To Combat Climate Change, Here's How You Can Help

Climate change is a global concern and threat faced by humanity today. While humans may be largely to blame for the rapid changes in climate, the key to slowing it down also mainly lies in human hands.

Climate change and its effects may be unstoppable, but there are several ways we can do to slow it down and work together to save us from its negative impact.

Here are significant ways you can help slow down and fight climate change.

IN THE HOUSE

When eating, consuming more fruits and vegetables might be more beneficial instead of eating meat and dairy products. Eighteen percent of greenhouse gas emissions are from meat and dairy production, as David Suzuki Foundation reported.

When selecting supplies for your household needs, reusing disposable materials and composting biodegradable wastes lowers the amount of garbage generation.

A yearly report called Advancing Sustainable Materials Management by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency revealed that by composting and recycling, 87.2 million tons of materials have been prevented from being disposed of in 2013.

This is from the 3,091 active landfills and over 10,000 old municipal landfills in the United States, according to Zero Waste America.

Efficiency in household and workplace energy consumption may also have a great impact in lowering down heat production. As simple as replacing bulbs with LEDs (light-emitting diodes) and reducing the use of heat-producing equipment can contribute a bigger share in the movement against climate change.

ON THE ROAD

When travelling, you may also want to consider carpooling. Going together lessens the number of gas-emitting vehicles on the road. This promotes less fuel consumption by reducing the use of fuel generated transportation, as per the David Suzuki Foundation.

IN THE COMMUNITY

Get talking about climate change! Increasing people's awareness of the current and actual status of climate change can help in pushing people to be more responsible for their acts as they become concerned about its possible impact on the environment.

IN FARMS

Planting trees and composting traps the carbon under the soil. This is based on a recent study released by the Scientific American that revealed that soils can lock up more carbons longer if properly managed, resulting in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

This can help us achieve the internationally agreed-upon 2°C (3.6°F) global warming temperature.

These steps are just some of the many ways people can do to help slow down the effects of climate change.

Combating climate change is not just for the environment, but also for our health.

In a fact sheet recently released by the White House, it said air pollution and extreme heat conditions may cause allergic conditions, such as asthma and other respiratory illnesses, which can heighten the risk of premature death.

It also said that climate change may also cause more water-related illnesses and exposure of food to toxins. Extreme heat speeds up the food's exposure to pathogens, putting our health at risk. (See related story here.)

As climate change continues to change the shape of our world today, its effects may be inevitable, but with us doing our share--whether in big or small ways--can ease the burden of climate change.