura y los recursos de agua dulce.

¿Qué son los bucles de retroalimentación positiva y cómo aceleran el cambio climático?

Los bucles de retroalimentación positiva son procesos que amplifican los efectos del cambio climático. Por ejemplo, el aumento de la temperatura provoca más evaporación de agua, que a su vez es un gas de efecto invernadero que aumenta aún más la temperatura. Otros ejemplos incluyen la reducción de la cobertura de hielo, que disminuye la reflectividad de la Tierra y aumenta la absorción de calor, y el deshielo del permafrost, que libera gases de efecto invernadero atrapados.

¿Qué alternativas existen a los combustibles fósiles para generar energía?

Existen varias alternativas, como la energía solar, la energía eólica, la energía hidroeléctrica, la energía geotérmica y los biocombustibles. Estas fuentes de energía renovable no emiten gases de efecto invernadero y son más sostenibles a largo plazo.

¿Qué papel juegan los automóviles eléctricos en la reducción de las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero?

Los automóviles eléctricos ayudan a reducir las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero al no quemar combustibles fósiles. Su impacto positivo aumenta a medida que la red eléctrica se vuelve más limpia y utiliza más energía renovable. Además, la tecnología de las baterías está mejorando, lo que hace que los autos eléctricos sean más prácticos y accesibles.

¿Cómo pueden las personas contribuir a la lucha contra el cambio climático?

Las personas pueden contribuir de muchas maneras: educándose y educando a otros sobre el cambio climático, votando por líderes y políticas que promuevan la acción climática, reduciendo su huella de carbono personal (como consumir menos carne y más alimentos locales, usar transporte público o bicicletas, y adoptar tecnologías energéticamente eficientes), e invirtiendo en energías renovables. También pueden apoyar iniciativas de reforestación y conservación de bosques.

Outlines

00:00

🌍 Introducción al Cambio Climático

Este párrafo presenta el tema del cambio climático, explicando que es un problema grave causado por los seres humanos, pero que también nos ofrece la oportunidad de arreglarlo. Se enfoca en cómo las temperaturas han aumentado rápidamente en las últimas décadas, lo que ha generado consecuencias graves como el aumento del nivel del mar, inundaciones, sequías y olas de calor, afectando a millones de personas y causando inestabilidad global.

05:01

🔥 El Problema de los Combustibles Fósiles

Se describe cómo los combustibles fósiles, como el carbón y el petróleo, son los principales responsables del calentamiento global debido a la liberación masiva de dióxido de carbono. Se explica la diferencia entre las emisiones de carbono renovables y no renovables, y se discute la retroalimentación positiva, como el aumento del vapor de agua y la reducción de la capa de hielo, lo que acelera el calentamiento global.

10:03

💡 Soluciones Energéticas y la Paridad de la Red

Este párrafo se centra en la transición hacia energías renovables, como la solar y la eólica, que ahora son más rentables que los combustibles fósiles. También aborda la necesidad de almacenamiento de energía para cuando no haya sol o viento, el desarrollo de tecnologías de baterías, y la posibilidad de un acceso democratizado a la energía. Se mencionan otras fuentes de energía no fósiles como la nuclear, hidroeléctrica y geotérmica.

15:04

🚗 Transporte y Energía Limpia

Se discute el impacto del transporte en las emisiones globales, señalando que los automóviles impulsados por combustibles fósiles son uno de los principales contribuyentes. Sin embargo, los vehículos eléctricos están mejorando en términos de costo y autonomía. Aunque todavía dependen de la limpieza de la red eléctrica, su impacto es menor comparado con los vehículos de combustión interna.

🌱 Agricultura, Bosques y Ganado

Este párrafo trata sobre cómo la deforestación y la agricultura, especialmente para la cría de ganado, son responsables de una cuarta parte de las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero. Se explica que reducir el consumo de carne, particularmente de vaca, puede ayudar a mitigar el cambio climático. Se mencionan otras innovaciones para reducir las emisiones en estos sectores.

