Blog Action Day – Climate Change
Blog Action Day has arrived. This is the one day when I try to set aside posts about literature, writing, publishing and ebooks and focus on an issue that affects us all. This year that topic is climate change – a very real problem this earth is facing (and last I checked, this is the only earth we have, for now). This is a day when bloggers from all over unite on a single issue.
To be honest, I was struggling about how I should approach this topic. My first instinct was to incorporate climate change and ebooks somehow. But after doing a little research, the ball is still in the air about ebooks being more environmentally friendly. I also thought about writing about the impact of print publishing and all the resources it eats up. That would require digging through a lot of numbers, studies and stats, which I’m not good at.
In the end I decided to keep it simple. The great folks that organize Blog Action Day set up a page of resources to help bloggers focus their posts on climate change. I’m going to list 5 negative side effects of climate change (there are a lot more than 5, however) and then list 5 simple ways you can make a difference.
The consequences of global warming
- Say hello to more mosquitoes (source)
- Say goodbye to fly fishing (source)
- Say goodbye to meadows and wildflowers (source)
- Say goodbye to 40% of the world’s species (source – not available)
- Say hello to more stray little kitties (source)
- Say hello to more hurricanes (source)
- Say hello to more wildfires (source – not available)
Easy solutions to prevent climate change
- Consume less: This goes without saying. The more we consume, the more waste we produce.
- Eat smart, go vegetarian: I turned vegetarian back in May 2009 and was amazed to learn how much natural resources the US beef industry eats up.
- Bicycle, use public transportation, or carpool: I’m always stunned at the huge numbers of cars on the freeway during rush hour with only 1 person in them. It wastes gas and it pollutes! Find alternate, earth friendly ways to get to your destination.
- Be more efficient: Turn off lights when you leave the room. Group your errands together so you are driving less. There are tons of ways to make your life efficient and environmentally friendly.
- Stop cutting down trees (plant trees instead): Trees our called the ‘lungs of the earth’ and are very important to stopping climate change.
- Have only 1 child: The amount of natural resources every person consumes is amazing. And with earth’s population rabidly growing, we will reach a point when our planet can no longer support such a large number of people. Consider adoption instead.
(source for this list)
Each list can be a lot longer, as there are more effects of climate change and more solutions than what I posted here. I didn’t even scratch the surface of the information that’s out there.
I think it’s important that the environment stays on our minds 24/7 and 365 days a year, not just during Blog Action Day. Even little stuff like recycling adds up. There’s an old saying “Think globally, act locally.” That saying really applies to climate change!
