Power up on plants. Make sure your home is energy efficient. By The Grantham Institute. There are also a number of ‘ethical banks’ you can investigate. Using your voice as a consumer, a customer, a member of the electorate and an active citizen, will lead to changes on a much grander scale. It has been shown to affect the health of unborn babies and increase the risk of dementia. Banks, pensions funds and big corporates often hold investments in fossil fuel companies. Using fossil fuels such as crude oil, natural gas, or coal affects our climate. The other thing government can do is on the adaptation side. Climate change can make it more difficult for communities to provide drinking water and wastewater services, protect water quality, and maintain healthy aquatic environments. Reduce plastic in your shopping. However, the discussion around responsible investment – weighing up environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors and taking them into consideration when investing money – is growing. In the fight against If you don't have direct access to open spaces, this community volunteering charity brings people together to connect to nature, and create healthier and happier communities. Get involved in helping your city move towards policies and programmes for clean energy. Help to protect and conserve green spaces like local parks, ponds or community gardens. To order printed versions of the leaflet, or for more information, contact: grantham@imperial.ac.uk. And there’s a lot cities can do to tackle climate change, whether its promoting local clean energy generation, or putting in place chargepoints for electric vehicles. If you are in rented accommodation, lobby your landlord to make sure the property is energy efficient. Create your own green space. Not only do cars contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, but air pollution caused by exhaust fumes from traffic poses a serious threat to public health. What to do: Print Climate action resources for communities. The enormity of global warming can be daunting and dispiriting. We must act now to stop Take Action Toolkit This toolkit, ideal for small groups or classroom settings, walks you through a set of questions and prompts to plan your own climate action project. While the international efforts are discussed, local communities can take action, and many are. Check the building has proper insulation, and consider draught-proofing windows and doors. All rights reserved. Energy efficient buildings, low carbon public transport and encouraging cycling and walking are essential to cutting CO 2 emissions. Last modified on Thu 26 Sep 2019 03.02 EDT, Photograph: Tom Vierus, www.livingdreams.tv/WWF-UK, Available for everyone, funded by readers. As you make these positive changes to reduce your environmental impact, share your experience with your family, friends, customers and clients. Researchers at Imperial have been investigating how people in the Western world can be convinced to eat them. 1. For more details on how eating a more plant-based, seasonal diet can help tackle climate change, support the local economy and help us to live healthier lives, check out our blog: Saving the planet, one meal at a time. How Communities Can Adapt to Climate Change. There’s still time for them to turn this around – and there are clear things they can do – but they need to take bold action now. Whether you use word of mouth or social media, there are always ways to educate others on what climate change is doing to our planet. This briefing paper and animation highlight the co-benefits of climate action, high-fibre, plant-based diet is also better for your health, blog on going vegan for top tips on making it a success, investigating how people in the Western world can be convinced to eat them, a passenger in business class has a carbon footprint three times higher than someone in economy, flying shouldn't necessarily be the default option for international travel, variety of reputable carbon offsetting schemes, poor air quality in the capital leads to around 1,000 London hospital admissions, air pollution in the United States is associated with 30,000 deaths and reduced life expectancy, trading in your diesel or petrol car for an electric, Switching energy supply to a green tariff, important habitats for a wide variety of insects, animals, birds and amphibians, provide multiple benefits to public health, National Federation of Parks and Green Spaces, Integrating green and blue spaces into our cities: Making it happen, ask if you can opt out of funds investing in fossil fuels, the discussion around responsible investment, Conversations are a great way to spread big ideas, Climate Outreach’s work with climate scientist and communicator Katherine Hayhoe, Take our online survey to share your suggestions, Grantham Institute – Climate Change and the Environment, Download a designed, pocket-sized leaflet in PDF. You can help protect the planet by educating others about the dangers of climate change and how to act against it. The powers that be hold conferences and pass memorandums, but it sometimes seems as if there are forces, if … And how does this fit into the bigger picture? Avoid single-use items and fast fashion, and try not to buy more than you need. When behind the wheel, think about the way you drive: Make sure the tyres are fully pumped, and that the oxygen sensors are in good order – this can improve the cars fuel mileage and efficiency by up to 3% and 40% respectively. Try to choose fresh, seasonal produce that is grown locally to help reduce the carbon emissions from transportation, preservation and prolonged refrigeration. IE 11 is not supported. Set up a climate-crisis committee (consisting of students, staff, parents and members of the local community) to explore what your school can do. Use your car less, whenever possible, instead use sustainable transportation, such as bicycling, or use public transportation more often. 20 Fantastic Ways To Stop Climate Change. Trees are only part of the solution. Voice your concerns about responsible investment by writing to your bank or pension provider, and ask if you can opt out of funds investing in fossil fuels. Buy local, organic food where possible. But after raising the plinth, water doesn’t enter our courtyard anymore, and we could now do vegetable gardening there. Small changes to your behaviour at home will help you use less energy, cutting your carbon footprint and your energy bills: Put on an extra layer and turn down the heating a degree or two. Investigate trading in your diesel or petrol car for an electric or hybrid model. Climate change is a huge and complex issue and, as individuals, we can feel helpless. Scientists, researchers and advocates share the top changes we Greening cities with parks and gardens reduces CO 2 and helps cool urban areas and reduce flooding. Our work on climate change 6. Turn off lights and appliances when you don’t need them. “Religious communities can address some of the questions which are at the heart of climate change, such as fairness,” she said. It makes for sobering reading. Switching