🤝 ¿Qué Puedes Hacer Tú?

El texto final explora varias formas en que las personas pueden contribuir a la reducción del calentamiento global. Estas incluyen desde cambios personales, como usar energía renovable, reducir vuelos o cambiar hábitos alimenticios, hasta la inversión en soluciones energéticas o el apoyo a políticas que favorezcan el medio ambiente. Se destaca que cada acción cuenta y que todas las personas tienen recursos que pueden utilizar para marcar la diferencia.

Keywords

💡Cambio climático

El cambio climático se refiere a la alteración de los patrones climáticos globales, principalmente como resultado de la actividad humana. En el video, se presenta como una crisis que afecta al planeta debido a las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero, y que tiene graves consecuencias como el aumento del nivel del mar, fenómenos meteorológicos extremos y la migración masiva. Es el problema central que se está discutiendo y sobre el cual se proponen soluciones.

💡Calentamiento global

El calentamiento global es el aumento continuo de la temperatura promedio de la Tierra, causado por el incremento de gases de efecto invernadero en la atmósfera. El video lo describe como el principal efecto del cambio climático, destacando el aumento de la temperatura en las últimas décadas y cómo esto está acelerando fenómenos peligrosos como el derretimiento de glaciares y la expansión térmica de los océanos.

💡Gases de efecto invernadero

Son gases como el dióxido de carbono (CO2) y el metano (CH4) que atrapan el calor en la atmósfera y contribuyen al calentamiento global. En el video, se explica que estos gases han aumentado significativamente en los últimos 50 años debido a la quema de combustibles fósiles, lo que ha roto el equilibrio climático natural de la Tierra. Son los principales responsables del cambio climático.

💡Combustibles fósiles

Los combustibles fósiles, como el carbón, el petróleo y el gas natural, son fuentes de energía formadas por restos de organismos antiguos que se queman para generar energía. El video los identifica como la mayor fuente de emisiones de carbono, que han impulsado la revolución industrial pero también han sido responsables del aumento de gases de efecto invernadero. Detener su uso es clave para frenar el cambio climático.

💡Retroalimentación positiva

La retroalimentación positiva es un proceso en el que un cambio inicial provoca efectos que intensifican ese mismo cambio. En el video, se mencionan ejemplos como el derretimiento de los casquetes polares, que al reducir la cantidad de hielo reflejante, permite que la Tierra absorba más calor, acelerando el calentamiento. También se menciona el vapor de agua como otro ejemplo de retroalimentación positiva que empeora el calentamiento global.

💡Energía renovable

La energía renovable proviene de fuentes naturales como el sol y el viento, que se pueden reponer de manera natural. El video resalta la importancia de la transición hacia estas energías para reemplazar los combustibles fósiles. Tecnologías como los paneles solares y las turbinas eólicas son clave para generar electricidad de manera limpia, y ya están alcanzando la paridad de costos con las fuentes tradicionales de energía.

💡Desforestación

La desforestación es la eliminación de áreas boscosas, generalmente para la agricultura o el desarrollo urbano. En el video, se señala que la desforestación contribuye al cambio climático al reducir la cantidad de árboles que absorben CO2 y al liberar grandes cantidades de carbono almacenado en los árboles talados. Esto, junto con la agricultura intensiva, es la segunda mayor causa del calentamiento global.

💡Permafrost

El permafrost es una capa de suelo permanentemente congelado en áreas del Ártico y Siberia que contiene grandes cantidades de gases de efecto invernadero, como el metano. El video explica que el derretimiento del permafrost libera estos gases a la atmósfera, lo que agrava aún más el calentamiento global en un ciclo de retroalimentación negativa.

💡Captura de carbono

La captura de carbono es una tecnología emergente que busca absorber el dióxido de carbono de la atmósfera y almacenarlo nuevamente en el suelo. En el video, se menciona como una de las soluciones potenciales para mitigar el cambio climático, actuando como un árbol en esteroides, aunque aún está en fases experimentales.

