Governments and Households’ Role in Mitigating Climate Change

Climate change might very well be the biggest problem that is facing Earth and

humanity itself. The Earth’s atmosphere and water temperatures have increased, and this has

led to a rise in sea level, a drastic decrease in the ice of the Arctic sea, and some other

changes regarding the climate [3][4]. This article will show some evidence that proves climate

change impacts, causes, and some ways that may help to mitigate this big problem that may

affect us all.

Now, one might ask “How do global climate change affect people and nature?”, during this

case, this answer is natural disasters like flooding, wildfires, and powerful heat waves which

cost billions in damages [3]. Some insights are emerging, and some things became clearer.

For example, in the 2000s and early 2010s, there was a drastic jump in temperatures in 2014

[3]. Another example is the Antarctic sea ice level, which was increasing until it began to

decline in 2014 and reached an all-time low in 2017, which has persisted till this day [3].

Within the next ten years, climate change and every environmental issue related to it were

ranked by the Global Risks Perception Survey from the World Economic Forum as one of the

top five global risks that have a high chance of occurring [3]. Burning fossil fuel has

increased CO2 concentration in the atmosphere by 40% and this leads to more absorption of

the earth’s heat and making the earth warm up more [2][3]. The temperature increase in the

lower part of the atmosphere and cooling in the upper part indicates that natural causes do not

explain the temperature increase in the atmosphere. This means that it was caused by humans.

Humans have contributed to increasing greenhouse gases (GHG) levels by a huge amount

especially between 2010 and 2017 [2], these gases include CO2, Methane CH4, N2O, and

Halocarbons. Actions like growing livestock, filling landfills, and growing paddy rice have

led to an increase in methane levels, while refrigerants and fire retardants contain
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) which are not only potent GHGs but also damage the ozone

layer [2]. This shows that the environment is not only affected by the big factories that burn

fossil fuel in huge amounts and use dangerous chemicals and substances, but it is extended to

the end-user and household consumption.

To add on, household consumption has a huge influence on energy use and emissions and

holds a high mitigation potential. Low carbon alternatives like dietary changes, energy use

reduction, and transport model shifts possess a great mitigation potential [1][2]. The domain

that holds the greatest potential for mitigation is the transport domain, which is also

accompanied by the high carbon footprint in most parts of the world especially in car and air

travel [1][2]. Therefore, to decrease transportation’s carbon footprint we must make a shift in

transportation by switching to an electric car or living car-free. Diet change and decreasing

food waste also have a good mitigation level. Shifting to lower carbon meat like chicken or

by adopting a more vegan diet will be accompanied by a sizeable reduction in carbon

footprint [2][3].

Governments have a big role in mitigating climate change by introducing laws and strategies

to help and protect the environment. Governments can support local producers who can

employ sustainable practices, benefit communities nearby, and care about land restoration.

This will lead to crops and animals becoming more resilient to changes in the climate.

Governments can promote green energy use as 35% of global emissions are from energy

production. Other alternative efficient green sources include small wind, geothermal, and

solar power. Combating Short-lived pollutants like black carbon (soot) and effectively

controlling their emissions through policies and regulations can accelerate the mitigation

process in the short term, as they contribute to emissions that cause global warming by 30% –

45%. Combating them will have a benefit to human health as humans directly breathe these

pollutants [1][2]. Governments should also restore and protect ecosystems like rivers, forests,
and mangroves, as they absorb very large amounts of carbon and slow the warming process.

Mangroves are also considered a barrier against tropical storms [1].

Climate change is a big problem that is facing the earth as a whole and not only certain parts.

This change has both natural and anthropogenic sources. All people are responsible for

mitigating this change so that humans can maintain a healthy life. Governments,

communities, and households should adopt new behaviors and strategies that can reverse this

change, with solutions that can be implemented to save and protect the environment from

deterioration due to climate change.

References: -

Works Cited - Easybib.com

1. Yaniz, Laura. “5 Ways Our Governments Can Confront Climate Change.”

Interamerican Association for Environmental Defense (AIDA), 3 Jan. 2019.
2. Ivanova, Diana, et al. Quantifying the Potential for Climate Change Mitigation of ...
IOP Publishing Ltd, 20 Aug. 2020.
3. McNutt, Marcia, and Venki Ramakrishnan. “Royal Society and U.S. National
Academy of Sciences Release Joint Publication on Climate Change: Royal Society.”
Royal Society and U.S. National Academy of Sciences Release Joint Publication on
Climate Change | Royal Society, National Academy of Sciences, 19 May 2020.
4. Tan, K. (2015). Individual duties of climate justice under non-ideal conditions. In J.
Moss (Ed.), Climate Change and Justice (pp. 129-147). Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press. doi:10.1017/CBO9781316145340.008