Apart from the plagues that swept across Europe centuries ago there was never a time when so much was at stake. We need to stop the deserts and arid areas from spreading, ensure that the polar ice remains polar ice, that the frequency and ferocity of tropical storms decrease and future generations, especially those in coastal and arid areas, have a future. This issue is, I believe, very urgent. Below are some suggestions that might help us to begin to make a difference.
According to John Fitzgerald (Irish times 17th May, 2019) the fall of the Roman Empire to the Huns came about as a result of climate change between 200 BC and 150 AD and the failure of the Roman Empire to develop sustainability. The Huns were climate change refugees on horseback!
What we can do
Electricity: turn off unnecessary electrical light/equipment. Could we forget the toaster and only iron what the neighbours will see?! It might be possible to cook a dinner for two days at a time and boil only as much water as we need at any one time.
Heat & fossil fuels: In Ireland the temperature of an office (sitting working space) should not be below 17.5C. Something like 20 degrees is regarded as comfortable. For the dedicated eco-friendly person wearing warmer clothes and reducing the temperature a degree or two would reduce the CO2 output.
Cars/travel: Driving at 90km/h rather than 104km/h can improve efficiency and reduce carbon dioxide output by 10 – 15%. We can reduce our carbon footprint by using public transport where feasible, walking more and using trolley-bags instead of cars for local shopping.
Water: harvesting rain water; waiting till the washing machine is full of clothes. Same for dishwashers. Alternatively, stack dishes and wait for a full sink. Using a cup/mug instead of a running tap when washing teeth; having similar approach to washing vegetables, fruit etc.
Hot water: reducing the temperature of the bath/shower; reducing the length and the pressure/volume of the shower (by partially turning off the tap) and similar in the kitchen sink etc. will directly reduce fossil fuel consumption. If we reduce the volume of water we use it will also save energy in the treatment plants.
Clothes/shoes – wear out and/or buy second hand – (where safe/healthy etc.). The production of clothing uses fossil fuels to a greater or lesser degree. Synthetics come largely from the petroleum industries and their production is more damaging to the environment than non-synthetics (cotton, silk, wool, linen). Also the fibres from synthetics are carried to the rivers/seas and have been discovered even in deep sea fish.
Possible actions: bring our own mug when we go for a take-away coffee; avoid buying one-use-plastics including bottles; where possible use containers instead of plastic bags in the freezer; eat less meat/fish and have some bean days; plant a few vegetables in your garden or a tub; reuse one sided printed paper for rough printing/drafts etc.
Saving trees – the most important CO2 reducers on the planet. Used envelopes etc can be cut up to provide paper for the shopping list etc.; paper napkins can be reused to wipe pans and other surfaces in the kitchen. This will reduce the need for chemicals to unblock drains or remove the grease from the pan and sink; get some cotton hankies – they take up very little space in the washing machine; appropriate segregation of waste and recycling clean materials etc. Avoid putting recycling materials in plastic bags in the bins.
Buying: Do we need what we buy or just want it? Being aware of food miles; buying locally produced food; focusing on food without plastic wrapping. Asking managers in food outlets to provide non wrapped vegetables etc. Asking the local supermarket to close in the cold section display area with transparent ‘doors’. This will reduce the electricity required to keep the ‘floor’ of the supermarket warm and the cold section cold.
Plane travel
Independent 11th June, 2019
Air travel is a major producer of CO2. A person travelling from Dublin to London by plane adds 256 Kg. (¼ tonne) of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.
It is expected that 2020 will set a new record in terms of the number of scheduled passengers with over 4.72 billion. (Air travel Statistics published by E. Mazareanu, December 11th, 2019)
Chemicals
The only thing that will save the planet is if the remaining fossil fuels stay in the ground. The petroleum and petrochemical industries are responsible for much of the CO2 in the atmosphere. They are not about to cut back on their produce and will resist it with everything they have got. Governments are largely helpless where big business is concerned because the petroleum and other industries have bigger budgets than many states and few states have done anything significant to date. If we are living an eco-friendly lifestyle we will be able to encourage other citizens to do likewise and call on the government to do its share. It will be up us as individuals to make choices for the environment.
Chemicals are damaging on the double: not only do they produce CO2 and other by products during production, chemicals/medicines taken by mouth or used in the kitchen, bathroom etc eventually end up in the rivers and seas. Filtration systems remove suspended particles from water but not dissolved chemicals. It has been known for decades that shell fish around the coast contain mercury. Mercury is now only one of thousands of the chemicals being flushed into our rivers.
Kitchen: we can use washing soda, bread soda, lemon juice, vinegar and salt as cleaning agents (not at the same time!). Similarly for the bathroom. Salt is a good disinfectant for worktops, chopping boards etc. Believe it or not, some people have found a solution of washing soda quite suitable for washing hair, dishes etc. Do we need/want the up-to-32 chemicals in our shampoos or up-to-42 in face creams?
Garden/farm: There is only a slight difference between the biochemical make up of plant cells and animal cells. Anything that kills a plant could potentially kill an animal/human. If it kills an insect it will kill a human if the dose is relative to our size. There is really no safe amount of weedkiller or pesticide.
The fight with Bayer/Monsanto is a high stakes battle and conclusive proof that weedkiller is toxic/carcinogenic is difficult. Big companies are capable of paying off jurors etc. and those who profit from using their chemicals continue to deny that they are harmful. Many food producers (including Irish) increase their profits by using weedkiller before planting and/or before harvesting.
Pharmaceuticals: Towns have about one pharmacy per thousand people and most are kept busy all day. All chemicals that enter the body eventually end up in the waste water. Effluent treatment/filtration is incapable of removing dissolved chemicals so they eventually end up in the water. While some water supplies come from pristine lakes most come from lakes supplied by rivers into which effluent is flowing from treated sewage. The dissolved chemicals will also be washed into the seas creating a problem there too. Chemicals are likely to be a bigger threat to human life and more damaging to the environment than plastic which is currently getting headlines.
Back in the 1960s the slogan was “the solution to pollution is dilution”. Unfortunately the planet/seas/oceans are too small to take all the pollutants that are being poured/dumped into them. The over-use of antibiotics has caused the appearance of resistant strains of bacteria. What may be the effect of tons of pharmaceuticals pouring into the rivers/lakes from which our homes get their water supply?
Go Green
Plant native trees; plant for biodiversity; bee friendly plants; non-use of weed killers/pesticides; where possible reducing chemical use; retrofitting houses; installing solar panels; harvesting rain water; eventually changing to small electric cars etc would help us move towards becoming carbon neutral. Do we have land /areas where small native woodlands could be created? Trees are now the only significant trap for carbon dioxide. Less concrete/tarmac and more grass also helps. Reduce grass cutting. Trim along the outside of the grass area and perhaps cut a path through it. It will then be obvious that it is not neglect but intentional.
Laudato Si study will raise our sensitivity to the issues and give us the ongoing energy to do everything we can to reverse the present trend.