💡Huella de carbono

La huella de carbono es la cantidad total de gases de efecto invernadero emitidos directa o indirectamente por una persona, empresa o país. El video menciona que reducir la huella de carbono personal a través de acciones como usar energía renovable o reducir el consumo de carne puede ayudar a combatir el cambio climático, subrayando que cada acción cuenta.

Highlights

Climate change is a pressing global issue, but humans have the power to fix it.

Global temperatures have spiked in recent decades, leading to severe consequences like sea level rise, extreme weather events, and mass migration.

Greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels, are the primary cause of global warming.

Fossil fuels release carbon that was stored for millions of years, which accumulates in the atmosphere, unlike renewable energy sources.

Positive feedback loops, such as water vapor and melting permafrost, are accelerating climate change.

Fossil fuels are still heavily subsidized globally, even though we have cheaper and more effective alternatives like solar and wind energy.

Renewable energy technologies, like solar and wind, have reached grid parity, making them economically viable without government subsidies.

Electric vehicles are becoming more affordable, with longer ranges, and as the grid gets cleaner, so do these cars.

Forestry and agriculture, especially cattle farming, are significant contributors to greenhouse gas emissions.

Reducing beef consumption has a substantial impact on lowering individual carbon footprints, more than reducing transport emissions.

Individual actions, like switching to renewable energy, voting for climate-friendly policies, and investing in green technologies, can make a meaningful difference.

Crowdfunding platforms offer opportunities to invest in solar panels for communities without electricity, helping them reduce their reliance on fossil fuels.

Using an electric car can reduce a family’s carbon footprint, while investing in solar panels in developing countries can have an even bigger impact.

Each person, based on their resources—money, skills, time—can contribute to reducing global warming, whether through personal choices or professional expertise.

Many solutions are available, and everyone can pull different 'levers' to contribute to climate action, depending on their preferences and circumstances.

Transcripts

OK so you've heard about climate change,

and that it's a big deal.

But what is it really about?

And what can you actually do about it?

This video is a simple pragmatic summary of climate change.

We’ll cut through the noise and confusion

and focus on the basic facts

so you can figure out how to help. OK?

So here's the situation

The climate is kinda broken

and we're in trouble because, well...

we're stuck on this one planet so our lives depend on it.

The GOOD news is that scientists have figured out the cause of the problem.

Us! We humans broke it.

Yup! But wait, wait..

How is that GOOD news?

Well, because it proves that we humans are powerful enough to actually impact the earth's climate.

which means we can FIX it. Well, partly at least.

But before we get to solutions

let's examine the problem a bit.

Here's our planet.

For thousands of years our average

surface temperature has been mostly stable.

But now, just the past few decades, it has shot up

By the way, this graph and everything else in the video has references.

Check the description below for links.

On a geological timescale that’s CRAZY fast!

We’ve never been at this level in the history of mankind

and it keeps climbing.

We call this Global Warming because, well, that’s exactly what it is!

But wait. A few degrees warmer, who cares?

It's a global average.

You might not even notice the difference locally.

Well actually, it has NASTY consequences.

When oceans get hotter, they expand

so sea levels rise.

The heat also melts ice and glaciers

sitting on land in places like Greenland and Antarctica

which raises sea levels even further.

This rapid change destabilizes the climate

We get flooding, extreme rainfall, extreme storms.

A lot of destruction.

Others places get extreme drought

which kills crops and causes starvation.

We get heatwaves, wildfires, water shortage.

Basically, Bad Stuff happening all over the place

Sure, we’ve always had storms and droughts and stuff from time to time.

But global warming makes them more frequent and more extreme.

All this climate-related destruction

forces more and more millions of people

to flee their homes, permanently

And where do they go?

Even the places that are lucky enough

not to be hit by extreme weather

they need to deal with the growing stream of climate refugees

showing up at their doorstep

More people fleeing, fewer places to go.