energy supply to a green tariff is a great way to invest in renewable energy sources – and could save you money on bills too. We are starting to see a decline in water supplies, increased wildfires, higher temperatures, sea levels rising, … There are a variety of reputable carbon offsetting schemes that fund sustainable development projects or natural solutions like planting trees. To reduce their exposure to the risks of climate change infrastructure can be strengthened, either in advance of an emergency or as part of an emergency response. This briefing paper and animation highlight the co-benefits of climate action, and why it is particularly relevant for decision-makers in cities and devolved regions. Read more about why flying shouldn't necessarily be the default option for international travel, and how businesses can lead the way in reducing the demand for air travel. The solutions are ranked by the amount of greenhouse gases they reduce by 2050. While the group’s interferences across London, Edinburgh and more look to push governments to take the issue seriously and cut carbon emissions to zero by 2025, climate change activists recognise that is crucial for both policy-makers and individuals to take action — another of the organisation’s demands is to create a citizens’ assembly, allowing the public … If you need to fly for work, consider using video-conferencing instead. For longer journeys, use public transport, or try car sharing schemes. With so many experts on climate change here at Imperial, many people ask us what they personally can do about it? Hang-dry your clothes when you can and use dryer balls when you can’t. Our actions can create ripple effects that inspire and motivate collective actions, moving us towards the systemic change we need to tackle an issue like climate change. The Woodland Trust are aiming to plant 64 million trees over the next 10 years – and need your help. Eat fewer or smaller portions of meat, especially red meat, which has the largest environmental impact, and reduce dairy products or switch them for non-dairy alternatives . Here’s how our efforts came out: Climate Action: Growing Renewables: A big part of our Climate Action program aims to grow renewable energy Double glazing, insulation and low-energy lights are all good ways to increase the energy efficiency of your home. Green spaces, such as parks and gardens, are important. For example, if someone lives in a coastal community, you can explain that climate change is causing sea levels to rise, which has already impacted many coastal communities and the severity of this impact will only increase as time goes on. Climate change is happening; it is real. Myclimate also compares the carbon emissions of your particular flight, with the maximum amount of carbon dioxide a person should produce per year in order to halt climate change, and the average amount an EU citizen produces each year. Thinking and acting at a local level helps communities fight climate … Make simple changes to how you use hot water, like buying a water-efficient shower head. 54. Too much meat is no good for your health either. They help to regulate temperature by cooling overheated urban areas, can reduce flood risk by absorbing surface rainwater and can provide important habitats for a wide variety of insects, animals, birds and amphibians. They are a healthy and environmentally friendly food source, so why don't we eat them? Studies suggest that a high-fibre, plant-based diet is also better for your health - so it can be a win-win. Photo: Gerardo Pesantez / World Bank Buildings are the biggest sources of greenhouse gas emissionswithin cities because of the energy that’s required for electricity, heating, and water. How do the cost, time and carbon emissions of a single journey from London to Amsterdam by plane, compare to travelling by train? 10 Things You Can Do to Reduce Climate Change . Winterize your home to prevent heat from escaping and try to keep it cool in the summer without an air conditioner. Plant trees. Despite wanting to be seen as a climate leader, the UK government has continued to fall short of what’s needed to meet targets and has not yet prepared the country for the consequences of climate change. Climate actions have often fallen into one of two strategies: mitigation efforts to lower or remove greenhouse gas emissions from the atmosphere, and adaptation efforts to adjust systems and societies to withstand the impacts of climate change. Conversations are a great way to spread big ideas. The separation has led to the misinformed view that addressing climate change means pursuing either mitigation or adaptation. Changes in normal levels of heat, cold, rain, and wind are known as climate change. Sometimes it can help to talk to people about climate change on a scale they can understand. There are still things ordinary people can do to fight climate change—but reducing your greenhouse gas emissions is only the first step. (This animation illustrates that small changes to your home, transport, energy provider and diet can contribute in a big way to the fight against climate change). Changing jobs Josh from London actually changed jobs “into an organisation that is mitigating climate change”. This will reduce the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere. This week the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change will release a special report, which the WWF has contributed to, laying out in stark detail the impact of the melting of frozen regions on oceans and coastal areas. ... can reduce flood risk by absorbing surface rainwater and can provide important habitats for a wide variety of insects, ... this community volunteering charity brings people together to connect to nature, and create healthier and happier communities. 5. Share it with your local MP. Our world is warming, but taking action on climate change can make all our lives better. Heat and cool smartly. So here’s a toolbox of the most impactful solutions for global warming (in no particular order) that you can do, today – and can pick and choose as you see fit: 1. Here are 10 simple actions you can take to help reduce global warming. Find out who your MP is, and the best way to contact them. But there is something we can do – and that's increasing tree and woodland cover. You have probably heard that our planet is in danger. From a science education perspective, one major thing that can be done about climate change is to support education efforts that help individuals and societies make informed decisions about climate change. Everything we use as consumers has a carbon footprint. Grand Rapids, Mich., stands as tangible evidence of what cities can do to reduce human impact on … Learn how you can help fight climate change, find educator resources, or try the Climate Kids site featuring games, quizzes and facts. The authors have put … Ultimately, steps to reduce carbon emissions will have a positive impact on other local issues, like improving air quality and public health, creating jobs and reducing inequality. 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