3 Ways to Counteract Climate Change (In a Doable Manner)

Environment  |  Amy Gan

It's a modern phenomenon: anguish caused by climate change, yet a majority of inaction on the world’s part. 

Why is there so little effort put into fixing an issue that we know is important? The election of Trump is unfortunate in many areas, one of them including the environment. He denies climate change, wants to “cancel” the Paris Climate Agreement and wants to increase coal production. 

On the other hand, the top countries with the best environmental protection are Finland, Iceland, Sweden, Denmark and Slovenia. Most of their energy consumption has changed to renewable, and they protect their biodiversity (preserving the variety of plants). However, even if Sweden makes up only 0.2% of global greenhouse gas emissions, it is still a significant 20 million tonnes.

North America has been desensitized to these issues because of the abundance of mapped territory; our created waste is simply dumped out of sight (and out of mind). Our countries were built upon ideas of capitalism and exploitation of land, but it is time to peer over at our Nordic neighbours to tweak our attitudes towards our environment.

Here are a few important things to look into, explored in this article:

• Sustainability
• Veganism
• Support for more efficient energy sources

To start off, the role of buying sustainably in improving the environment and our personal lives has been unfairly neglected. 

This comprises that the product was produced in an ethical way and that the company is socially reliable. According to Business Insider, more Millennials are concerned with the sustainability of  products compared to Baby Boomers who are more concerned about supporting the economy. This is great! Something to look further into, nonetheless, would be to provide more support to sustainable companies and ditch those that are not (e.g., McDonald’s).

Also, buying local helps in more ways than you think. It reduces carbon footprint from the trucks and planes used to deliver your items. And the big companies which may provide you some luxurious comfort (if we’re talking about fashion) or cheap food usually:

• grow things using pesticide and toxic chemicals
• produce under sweatshop conditions
• are not cruelty-free (using animals in unfair ways)
• make tons of waste products.

            Next, a minimalist lifestyle is a great option (there’s lots of great guidelines and Ted talks on this topic). This means that you only buy the necessary, in an environmental and health-conscious way (no more of “oh maybe I’ll use that one day…”). Of course, there’s no rush to jump into the extreme; starting off with an awareness is a great start.

            Here are a few examples of inexpensive, Canadian and organic products: organic soap from The Soap Works ($2.29) (TAU and well.ca), bamboo toothbrushes from Brush Naked ($4.99) (well.ca), shampoo and conditioner from Live Clean ($7.79) (most pharmacies).

      Next, let’s look at veganism and its different versions:

• Dietary veganism: against eating any animal products.
• Ethical veganism: extending the philosophy to opposing the use of animal products in any way.
• Environmental veganism: avoiding animal products with the reason that industrial farming and harvesting of animals is environmentally damaging and unsustainable for the planet.

Reducing meat (and other animal-related) consumption is not all about the animals; it’s also about decreasing the following:

• methane production (a powerful greenhouse gas)
• fresh water consumption (this is becoming a larger problem!)
• factories, which produce an abundance of pollutants.

Another take on this is that around 2000 gallons of water are required to produce one pound of meat, according to Fielding School of Public health at UCLA in Los Angeles.

Personally, the concern I feel towards these issues mainly come from looking beyond ethical treatment of animals; it’s astonishing that one thing (like eating less meat) can lead to conserving water and reducing pollutants.


      Changing energy sources from destructive to sustainable is a real tussle for many governments. Their priorities have been employment and the economy, whereas the environment is usually placed far away. 

For example, despite fossil fuel’s notorious harm, an oil pipeline is still being financed, instead of investing in more renewable energy resources. This same attitude applies for coal power plants, which kill 13 000 American each year through coal pollution (the numbers climb to 260 000 people in China and 22 500 in Europe), according to the American Lung Association.

There must be a better way… and there is!

Here’s why nuclear energy is a great alternative: lots of power and low environmental damage. As Ted Talk presenter, Michael Shellenberger, brings to light, the fear brought by the term “nuclear” keeps us from environmental improvement.

Some people associate nuclear power plants with nuclear weapons; however, out of the 21 nations which have nuclear power, only 7 have nuclear weapons. Besides, the nuclear weapons were discovered before having nuclear power; they have minimal correlation. As well, these areas (namely, China, India, Europe and North America) have established agreements on nuclear weapons. Only a few nations (Iran and perhaps Venezuela) should need a closer surveillance for their work with nuclear, according to Shellenberger.

Another concern is the waste created, but nuclear still wins: in a year, nuclear waste would gather to be 20 tons, whereas coal waste would gather up to suffocating 8,000,000 tons of CO₂. Particularly, the 20 tons of nuclear waste can be sealed in a vehicle sized storage, whereas the 8 million tons of CO₂ spreads to every corner in our atmosphere.

Fossil fuel fans claim that less coal power plants leads to job loss, but there is large employment need in the clean energy sector as well. According to the Solar Foundation, the U.S. solar industry alone employed more people than the coal industry in 2014.

As countries turn towards nuclear power instead of fossil fuels, it would indicate an upcoming global readiness to enter a peaceful zero nuclear weapon world. As well, perhaps a combination of nuclear and renewable resources, such as wind and solar, would be an optimal way to provide a nation’s energy; one which runs 24/7, and the other runs when weather conditions allow it. The important thing is to cease the fear around nuclear, and help the change towards greener energy.

In essence, sustainability, veganism and cleaner energy sources can bring our planet to finally breathe again (we shall return the favour!). Starting with awareness, steps towards these three things can bring a world of difference if we all do even a little of what we can. Cheers!