Climate Change and Solutions
Human activities have significantly altered atmospheric composition, particularly through deforestation and fossil fuel use. Cutting down forests not only removes carbon-absorbing trees but also releases stored CO₂. Meanwhile, agriculture—especially cattle farming—produces large amounts of methane, another powerful greenhouse gas.
The impacts of these changes are already visible: melting polar ice, rising sea levels, more severe weather patterns, and shifting distributions of plants, animals and diseases like malaria. While climate models are complex and sometimes lead to simplified predictions, the evidence for human-caused climate change is overwhelming.
Reducing our carbon footprint—the total amount of greenhouse gases produced through our activities—requires both individual and societal changes. Simple steps include better home insulation, using public transport instead of cars, switching to renewable energy sources, and reducing electricity consumption. Eating less beef and dairy also helps reduce methane emissions.
Take action: Calculate your personal carbon footprint online to see which of your daily activities contribute most to greenhouse gas emissions. You might be surprised by what makes the biggest impact!