The Future is in Our Hands

Wind farm on Kefalonia
(Author's own photo)

So how do we stop pumping out greenhouse gases? How can we try to keep the global climate habitable so that Earth continues to be a place where human beings and most of the existing wildlife can live and thrive?

Renewable Energy is the Future

We have to switch from fossil fuels and transition to clean, renewable energy. We've started to do that in the UK and many other countries are doing so too.

Most of us here in the UK have lifestyles which depend on fossil fuels, so if they suddenly became scarce or unaffordable most of us would struggle. 

Speeding up renewable energy production could happen quickly if the government didn't restrict new onshore wind farms and solar energy.  If ageing wind farms are modernised they can produce much more energy more efficiently. As I write Scottish Power has started to dismantle 26 wind turbines which have been in place since 1995 and plan to replace them with 14 larger, more modern wind turbines which are expected to produce five times as much energy by 2025.

Governments must do more and faster

We need a government which will encourage the construction of the cheapest forms of renewable energy which it is possible to put into place as quickly as possible. The batteries to store renewable energy when the wind stops blowing or the sun doesn't shine now exist, and they will improve as research and development progress.  If we still need nuclear energy as back up then that could continue, but nuclear plants takes much more time and money to build and there are more safety aspects to consider and put into place.

Voters and Consumers have Influence

As voters we can elect candidates for positions in local and national government who are committed to a renewable future, a healthy environment and keeping global temperatures as comfortable as possible. These aspirations aren't compatible with a Neo Capitalist economic policy. We need business leaders to care more about the people they affect and the environment those people live in rather than believing that making as much profit as possible is the only thing that matters.

As consumers we can choose the most sustainable options we can afford whether we're shopping for food or clothes, or deciding which energy supplier to use, where to go on holiday or which car to buy.

A New Way of Thinking is Needed

It's not all about renewable energy. We need sustainable farming practices too. We also need to let mature trees live unless they are a real danger, leave the grass in part of our gardens and wider community to grow long, avoid using peat and generally take care of local wildlife. Losing so many of our wild flowers, insects. wild birds and other animals isn't just a shame, it's not helping us to tackle climate change either. Nature is our ally and we need to find out how to work with it instead of against it.

Last but not least we need to consider how much of anything we really need. Excess consumption is a serious problem not only responsible for large amounts of greenhouse gas emissions, but also for the destruction of nature. Even buying more cheap things than we really need creates unnecessary harm, but the richer someone is, the easier it might be for them to buy more than they need. There's a lot to be said for learning to be satisfied with enough and not succumbing to the allure of clever marketing or peer pressure. 

Our Carbon Handprints Matter

Every small change we can make to reduce our GHG emissions will make a difference. These little things add up and become what is being called our Carbon Handprint. Carbon Handprint is an idea to help people realise that no contribution is too small. Anybody can make a difference to the environment, and the world will be a better place if we all try to do our bit.

We're Better Together

Whatever we do, most of us are likely to find it better to belong to a group of likeminded people who can encourage and inspire us, and whom we can encourage and inspire in return. Find out what's happening near you and if you can't find anything perhaps you can find a few people who want to start a group with you. Groups of local people will find it easier to influence what happens in their community too.