Most people believe that scientists are uncertain whether climate change is caused by human behaviour. This couldn’t be further from the truth.
We don’t have time to learn about every single important issue that affects our daily lives. While we might like to know exactly how the food we eat affects our body, how the laws being passed will affect our society, or how human action is affecting climate change, finding the right answers takes a huge amount of careful research. That’s why it is a sensible idea to trust the opinions of experts who have spent their lives devoted to finding the correct answers.
So what do climate scientists think about climate change?
According to a recent study, 97% of climate scientists agree that climate change is real and caused by human action. That number was reached by an analysis of 12,000 peer reviewed papers. These papers represent an overwhelming body of evidence that tells us that our use of fossil fuels, such as coal, oil and gas, are affecting our planet in a way that will have serious repercussions for life as we know it.
What are the consequences of global warming?
The consequences of climate change have already been measured by NASA. They report a loss of sea ice, accelerated sea level rise and longer, more intense heat waves. These factors are influencing the way that people are able to live and farm worldwide. But the predicted consequences of climate change have more serious ramifications because scientists are sure that temperatures will continue to rise for the foreseeable future. The most serious of these are the destruction of coastal cities due to rising sea levels and elevated risks of famine due to crop failure.
What can we do in Essex to help prevent climate change?
You might be surprised by the amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that are emitted by relatively small areas, such as Essex’s own Chelmsford. An average person in Chelmsford has a carbon footprint of roughly 13.36 to 15.51 tonnes of carbon dioxide. To put that into perspective, that’s the equivalent of filling 36 million balloons with carbon per person. Fortunately, there are steps that we can easily take to reduce our carbon footprint.
In order to reduce our carbon footprint to a safe level, we need to move towards a power supply that is made up mainly or entirely of renewable energy technology. Renewable energy technologies, such as solar panels, ground source heat pumps and air source heat pumps, are more reliable, more affordable and more effective than ever before. The more widespread use of solar panels in Essex alone would lead to a reduction of thousands of tonnes of carbon in the atmosphere. By adopting renewable energy technologies, we can all reduce our carbon footprints to a level that is safe for ourselves, our children and our planet.