Page 39 - Standard Indicators for the social appropriation of science
P. 39

Climate change mitigation



        made  strategies, but then application  is so           Take a look at the labels on your appliances,
        slow, or many times there is a lack of inspection       and never leave them on standby. Always adjust
        officials to see how much is emitted, that they         the thermostat for heating and air conditioning.
        are very difficult to implement.                        By being careful how we use home appliances,
                                                                we can save energy and, of course, money at
        I believe that the winning triangle is legislation,     the end of the month.
        personnel to  execute that  legislation  and
        budget. And  then  also  citizen  commitment  is        3. Put the 3 R’s of sustainability into practice
        important, so we are all willing and committed          •   Reduce: consume less, more efficiently.
        to accept those changes because if changes              •  Reuse:  take  advantage  of  second-hand
        are imposed on us and we do not understand              markets, to give new life to items that you don’t
        where the problem is, we are going to reject            use anymore or find something that someone
        those changes. We have to understand them,              else has gotten rid of that you need. You’ll be
        demand  them, ask for them and talk about               saving money and reducing your consumption.
        them and above all promote them.                        Bartering is also a practical solution.


        How can we improve our behaviour                        • Recycle: packaging, waste from electronics,
        in    everyday      life   to    improve      the       etc. You can save over 730 kilos of CO  each
                                                                                                          2
        situation       with      climate       change?         year just by recycling  half of the garbage
                                                                produced at home.
        Climate  change  is  a  proven  fact.  Global
        warming has caused serious changes to  the              4. Reduce the consumption of meat and dairy
        planet,  such  as  rising  sea  levels,  extreme        products
        weather events, deforestation, disappearance
        of  species.  But  as  individuals  we  can  slow       In  the  EU,  meat  and  dairy production is
        down global  warming  by implementing  small            estimated to be responsible for 12-17% of total
        more sustainable actions within our community.          greenhouse gas emissions, while throughout
        Changes in the way you live your life – both            the world, the global livestock industry produces
        big and small –can help you reduce your own             more greenhouse gas emissions than all cars,
        personal carbon footprint, and also encourage           planes, trains and ships combined. That doesn’t
        policy makers to act for the good of the planet.        mean that everyone has to become vegan or
        Some  daily  habits  can  help  to  fight  against      vegetarian  -  even  a  small  shift  in  diets,  with
        climate change.                                         a reduction  in meat and dairy  products,  and
                                                                more plant-based foods instead, could reduce
        1. Reduce emissions                                     the pressure  that agriculture  places  on the
                                                                environment.
        Use your car less, whenever possible, instead
        use sustainable  transportation, such as                5. Avoid plastic
        bicycling,  or use public transportation more
        often. In the case of long-distance travel, trains      Plastic is the all-round material and is therefore
        are more sustainable than airplanes, which              present  in  pretty  much  every  aspect  of  our
        cause a great deal of the CO  emitted into the          lives. But the durability of the material (which
                                       2
        atmosphere. If you are into cars, remember that         also makes it so popular) is of course also its
        every kilometre that you increase your speed            most drastic disadvantage: we are struggling
        will considerably increase CO  emissions and            to get rid of it. Plastic has found its way pretty
                                        2
        expenses. According to  the EC,  each litre of          much  everywhere  –  on  streets,  in  rivers,  on
        fuel that  your car  uses,  equals around 2.5           the beach, in cosmetics, in wastewater, in
        kilograms of CO  emitted into the atmosphere.           our clothing, even in the air we breathe. And
                         2
                                                                there is  also a  close connection between
        2. Save energy                                          climate change and our massive global plastic






                                                                                                            39
                                                                                                 Persist_EU
   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44