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In previous articles, we talked about how <a href="https://contest.diproinduca.com/blog/cows-can-heat-the-world?redirect_to=%2Fblog%3Flimit%3D9%26offset%3D9%23cows-can-heat-the-world">"cows can heat the world,"</a> creating climate change via the greenhouse effect.In this article, we want to focus on solutions to the climate change problem.&nbsp;The United Nations Sustainability Goal 13, Climate Change - target 13.2 focuses on integrating climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning. This might sound easier said than done, and it may be a very lengthy process. However, it's all looking very promising. As of March 31st, 2021, 125 developing countries have developed national adaptation plans to ensure environmental conservation. Moreover, according to the UN figures, 6 least developed countries have also completed a national adaptation plan.&nbsp;These are all steps in the right direction.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h1>What Does This Mean?&nbsp;</h1>Imagine you didn't have any rules to follow at home or school. It would be chaos, and everyone would do whatever they wanted. Dirty laundry on the floor? Messy rooms, pizza on the counter. Sure, it would be cool at first to do whatever you want without any rules, but eventually, you will run out of clean clothes, food to eat, and places to sleep.&nbsp;And then what?The same happens with our natural resources and the environment. If we all take and use as we wish without adhering to any rules or taking precautions, we would soon run out of resources. Therefore all nations must plan actions now before it's too late.&nbsp;According to scientists, global emissions should be cut to 45% below 2010 levels by 2030 to <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/2021/08/09/ar6-wg1-20210809-pr/">limit global warming to 1.5°C</a> above pre-industrial levels. The key to making this happen is in working together. All nations have to participate, or at least most governments must commit to making adaptations to prevent or decrease global warming and carbon footprint.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h1>National Sustainable Development Strategies (NSDS)</h1>The concept of the National Sustainable Development Strategies (NSDS) was proposed in 1992 in Agenda 21. Here, countries were called upon to integrate economic, social, and environmental objectives into one strategically focused blueprint for action at the national level.&nbsp;However, the trick is that not all nations are made the same. Each country has its own political, historical, cultural, and ecological circumstances. Therefore, by the early 2000's only about 85 countries had developed some form of national strategies, and the nature and effectiveness of each plan varied considerably from country to country. So it was determined that every country needs to determine how best to approach the preparation and implementation of its national sustainable development strategy depending on their circumstances.&nbsp;For this reason, we now have the <a href="https://www.globalgoals.org/">UN Sustainability Goals 17 SDGs</a>.&nbsp; &nbsp;<h1>Earth Overshoot Day</h1>In 2021, Earth Overshoot Day (EOD) took place on July 29th. This day is calculated annually as a date on the calendar in which humanity's resource consumption for the year exceeds Earth's capacity to regenerate those resources that year. In other words, on July 29th, 2021, we had already used all the natural resources we had for the year 2021. So we are now 'borrowing' from 2022.&nbsp;EOD is calculated by dividing the world's biocapacity (the amount of natural resources generated by Earth that year), by the world ecological footprint (humanity's consumption of Earth's natural resources for that year), and multiplying by 365 (366 in leap years), the number of days in a year.&nbsp;Earth Overshoot Day has faced criticism for not considering water and land mismanagement (like soil erosion numbers) and relying heavily on carbon dioxide data. However, EOD can undoubtedly serve as a reminder of our impact on the environment.&nbsp;We are consuming faster than Earth can produce, and we do not have a planet B. So our actions today will impact tomorrow.&nbsp; &nbsp;<h1>What Can You Do to Help?</h1>It is not all doom and gloom. YOU are the generation of tomorrow, and therefore <a href="https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/takeaction/">every little action today can help.&nbsp;</a><ul><li>Motivate your family and friends to recycle at home, office, and school&nbsp;</li><li>Write a letter to your local council asking about environmental policies in the area. Get involved!&nbsp;</li><li>Start a group, online or at home/school to educate people about the impacts of their everyday actions and their carbon footprint.&nbsp;</li><li>Eat less meat, even if for only one day a week! Find new plant-based recipes to try with friends and family.&nbsp;</li><li>Opt for natural ornaments, Christmas trees, birthday presents, etc., over plastic ones.&nbsp;</li><li>Visit your local library or exchange books with friends and family rather than buying new books.&nbsp;</li><li>Learn about environmentally friendly local businesses.&nbsp;</li></ul>Education and collaboration are the keys to sustainability both at a local and a national level.&nbsp;

We are consuming faster than Earth can produce, and we do not have a planet B. So our actions today will impact tomorrow.