That’s a recipe for instability and war!

Which in turn generates even more refugees

compounding the problem.

It’s like we’re passengers on a leaking boat.

No matter where the hole is

it’s still everyone’s problem!

As this drama unfolds, how do we react?

Some react with denial

some with panic, or shame, or blame.

But none of that helps solve the problem

so let’s skip that.

What does help, is doing something!

At the very least, it FEELS better than just worrying.

And congrats, you’re already doing something

educating yourself by watching this video!

Now, the first step towards solving any problem is to understand it’s cause

so let’s talk about that.

Here’s our atmosphere, otherwise known as The Sky.

You’ve probably heard of the greenhouse effect.

Sunlight continuously hits our planet and reflects back out.

But greenhouse gases, like Carbon Dioxide and Methane

capture some of that energy and keep it in, like a blanket.

That’s a good thing actually

because otherwise the entire earth would be a frozen ball of ice

and you would be a popsicle.

These gases have been pretty consistent for thousands of years

giving us a stable climate

and enabling convenient things like, well, human civilization

But during the past 50 years or so

carbon dioxide concentration has suddenly increased by 40%.

In 800,000 years it’s never been above this line

and now suddenly it jumps to here and keeps rising!

Hmmmm! Rising CO2 levels, rising temperature!

Coincidence?

No!

Turns out, this is the main cause of global warming.

So why is carbon dioxide increasing?

All living things are made of carbon.

Carbon is neither created nor destroyed

it just cycles around our biosphere

as plants and animals live, breath, and die.

So what’s with all the EXTRA carbon

where the heck is that coming from?

It all started a century and a half ago

when we discovered a really neat party trick

dig up coal and oil and gas

and use it to fuel cars and produce electricity! Wow!

These are known as “Fossil Fuels” because, well, they come from fossils

buried carbon from organisms that died millions of years ago.

When we dig it up and burn it

we get LOTS of energy all at once.

Great! But a side effect is that we also get carbon dioxide gas.

Note an important distinction here.

Non-fossil fuel, like burning a tree

does NOT add carbon dioxide to our system

as long as a new tree grows to replace it.

That carbon was already in our biosphere, it is renewable

However, fossil fuels DO add carbon dioxide to our system

because we dig it up and don’t dig it back down again.

And so every year we end up adding about

50 billion tons of greenhouse gases to our atmosphere

and about 70% of that is carbon dioxide

from burning fossil fuels, mostly coal and oil.

And it keeps going up

because of more people using more energy.

Hah! We found the biggest leak!

Now we just need to plug the hole.

The SECOND biggest cause of global warming is...

actually we’ll get to that later.

Unfortunately climate change is happening faster than

even the most pessimistic climate scientists expected.

Why? Because of so-called "positive feedback"

which, by the way, isn’t nearly as positive as it sounds.

The biggest feedback loop is water vapour.

Hotter oceans cause more evaporation.

And water vapor is actually also a greenhouse gas

so that causes further global warming.

Second feedback loop: Reduced ice cover.

Ice reflects sunlight.

When that ice cover melts away, more surface is exposed

more heat is sucked in and global warming increases.

Finally, permafrost.

Large parts of Siberia, Greenland, Canada, and Alaska

are covered in permafrost.

Turns out, this frozen soil contains lots of greenhouse gas.

When it thaws the buried gases are released

causing even more global warming.

So climate change is accelerating

because of three vicious cycles!

It all works together like some kind of

evil scheme from a B-movie villain!

These feedback loops are almost impossible to stop

so we really need to tackle the root cause.

Since burning fossil fuels is the primary cause of global warming

we need to....

STOP burning fossil fuels!

(thank you, thank you...)

So wait...

WHY are we burning this stuff again?

We burn it in power plants to generate electricity.

We burn it inside cars and planes to drive them around.

We burn it in factories to produce stuff.

