Confronting global challenges on Earth Day
World leaders are coming together this Earth Day to commit to urgent action on climate change at the Leaders Climate Summit.
What is Earth Day?
Earth Day is an annual event on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First held on April 22, 1970, it now includes a wide range of events coordinated globally by EARTHDAY.ORG including 1 billion people in more than 193 countries.
Virtual Climate Summit
Today, some of the world’s most powerful countries will gather at President Joe Biden’s two-day virtual Climate Summit.
More than two dozen world leaders are set to speak Thursday, on Earth Day, at the virtual global summit on climate change organised by U.S. President Joe Biden.
Among those planning to give their views are United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, Chinese President Xi Jinping, President Vladimir Putin of Russia, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Xi will deliver an “important speech” at the conference, according to Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying.
Xi’s views could weigh heavily on future global efforts to control climate change since China remains the world’s largest greenhouse polluter, with 28% of the world’s emissions, more than twice the second-worst polluter, the United States.
Recent global warming is caused by humans, not natural events!
Over the last 100 years, average temperatures of the planet have risen alarmingly fast. Climate scientists have all agreed that human-caused greenhouse gases are the main cause of this rapid rate of warming.
Too much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is harmful to the earth’s plants. CO2 emissions from human activities cause the climate to change, intensifying heatwaves, floods and droughts. These factors all disrupt the water supply and other conditions that foster healthy plant growth.
We’ve all seen news coverage of intense wildfires in America and Australia and these are solely driven by the changing climate.
Simple everyday actions you can take
Governments, companies and individuals should all take steps to reduce emissions and their carbon footprint. Here are some very simple ways in which YOU can help.
Choose to reuse
Plastics are made from fossil fuels and over 5 trillion pieces float in the ocean!
Drive less & walk more
Motorised transport creates 23% of carbon emissions. If you’re commuting back into the office, could you cycle or take public transport instead? Cycling or walking will cut green house gases and improve your health at the same time!
Eat more greens
Did you know that livestock creates 14.5% of greenhouse gas emissions? If we all ate less meat we could help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Buy local
Local food doesn’t travel as far, therefore you’re reducing your carbon footprint and supporting a local business at the same time.
Buy clothes that last longer
Did you know the fashion industry creates over 8% of greenhouse gases and contributes massively to landfill? Instead of sending your clothes to landfill, you could look at selling your clothes on sites like vinted and Rebelle.
Turn off lights when they’re not in use
Did you know that lights create 15% of power consumption and 5% of greenhouse gases?
Unplug appliances
Unplug your computers, TV’s and household appliances. Did you know that households consume a whopping 30% of worldwide energy?
Volunteer
For cleanups on the streets and beaches.
Water consumption
Pay attention to how much water you are using
Solid waste
Reduce the amount of solid waste you produce by composting – great if you are growing your own fruit and veg!
Plant a tree
They are extremely important for providing oxygen, homes and resources to animals and humans.
What will you do to make a difference?
About Thermatic Energy Services
We work with end-user clients to help them achieve their energy management targets. Our support ranges from Install, monitoring and compliance to procurement. Our main focus is giving our customers visibility to their systems and data to allow them to make actionable decisions to reduce their energy consumption, improve their building operation and achieve their sustainability targets.
