How To Mitigate the Damages of Climate Change

The earth is our home. It is the only planet in the universe that can sustain life. We should feel privileged to be living in this world because it can provide the natural sustenance that we need. However, as time goes by, the consequences of man's industrial activities are dramatically felt. One of which is climate change.

Our world's climate is affected by many factors including solar energy and greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The greenhouse gases that are by-products of most products that we use at home eventually become concentrated in the atmosphere and do not allow heat to pass through. The result of this is global warming. Global warming, meanwhile, contributes to the increased melting of our Arctic and Antarctic ice caps. When the ice in the polar caps melts too fast, sea levels rise and cover coastal land masses. This is the reason why we have greater floods than before. More animals and plants become extinct and the food cycle is destroyed. Humans will experience hunger when this happens.

We are fortunate somehow that more and more people are becoming aware of the situation. There are more organizations that focus on mitigating the effects of climate change. They lobby for more eco-friendly government measures and gather more people to support their mission.

To mitigate the damages of climate change, these environmental groups recommend the following measures:

1. What you can do. Start sporting a more eco-friendly lifestyle. The use of public transport or carpooling can greatly reduce the use of fuel that emits greenhouse gases. Use products that help you conserve energy at home. Lessen your use of products made of plastic. If this cannot be avoided, make it a point to see that it can be reused or recycled. Encourage your friends, relatives, and neighbors to do the same.
2. What your community can do. Community leaders should also be considerate of conserving energy. They can initiate programs that focus on saving the environment. They may start a small recycling facility for the whole community. They can launch lectures that teach about climate change and its effects. They can teach a new skill that will not only reuse and recycle garbage but also give an extra livelihood to the people.
3. What the industries can do. Industrial facilities are the major contributors of greenhouse gases. For this, they should be able to claim responsibility and start changing their manufacturing processes. They should be able to switch to alternatives that use less fuel and emits less harmful gases.
4. What the government can do. The government should be implementing stricter laws on industries that do not follow environmental regulations. They should also be providing incentives to industries that make an effort to be more eco-friendly like lowering their taxes and charges.

We are already feeling the damages of climate change in the world today. Being informed is just a start, and there will be no benefits if we don't act on it. Mitigating these damages gives us more time to enjoy Mother Earth.