See the chimneys? Exhaust pipes?

Smoke! That’s a hint.

All this accounts for about 2/3 of the 50 billion tons!

And by the way, that smoke is deadly poisonous

so we kinda want to get rid of it anyway.

Here’s the most fascinating thing.

The fossil fuels industry is subsidized!

Governments around the world spend about half a trillion dollars per year

1% of the global GDP

financially supporting the very thing that’s killing us.

Clearly, change is needed!

So... what, are we going erase 200 years of progress?

Back to candles and horses?

No of course not!

Cuz we’ve grown really fond of electricity and transport

so that’s not going away.

We just need to solve it without burning fossil fuels.

And the good news is that we don’t even NEED to burn it any more!

Instead of coal and oil

we can use solar panels and wind turbines

to generate the same electricity

without screwing up the climate.

This used to be expensive and ineffective

but the technology has finally caught up.

Now solar and wind is often more cost-effective

than coal and oil

even without taking climate impact into account!

That’s known as Grid Parity

a crucial economic tipping point, where people

who don’t even know or care about climate change

will want to switch – because it’s cheaper

Of course, we need energy even when the sun isn’t shining and the wind isn’t blowing

so the next big challenge is energy storage

But battery technology and other storage solutions are catching up fast.

An added bonus to all this is that

ALL countries have free access to sun and wind!

It is basically democratized energy.

So, less need for countries to bicker with each other

over unevenly distributed oil reserves and gas pipelines and stuff.

Of course, we have other non-fossil energy alternatives too.

Nuclear, which of course carries its own risks and challenges, hydro, biofuel, geothermal.

From a global warming perspective, ANYTHING is better than burning fossil fuels.

Renewable energy is spreading fast.

But globally, about 80% of our energy is still based on fossil fuels

So we gotta keep that ball moving.

What about transport then?

Transport accounts for about 14% of all emissions

and three-quarters of that is from fuel cars, including trucks and buses.

Oil power plant on wheels.

They are worse than planes only because there are so many more of them.

But now we have electric cars.

Plug it in and charge it up, just like you do with your phone!

Range used to be a problem,

but now some electric cars can go over 500 kilometers

on one charge, and by then you’ll need a break anyway.

They are still pretty expensive, but prices are coming down fast.

Of course, an electric car is only as clean as the electricity it uses.

But the difference is that a fuel car will stay dirty forever

while an electric car gets cleaner automatically as the power grid gets cleaner.

There’s more good stuff going on.

More energy-efficient appliances.

Smart energy distribution systems.

These things help the climate AND lower your electricity bill.

Regulation is also catching up

mainly through carbon pricing schemes

For example tax shifting

where governments charge a carbon emission tax

and use that revenue to reduce something else, like income tax or VAT

So these imported bananas are more expensive!

But hey, these local apples are cheaper!

It’s a shift, not a tax increase.

When companies end up paying the REAL cost of their carbon footprint

they find innovative ways to reduce it.

Some engineers are even experimenting with carbon capture.

Which means sucking carbon dioxide from the air and putting it back into the ground.

Kinda like trees on steroids.

Someday, the whole oil and coal thing will be history.

A horror story that we tell our grandchildren.

A common misconception about climate change

is that lowering our carbon footprint means lowering our living standard.

That’s actually not true.

For example. This is Krakow, in Poland.

Poland suffers about 50,000 premature deaths per year

because of toxic dust from burning coal.

Contrast that with this village in Bavaria

which uses 100% renewable energy sources

a combination of solar, wind, hydro, and biofuel.

They breath clean air

produce 5 times the electricity they need

and sell the surplus for a profit!

Of course, this is a small village so it’s an unfair comparison.

But the trend is clear: this is the future of cities

Better air, less traffic noise, and basically a higher living standard.

Remember, roughly 70% of global warming is caused by burning fossil fuels.

As we gradually shift to renewable energy to power our houses, cars, and factories

most of that stops!

