Drawdown: a comprehensive approach to reversing climate change
This week, two speakers, Dr. Tom Richard and Dr. Justin Schwartz, gave an encouraging presentation at Penn State University. They a spoke plainly about practical approaches to slowing climate change and reducing atmospheric CO2 based upon a research framework that encompasses more than 80 solutions towards this aim. Their approach?
Think about any climate change solution for a second. Solar panels come to mind? What about wind turbines or a Tesla? These are often the images that most people think of when they think about actions that can be done to stop and reverse climate change. Come to find out, many other real solutions may surprise you.
For starters: The #6 most impactful strategy for combating climate change is to Educate Girls. By simply educating more young women we reduce carbon emissions. It is no secret that educated women have less children and this reduction in population growth can have a massive effect on the overall carbon footprint of the planet. Something to the tune of 51.48 Gigatons of carbon reduction by 2050. Fem is Green it would seem.
#3. Reduce Food Waste. Another surprise for many is the amount of food we waste globally each year. It’s a huge figure. Roughly about a third of the total food grown globally is wasted and considering all the carbon input that currently goes into making our food, solving the “world’s dumbest problem” rightfully ranks high on the list of strategies that needs attention.
Other notable mentions include increasing the implementation of telepresence, the biofuel bridge, and better management of indigenous peoples’ land.
However, the #1 strategy for dealing with global warming is …<rubs eyes>
Refrigeration.
That’s right. Keeping things cool, as it turns out, really heats up the planet. Not only that, but the chemicals used in many older refrigeration units are toxic not only to the environment, but us. The problem though is as the planet warms, the demand for such technology is only going to increase, escalating the effect.
Have a look at Drawdown.org for the complete list of solutions. This is by far the most comprehensive strategy to date for stopping climate change and, hopefully, reversing the damage that’s already been done.
Thanks for reading.
