Eco Ignite #2 - Most polluting Industries.

Last Week on World Environment Day, I posted about the biggest Man-made crisis - The climate crisis.

But you know what?

That was one of the worst-performing posts.

Nobody wants to talk about it, 

Either due to ignorance, or thinking about what change I can make.

Most of us have some prejudices related to the subject and are unaware of the facts.

"As greenhouse gas emissions blanket the Earth, they trap the sun’s heat. This leads to global warming and climate change. The world is now warming faster than at any point in recorded history. Warmer temperatures over time are changing weather patterns and disrupting the usual balance of nature. This poses many risks to human beings and all other forms of life on Earth." - UN

I had decided to post about environment on a weekly basis, and maybe more frequently.

So yes, here we go - Eco Ignite #2

Industries that are responsible for our suffering due to climate crisis:-

1. Fossil fuels - Obviously, Right?

"Fossil fuels – coal, oil and gas – are by far the largest contributor to global climate change." - UN

2. Agriculture - accounts for about 11% of greenhouse gas emissions. Deforestation, clearing of land, energy for farm equipment, DIGESTION by COWS and SHEEPS, packaging and distribution etc. make food production a major contributor to climate change.

"To reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture, the first step is to decrease meat consumption. Livestock production is a major contributor to farm emissions, producing 4 billion tons of CO2 equivalent out of 9.3 in total in 2018 and leading to widespread deforestation.

Kilograms of CO2 Emissions per Kilogram of Food - UN

Beef: 70.6

Lamb: 39.7

Shellfish: 26.9

Cheese: 23.9

Fish: 13.6

Pork: 12.3

Poultry: 9.9

Eggs: 4.7

Rice & Grains: 3.6

Milk: 3.2

Tofu: 3.2

Legumes: 2.0

Breads & Pastas: 1.6

Fruit: 0.9

Vegetables: 0.7

Nuts: 0.4

3. Fashion - Surprisingly/shockingly produces about 10% of our annual carbon footprint, more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined! Along with the emission of Greenhouse Gases, it also consumes enough water to quench the thirst of five million people every year and creates millions of tons of plastic and other waste that pollute our air and oceans.

 

Other Polluting Industries - Food Retail, Transport, Construction etc.

Solutions:-

Instead of discussing dumb solutions like sifting to EVs or Solar panels as the time for that seems already gone by. What we need to do is:-

1. Reduce Consumption - Stop eating Animal Food, Stop purchasing unnecessary clothes particularly low-quality fast fashion products, etc.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic - Our consumption reduced, and Earth got some time to heal ITSELF, and as a result, Earth Overshoot Day shifted to August 16 from August 3 in 2020, which is now back to August 1 this year. 

But you know what overall consumption can't be decreased, the average income of a household is most likely to increase globally which will increase per capita consumption and it should - A poor person shall also have the comfort of a personal vehicle or a cooler in this summer as against the riches enjoying in their private jets causing major emissions.

"The wealthiest bear the greatest responsibility: the richest 1 percent of the global population combined account for more greenhouse gas emissions than the poorest 50 percent." - UN

Every tangible thing produced in this world produces some amount of Greenhouse gases - it all depends on our conscience now to choose the right one. For eg. Beef/Poultry or Vegetables/Fruits.

Then What's the ultimate solution?

2. Reduce the Consumers - To reduce overall consumption, we can reduce the consumers if not per capita. Population control laws shall be back around the world even at cost of economic growth. 

(It is a proven fact - as the public gets educated the fertility rates gets reduced, so yeah educating the masses RIGHTLY can be an effective solution for the problem).