Solutions to Climate and Ecological Crises
The most frustrating part of the climate and ecological crises is that we already know the solutions but aren’t implementing them. Politicians are lobbied and beholden to the fossil fuel industry and citizens in first world countries are so habituated to our excessive consumption that we are sacrificing the habitability of Earth.
According to Bill McKibben, long time climate activist and co-founder of 350.org, humanity needs to:
“1) build massive amounts of (now cheap) sun and wind
2) Electrify everything to run on it
3) Conservation and efficiency
4) Research the hell out of the last hard stuff (planes, cement, etc)
5) Stop cutting down trees for cows (or anything else)”
Dr. Jason Hickel, an economic anthropologist, author, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, says that degrowth is necessary. The conservation part of McKibben’s list requires letting go of capitalism and transitioning to circular economy that stays within planetary boundaries, doesn’t require excessive depletion and extraction of Earth’s resources, while maintaining a good/equitable quality of life for everyone.
From my time as a climate activist, I’ve learned that the solutions to the crisis are known and multifaceted. This isn’t a comprehensive list (Project Drawdown, linked below, has a detailed list ofsolutions).
Government
stop subsidizing the fossil fuel industry and allowing corporations to “offset” their emissions
transition the grid away from coal, oil, and natural gas
rapid transition to a green energy system by incentiving, subsidizing, and installing solar panels, wind farms, tidal power, heat pumps, geothermal, with a transition to electric vehicles and EV charging stations
utilize batteries and underground and underwater cables to store and distribute energy.
protect 30-50 of the land and water to ensure that our carbon sinks remain healthy.
Work with private sector to move economy towards renewables and punish/tax companies that have high emissions or pollute the land and water
On local and fed level create policy for new and old buildings and infrastructure to ensure new builds are net zero, zero, or absorb carbon. Stretch codes to meet more aggressive energy goals.
Economy
transition away from a growth based economic system that requires infinite growth on a finite planet and the overuse of Earths resources to a circular and regenerative economy. An economy that doesn’t rely on overconsumption, toxic chemicals, and plastics and instead enables Earth and every person to flourish.
A healthy economy would distribute wealth in a way that respects planetary boundaries, prevents individuals from taking more than they need, and wouldn’t leave anyone behind. It would rely on biodegradable earth friendly products.
Business
transition to an Earth and human friendly agricultural system that doesn’t rely on chemical herbicides, pesticides, deforestation, and soil depletion. If we move away from animal agriculture and factory farms towards plant-based diets we will protect forests that would otherwise be cut down to grow feed for cattle that emit massive amounts of methane. We will also save drinking water.
businesses can reduce their own emissions, reduce their value chain emissions, transform their products and services to be low or zero emissions or remove carbon from the atmosphere, work with others to accelerate climate action.
Individuals
Boycott banks, insurance companies, and financial institutions that funds and insures fossil fuel projects, deforestation, and excessively pollutes
Consume less and stop buying fast fashion and other companies that have high carbon footprints and use toxic materials to produce their products
As citizens, regardless of our political affiliation, we can use the power of our money and vote and make sure that it used in Earth friendly ways and not towards our own destruction and the destruction of future generations and all life on Earth.
Global strikes can be used to force business and governments to act
Individual lifestyle changes which only account for 30% of global emissions
Project drawdown
Project drawdown is a well respected org that has mapped out solutions to the climate crisis, but we need citizens to demand that governments, financial institutions, and corporations urgently implement them.
From their website: “Cities, universities, corporations, philanthropies, policymakers, communities, educators, activists, and more turn to Project Drawdown as they look to advance effective climate action. We aim to support the growing constellation of efforts to move climate solutions—and the world—toward drawdown as quickly, safely, and equitably as possible.”
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