Archive:000/Climate change

For an introduction, read What is climate change.

Biggest factors

GHGs (greenhouse gases) (such as CO₂) are the gases that cause climate change. This is a pie chart of where they come from.

Most of the world's emissions are affected by either...

• How much new "stuff" gets made. [?]Pie chart sections: "Industry", "Energy Use In Industry", and part of "Fugitive Emissions In Energy Production" (as natural gas is used in the industries).

• How much people drive/fly. [?]Two thirds of the "Transport" section of the pie chart (because the other third is for transporting goods; the ratio isn't found in this pie chart, but it's found in another pie chart).

• Heating & cooling homes and other buildings. [?]Most of the "Energy Use In Buildings" section is heating & cooling (not lights or computers etc). The pie chart doesn't specify this, but another pie chart does. Heating & cooling also contribute to "Fugitive Emissions In Energy Production", because natural gas is often used in heating and in generating the electricity that powers air conditioners.

• Food production. [?]Most of the "Agriculture, Forestry & Land Use" pie chart section goes towards producing food. Also note: This section affects more than just climate change, it also affects most of habitat loss.

This provides some perspective on the most significant actions to take.

Actions to take

Personal actions

• Frugalism
• Driving less
• Not wasting food
• Eating plant-based

Collective actions

• Stop planned obsolescence
• Make neighborhoods walkable
• Improve public transit
• Decarbonize energy - but this requires major tech innovations that might not come soon enough. It becomes a lot easier if energy consumption is lower - so in any case, the other actions on the list are just as important as ever.