All we have left then is…

oh, yeah

the SECOND biggest cause of global warming.

We destroy ALOT of forests to clear space for crops to feed livestock.

especially cows.

Causes a lot of carbon dioxide, as well as...

methane emissions.

In fact, forestry and agriculture adds up to almost a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions!

More than the entire transport industry.

A lot of innovation is happening to reduce this

But at the end of the day, we really need to eat less beef.

That’s a hard sell to some people.

But meat lovers - don’t panic.

Pork and chicken and other meats have 5-10x lower climate impact

Now you may be thinking

“OK so we have a problem..."

"...and it’s bad..."

"...but it’s being solved."

"So... why should I do anything?”

The problem is we need to speed up!

There are plenty of bumps on the road.

Technical challenges, political challenges

and of course resistance from oil-profiting organizations

that don’t really appreciate going obsolete.

The faster we move the ball

the less of these horrible consequences we need to suffer.

So what can YOU do?

In management circles, people are often referred to as resources.

Naaaaa....

People aren’t resources. People HAVE resources!

Money, time, passion, creativity, skills, tools.

And, of course, connections to other people

who in turn have their own resources.

The mix will vary from person to person

but ANY resource can be used to help reduce global warming.

For example use your personal network by simply spreading this video

and already there you’ve made a contribution.

For every person that sees it

the likelihood increases

that someone will do something.

And even if only 10% of our actions end up being effective

with a million people doing one thing each

well, that’s 100,000 effective actions! It adds up.

For example, use your voting power

to put climate-aware decision makers into power

or carbon pricing laws in your country.

Use your purchasing power.

Put solar panels on your roof.

Or switch to a renewable energy provider.

Buy an electric car

or invest in a company that produces them.

Tweak your personal habits.

Less flying, more train.

Less driving, more biking.

Less beef, more… anything else.

As a bonus, many of these things improve your health

as well as the climate.

But keep in mind, changing your personal lifestyle

isn’t the only way to contribute.

Look beyond just yourself.

Got some savings? Invest in solar panels somewhere else in the world.

Over a billion people in the world lack electricity entirely.

so they burn kerosene and diesel for light and power.

There are now crowd-funding platforms that provide these villages with rental solar panels instead

which is a triple win

Inhabitants get electricity and a better living standard,

global warming is reduced

and you can earn a return on your investment.

Think about the global impact, as well as local.

On average, each person on earth causes 3-18 tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year

depending on income level

Doing the math makes it more interesting, almost like a game

For example, for me, switching to an electric car

reduced my family’s footprint by 3 tons per year.

But a single $500 investment in solar panels in Kenya

enabled a 14 ton yearly reduction

because of all the kerosene they no longer need to burn.

My point is, a ton is a ton

no matter where in the world it is reduced.

Overall, renewable energy is a fast-growing area

so there are plenty of opportunities to make a buck

while also making a difference.

And if you don’t have extra money yourself, well

you can help your rich cousin do something useful with their money.

Do a lot of business trips?

Get your boss to carbon offset your flights.

That means compensating for your emissions

by paying to reduce it somewhere else.

Got programming skills? Testing? Design?

Help create apps and web sites.

Like this one: electricity map.

A cool open source project that visualizes, live

the climate impact of each country’s energy production.

This helps people make better decisions.

There’s more things you can do.

Like digging data?

Do research to provide the raw data for tools like this.

Got a big network? Form a community, or join ours.

Got writing skills? Inspire people with success stories.

Engineer? Build all this cool technology.

Lawyer? Politician? Improve legislation.

Reduce fossil fuel subsidies.

See the pattern?

There are LOTS of ways

you can help reduce global warming.

You may even totally disagree

with some of these actions, and that’s fine.

Think of these as levers you can pull

YOU decide what you’re willing to do

and what you think will make an impact.

This atmosphere is the only one we’ve got

it’s shared by all countries

So no matter where you are or what you do

every ton counts!

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