The devastation of the bushfires in Australia and our environmental footprint
What changes can we make to help our beloved planet?
- Written by Yoommy Nam
In late October 2019, lightning had struck Gospers Mountain in the southern state of New South Wales, Australia. With consecutive dry winters having passed, the fire that struck the brittle trees began to spread quickly.
Fast-forward 3 months, where multiple fires across several states connected to create a number of ‘mega blazes’, some 30 lives have been lost - including four firefighters; billions of animals are feared to have died - including critically endangered species, and more than 10 million hectares (100,000 sq km) across Australia has burned. [1]
For comparison, the entire landmass of Iceland is 100,250 sq km [2], whilst England covers 129,355 sq km [3]. Although there's been a sudden bout of rainfall which has helped significantly, more than 60 fires are still active, with authorities warning of ongoing danger as hot and windy conditions are being forecasted. And there's still over a month left of Summer… (gulp).
Whether or not you’ve been actively following the news, or regardless of where you may be in the world, I’m sure you’ve heard word of this. It’s definitely received the global attention it deserves, largely due to the unprecedented nature of them, even in a country that gets its fair share of fires every year.
In fact, as reported in the New York Times, NASA tracked a plume of smoke from the fires the size of continental U.S, causing hazardous breathing conditions in New Zealand and even discolouring the skies in South America! [4]
So, the sheer scale of these fires and their devastation is clear. But the million-dollar question remains: are these bushfires connected to climate change? And if so, how?
Peter Gleick, a climate scientist and co-founder of Pacific Institute in California, believes the bushfires are “a very clear example of the links between climate change and extreme weather." It’s important to note: rather than it being a question of whether climate change caused these fires, he points out that the worsening conditions as a consequence of climate change - like record heat and unprecedented drought - intensifies the severity of bushfires which would normally occur. [5]
The scientific literature confirming this theory is vast, as Australia's warmed by more than 1°C since 1910 - the year that datasets on climate trends began [6,7,8]. Similarly, Australia's National Environmental Science Program stated that in recent decades, human-caused climate change has increased dangerous weather conditions for bushfires. [9]
Peter Gleick, a climate scientist and co-founder of Pacific Institute in California, believes the bushfires are “a very clear example of the links between climate change and extreme weather." It’s important to note: rather than it being a question of whether climate change caused these fires, he points out that the worsening conditions as a consequence of climate change - like record heat and unprecedented drought - intensifies the severity of bushfires which would normally occur. [5]
The scientific literature confirming this theory is vast, as Australia's warmed by more than 1°C since 1910 - the year that datasets on climate trends began [6,7,8]. Similarly, Australia's National Environmental Science Program stated that in recent decades, human-caused climate change has increased dangerous weather conditions for bushfires. [9]
These conditions may not be exclusive to Australia either. A review of 57 recent scientific papers has shown that global heating has resulted in the frequency and severity of fire weather – the conditions where wildfires are likely to start – around the world [10]. So, regardless of where you may be on the political spectrum, the data does show changes in the world’s median temperatures and human activity has more than a 95% probability of causing these rising temperatures over the last 50 years. [11]
It does seem bleak and yes, climate change can be very overwhelming. The science isn’t exactly straight-forward and there are still so many unknowns when it comes to future impacts. However, while globally impactful solutions require action on a global scale, you can make choices in everyday life to lessen your personal impact on the environment. They don’t have to be drastic changes either, it’s more about making smarter choices wherever you can.
Here are some ways for you to achieve this:
#1 Fly less
Flying takes the brunt of environmentalists' wrath. But there's good reason - one return flight from New York to London produces more than the annual carbon emissions of people in 56 countries combined, including Paraguay and Burundi! [12] Of course, everyone has responsibilities to attend to that require flying, but you can always choose economy over business or first-class under the same principle behind carpooling and public transport: the total carbon footprint is spread out among more people.
#2 Drive less
Going carless for 1 year could save around 2,642 kgs of carbon dioxide - equivalent to a return transatlantic flight. [13] But more realistically, just opting for a bus, train, bike, or walking/jogging if you’re close enough to your destination once a week, will not only help carbon emissions but your fitness too!
#1 Fly less
Flying takes the brunt of environmentalists' wrath. But there's good reason - one return flight from New York to London produces more than the annual carbon emissions of people in 56 countries combined, including Paraguay and Burundi! [12] Of course, everyone has responsibilities to attend to that require flying, but you can always choose economy over business or first-class under the same principle behind carpooling and public transport: the total carbon footprint is spread out among more people.
#2 Drive less
Going carless for 1 year could save around 2,642 kgs of carbon dioxide - equivalent to a return transatlantic flight. [13] But more realistically, just opting for a bus, train, bike, or walking/jogging if you’re close enough to your destination once a week, will not only help carbon emissions but your fitness too!
