What should we do about climate change?
7th August 2018 The Big Questions 1 Comment
Climate change is the result of what humans have done to this planet. And now we should be the ones to stop it. But, how can we solve a large problem that will affect all of us? Those currently in power shouldn’t leave it to the next generation to sort it out – after all, it’s their generation who caused it, so they should be the ones to sort it out. Sadly, that doesn’t seem to be the case.
What should we do about it, though?
We know the devastating results of climate change at the moment, and it will get worse if we don’t stop it! Here’s a list of things that I would do about it (if I could):
- Ban single-use plastic packaging. Plastic was originally invented to replace elephant ivory for things such as pianos. (They didn’t use elephant ivory for packaging, so why should this be any different?)
- Help LEDCs with their waste management systems. According to this Kurzgesagt video, the countries who are dumping plastic into the sea aren’t the USA or the UK. They are countries who don’t know what to do with their waste so simply put it in the sea.
- Use more renewable energy (solar, wind, hydroelectric) than their non-renewable counterparts. Renewable energy is usually better for the environment. As with all types of energy, they all have their pros and cons. In my opinion, solar panels are the best way to go as they are cheap(er) than wind and hydroelectric and can be put on the top of houses and on other buildings. (Note: Nuclear does not count as a renewable source of energy as you need uranium to make it.)
The UK is making good progress on the last point. Currently, the Government has been phasing out coal power. In fact, earlier in 2018, we went a few days without coal-powered electricity, and there was no major outages or problems. Also, the UK has already introduced a 5p charge for single-use plastic bags, and the usage of plastic bags since this was introduced has gone down drastically.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we have done a lot to combat global warming. But we need to keep doing more. China burns more coal and oil than any other country on Earth, so if we’re going to have a trade deal with them, we need to convince them to burn less than they do.
What do you think about this? Do you think we’re doing enough about climate change? Or do you think we should be doing more? Or, like Donald Trump, do you think that this global warming thing isn’t true? (Hope not!) Put your opinion in the comments below!
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