Let's Build Sustainable Societies 

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<h2>Thinking Cap On</h2>What kinds of sustainable ideas, rules, or policies do you think you can implement at home or school? Can you draft a short-term and a long-term plan to make your house and school a greener place? Think about recycling policies, reusing resources, and ways in which you can help people save time, energy, or money.&nbsp;Discuss with your classroom or family. What changes can you start straight away?&nbsp;

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Sustainable Development Goal 13 is about climate action. But what does climate action mean, and why do we need to act now? Climate action refers to all the efforts, ideas and initiatives to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen resilience against climate-related emergencies. Climate action is born from the realization that climate is changing, and its changes are creating side effects worldwide.&nbsp;It is almost like the Earth is not feeling very well - with a high temperature - and it is asking us to look after her.&nbsp;Are you ready to step up?&nbsp;&nbsp;<h1>How Do We Know the Climate is Changing?&nbsp;</h1>Climate change refers to a long-term systematic change in the temperature of the Earth. Climate change affects every country in the world regardless of continent or location, making it a global problem rather than an isolated occurrence.&nbsp;Weather patterns are changing, sea levels are rising, and weather events are becoming more extreme. This brings us to Global Warming.&nbsp;Global Warming is the long-term heating of Earth's climate system (recorded from around 1850 to now). It is caused by human activities, such as fossil fuel burning, oil and coal, which emit greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere - primarily carbon dioxide. Other human activities, like agriculture and deforestation, can also contribute to the proliferation of greenhouse gases that cause climate change.&nbsp;<h1>The Greenhouse Effect</h1>The greenhouse effect is a naturally occurring process in which the Earth's surface gets warmed up by the sun. As the sun reaches the Earth's atmosphere, some of its energy is reflected back into space, and some of its energy is absorbed and re-radiated by greenhouse gases.However, human activities – mainly burning fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas, and agricultural processes (producing methane), increase greenhouse gas concentrations. These are the number one culprit of the enhanced greenhouse effect, which is contributing to Global Warming.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h1>Extreme Gasses&nbsp;</h1>Did you know cattle produce methane? Yes, the cows down the farm produce a high concentration of methane just by digesting its food. But not all cows produce the same amounts of gas. Just like humans, what they eat has a significant impact on how they process food. What cows eat have a huge effect on the amount of methane they produce. Digesting certain types of food produces more methane than digesting other foods. For example, digesting hay and grass produces more methane than digesting corn. Scientists are now studying alternatives to cow feed, searching for feeding alternatives because methane gas emissions from livestock are among the most significant contributors to global warming.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h1>Fighting Climate Change, The Paris Agreement</h1>The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change adopted in December 2015 by 196 parties at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference.&nbsp;The agreement focuses on strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change. The agreement also seeks to improve the ability of countries to deal with the impacts of climate change through appropriate financial flows, a new technology framework and an enhanced capacity-building framework.According to the Paris Agreement research panel, current concentrations levels (and ongoing emissions) of greenhouse gases indicate that by the end of this century, the increase in global temperature will exceed 1.5°C. This means the oceans will warm even more, and ice melt will continue to happen. The average sea-level rise is predicted as 24 – 30cm by 2065 and 40-63cm by 2100.Although this might sound scary, we can continue to find ways to prevent or reduce the impact we have on the environment by making small changes every day.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h1>Tips to Implement Climate Action at Home</h1><ul><li>Avoid wasting water; make sure you close the water tap when you brush your teeth or wash the dishes.&nbsp;</li><li>Pull the plugs at night or when you are not using your computer, microwave, blender.&nbsp;</li><li>Opt for walking or biking rather than riding the car, when possible.</li><li>Avoid wasting food. Make sure you eat all your food, freeze for later or compost scraps.&nbsp;</li><li>Can you go vegetarian for a day? Meatless Mondays are a great way to reduce meat consumption.&nbsp;</li><li>Remember to turn the lights off and, if possible, ask your parents to switch to LED bulbs. LED bulbs use 90% less energy than halogen &amp; last up to 50x longer than incandescent bulbs.&nbsp;</li></ul>

Climate action refers to all the efforts, ideas and initiatives to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen resilience against climate-related emergencies. Climate action is born from the realization that climate is changing, and its changes are creating side effects worldwide.

Cows Can Heat the World  

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Thinking Cap On:According to NASA, Carbon dioxide causes about 20 percent of Earth's greenhouse effect. Carbon dioxide production happens in two ways: naturally by decomposition of biological matter, ocean release and even mammal breathing. However, other activities such as deforestation and burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas) also contribute to carbon dioxide emissions.&nbsp;How can you reduce carbon dioxide emissions in your local community? Can you create a plan of action to get the community involved? Can you make any changes at home and school?&nbsp;