"My research at the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Cambridge is about climate change and Earth Sciences. It's a really important issue.
It's crucial that the government, businesses and all of us as individuals do our bit.
Keep up the good work the Akashi project!"
Climate change - so what?
- So what is climate change, really?
- How is it going to affect us?
- That doesn’t sound good!
- What should be done about climate change?
- What’s a carbon footprint?
- What can I do?
So what is climate change, really?
Our planet is covered by a blanket of gases, which creates the conditions needed to sustain life on the earth’s surface. As we burn more and more fossil fuels — such as coal, oil and gas — to provide energy to fuel our lifestyles, we release carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. These gases are causing the blanket to get thicker, trapping heat and causing the long-term changes in temperatures and weather patterns that we now hear of as ‘climate change’.
How is it going to affect us?
We’ve already begun to see some of the effects, in the UK and all over the world. In the UK we have seen an increase in flooding in a number of regions whilst some regions suffered from drought. The month of July 2006 was the hottest on record. Across the world we are witnessing a rise in sea levels as hotter temperatures caused by climate change melt the ice at the ice caps. We are seeing more floods, droughts, storms and other extreme weather events and vast amounts of land (especially in Western Africa) are turning into barren desert. This is just the beginning. All of these effects will accelerate if we continue to produce high levels of greenhouse gases.
"I'm drawing the tornado that recently happened in London on a Akashi project climate change graffitti wall! It's so weird, the weather is changing so fast in front of our eyes!
But there’s so much we can do to try and cut our carbon footprints and to encourage the government to help the whole country cut its carbon dioxide emissions."
That doesn’t sound good!
Exactly. Now most people know a bit about climate change and understand why it is happening. Some of us feel angry that we are doing this to our ecosystems and wildlife species, others feel guilty and some prefer not to think about it or pretend it isn’t happening. Many of us feel helpless about doing anything to make a difference – ‘what can little old me do about such a BIG problem? To answer this, we must first look at what’s being done about climate change across all sections of society.
What’s being done about climate change?
The complexity of the problem and the global and local effects it will have means that the solutions to climate change will have to come from all sections of society.
- Internationally, governments must work together to implement international policies to challenge climate change. The whole world must recognise the huge contribution that rich countries have made to creating the problem of climate change and find solutions which are fair on poorer countries.
- Local and regional authorities are working hard to raise awareness about climate change and put practical measures into action.
- Business, from multinational corporations to local corner shops must play their role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Many are trying to reduce amounts of packaging used and transportation but it may take a huge shift in cultural attitudes (which currently favour cheap, environmentally damaging goods) before others take action.
- Campaigning organisations from the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF), Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth to local environmental groups such as Cambridge Carbon Footprint are raising awareness about climate change and demanding that government, business and all of us as individuals take more action.
- You! Individuals, groups of friends, families, neighbours, colleagues, community groups, faith groups… all of these social groupings have a role to play in reducing carbon emissions. We can choose to make changes to reduce our impact on climate change, or in other words, reducing our carbon footprint. We can also learn from our different cultural and faith backgrounds - climate change isn't just about the technicalities of recycling and energy saving technologies. See our Educational Resources and the stories boxes on this website for inspiration from all over the world.
"I tell my flatmates in my student house to turn the heating down and to not use the tumble drier so much.
It was hard at first cos being 'green' usually isn't really seen as cool, but now that we're hearing so much about climate change in the media, they're taking notice!"
And what’s a carbon footprint?
We all cause the release of carbon dioxide (CO2) as we go about our daily lives – heating the house, driving the car, buying good that have been flown here. This is the main cause of climate change and a real challenge for everyone. A carbon footprint is a measurement of the amount of CO2 an individual is responsible for. Knowing what your footprint is can help you to reduce your personal impact on climate change. The Akashi project and its leading partner organisation Cambridge Carbon Footprint visit community groups and attend community events to help people know and understand their carbon footprint.
The average person living in the UK is responsible for putting 11 tonnes of CO2 in the atmosphere every year. This is compared to only 0.4 tonnes for an average person from Tanzania. Scientists say that we must emit a maximum of 2.5 tonnes each per year to ensure a safe future for humankind on this planet.
If you would like your carbon footprint to be measured, please contact us.What can I do?
Aim to reduce your footprint by a manageable amount each year.
Be informed
- Know your carbon footprint. How many tonnes of carbon dioxide pumped into the atmosphere are you responsible you every year?
- Understand the issues - don’t panic
Communicate
- Talk to your friends and colleagues about the issues
- Ask your employer, councillors, MP what they are doing to help. Keep an eye out for what environmental organisations like Friends of the Earth and WWF are asking the government and big business to do about climate change
Act now!
- Start today. Do the simple things first. It’s important to keep energy saving and the reduction of waste in mind when making every decisions about how to travel, what to buy and around the house.
- Chatting to friends about ideas can come up with lots more tips! For example, did you know that when cooking rice, you can cover the pan once the water boils, turn the heat off and the rice will cook perfectly – saving energy and the hassle of checking it too!
- Be smart when buying new appliances, windows, heating systems, cars, etc.
- For detailed advice, look on our links page or call the Energy Savings Trust FREE on their helpline for a chat with an energy expert: 0800 512012.
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