#3 Eat less meat
Food research is still evolving on which diet is best for the environment, but by-and-large, experts agree that cutting down on meat (particularly red meat) can decrease your carbon footprint significantly. That’s because livestock, especially cows, use so much feed, water, and land. They also give off methane emissions which are 25 times more potent than CO2 at trapping atmospheric heat. [14] Not having meat and dairy for one day could reduce your footprint by 1,325 kgs per year.
Note that this doesn’t mean you have to give meat up entirely - it’s about small, yet realistic changes that you can stick to, to have a lasting impact on your footprint long-term. Even substituting carbon-intensive meat like beef with chicken can make a difference. Plus, you can always get involved in carbon offsetting for the emissions you do inevitably contribute (more on that below).
#4 Eat more plants
Eating more plant-based foods is never a bad thing! Not just for the same reasons you should cut down on meat as stated above, but also for the many health benefits they offer, which you can read more about here.
But keep in mind that transporting food from afar - which happens a lot when not in season - uses fossil fuels. Particularly when they need to be refrigerated. So, sourcing more locally-grown produce is also a better option.
#5 Energy-proof your home
Solar energy is great, but not everyone can afford the change. What you can do, however, is:
- Swap your regular light bulbs for energy-efficient LED bulbs instead.
- Switch lights off when leaving a room and unplug electrical devices when they're not being used.
- Reduce water-wastage by taking shorter showers, installing low-flow showerheads, and fixing leaky taps.
- Turn down the heat in winter by using a smart thermostat if you have one; or keep your blinds closed and seal gaps in your windows and doors. As for the summer, use fans over air-conditioning as often as you can.
- When buying new appliances, always choose a high energy-star rating - and recycle the old.
#6 Reduce and reuse
This is quintessentially what it comes down to. Reduce your consumption of products that take a large number of resources to manufacture for the least amount of usage i.e. single-use plastics or fast-fashion, and reuse things as much as you can. Just having this in mind and being conscious about your choices in everyday situations will make a difference in the future of our climate.
#5 Energy-proof your home
Solar energy is great, but not everyone can afford the change. What you can do, however, is:
- Swap your regular light bulbs for energy-efficient LED bulbs instead.
- Switch lights off when leaving a room and unplug electrical devices when they're not being used.
- Reduce water-wastage by taking shorter showers, installing low-flow showerheads, and fixing leaky taps.
- Turn down the heat in winter by using a smart thermostat if you have one; or keep your blinds closed and seal gaps in your windows and doors. As for the summer, use fans over air-conditioning as often as you can.
- When buying new appliances, always choose a high energy-star rating - and recycle the old.
#6 Reduce and reuse
This is quintessentially what it comes down to. Reduce your consumption of products that take a large number of resources to manufacture for the least amount of usage i.e. single-use plastics or fast-fashion, and reuse things as much as you can. Just having this in mind and being conscious about your choices in everyday situations will make a difference in the future of our climate.
#7 Carbon Offsetting
Carbon offsetting is pretty much what it sounds like - meaning to offset your carbon footprint by buying the equivalent amount where reductions are being made. So, whether it's protecting rainforests in Sierra Leone, powering communities with renewable energy in Brazil, or helping farmers in India to sell crop waste as biomass, you can calculate how much your CO2 footprint costs (there are hundreds of online calculators for this), then invest the amount into a sustainable project.
We at Truth strongly believe in this 🙏. In our recent blog, we shared our exciting partnership with Tree-Nation. Tree-Nation helps us (and you) offset our carbon emission from our products. All you have to do is look out for the email once you have purchased from us, then go ahead and plant your own tree in the Truth Origins forest!
Read more here.
Yoommy Nam
Yoommy is a contributing writer for Truth Origins/Naturals. With a BA in Journalism, she has a penchant for research and an insatiable curiosity. Her twenty-year love for health and fitness also comes with five years of work experience in supplementation. She prides herself on her knowledge of both worldy topics and pop-culture references - look out unsuspecting Gen Z-ers! She enjoys MMA, dance, resistance training, soccer, and any story that informs on the human condition - be it through the written word, film, music, or just a killer chat.
References
[1] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-50951043
[2] https://www.nationmaster.com/country-info/profiles/Iceland/Geography
[3] https://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/europe/england/ukelandst.htm
[4] https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/21/world/australia/fires-size-climate.html
[5] https://time.com/5759964/australian-bushfires-climate-change/
[6] https://www.climatechangeinaustralia.gov.au/en/climate-campus/australian-climate-change/australian-trends/
[7]https://www.nccarf.edu.au/sites/default/files/attached_files_publications/Jones_2013_Valuing_adaptation_under_rapid_change.pdf
[8] https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(19)30267-0/fulltext
[9] https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jan/13/explainer-what-are-the-underlying-causes-of-australias-shocking-bushfire-season
[10] https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jan/14/australia-bushfires-harbinger-future-scientists
[11] https://climate.nasa.gov/causes/
[12] https://www.wired.co.uk/article/reduce-carbon-footprint
[13] https://www.nytimes.com/guides/year-of-living-better/how-to-reduce-your-carbon-footprint
[14] https://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2018/12/27/35-ways-reduce-carbon-footprint/
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