Monday 8 January 2018

So Long, Farewell.

January 08, 2018 CDR , climate change 2 Comments

Word map of words used frequently throughout my posts (Word Clouds).


Over the past months, we have explored the viability of geoengineering techniques that are receiving traction, from stratospheric aerosols to CCS. Throughout the blog, my standpoint for SRM and CDR has developed. From yes! SRM could work. To no, it tackles the disease not the cause. To CDR is better and BECCS is going to save us! to I don't really think it can... Overall, I'm feeling conflicted. I want there to be a solution but instead, this has highlighted that there is no 'silver bullet', inevitably climate change and geoengineering will force us to deploy a utilitarian view on the issue. And the moral debates ensue further.

Unfortunately, it has been impossible to cover all the techniques listed in the initial second and third posts and I have not been able to dedicate a post to moral debates, but this article explores this. I can now understand why it is difficult to reach global agreements and set genuine targets, and many considerations must be made. 

Finally, lay-persons should not feel disconnected from climate change discussions, though easy to do so. By adopting an active approach to this issue, we could collectively make a huge impact on GHG emissions and aid in meeting targets. By making a small change in your lifestyle.

Geoengineering should not be viewed as a last-ditch attempt to addressing climate change, an aggressive reduction in GHG emissions should be "Plan A", and failing to do so may leave us with no "Plan B". All geoengineering techniques are unproven to work in real-life. But, if they can be used responsibly with moral decisions considered, perhaps we can  engineer our own climate and Friedrich Nietzche will be correct:

"The time is coming when the struggle for dominion over the earth will be carried on. It will be carried on in the name of fundamental philosophical doctrines"

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Farewell for now. I have enjoyed this experience and hope you've learnt something new. Check out the other blogs on the sidebar to learn more about your changing environment.
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Sunday 7 January 2018

A World Gone Plastic

January 07, 2018 0 Comments


Undoubtedly, climate change is one of the greatest issues facing humanity, however, this is not our only concern as shown by the nine planetary boundaries developed in 2015. Arguably climate change is something we can't solve in our lifetime. But we can address novel entities like marine plastics - a concept yet to be defined.



Marine plastics is increasingly publicised throughout social media and the news, YouTube has over 42,800 videos. The key implications of marine plastics are listed below and expanded by the IUCN:
  1. The marine environment 
  2. Food and health
  3. Climate change 
  4. Tourism

For an in-depth look at marine plastics, check out this blog and short videos below.




Before the New Year, the UNEP proposed a resolution on marine plastics and microplastics, marking a significant and genuine attempt in addressing marine litter. It builds on the voluntary #CleanSeas campaign of February 2017, which has since gained pledges from 40 countries. However, there are alarming parallels to climate change resolutions which to this day are not binding and progress is slow. a

Let's hope to eradicate marine litter by 2025!

Here are 9 ways YOU CAN reduce plastic use.

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Saturday 6 January 2018

YOU CAN Tackle Climate Change

January 06, 2018 climate change , solution 2 Comments
In a world where Donald Trump has continuously disregarded climate change, and coal consumption is once again #1. It is easy to feel downhearted. But, it's not all doom and gloom!  YOU CAN tackle climate change by reducing your carbon footprint.

1. Walk, Bike or use Public Transport

In 2016, the transport sector in the UK accounted for 32% of the nation's total GHG emissions. Opting for active transport like walking, cycling or using a scooter can not only drastically reduce your own carbon footprint but also save money, It's a win, win, win!

If this isn't possible using public transport can significantly reduce emissions. It is estimated that if passenger and mileage on railways were doubled, this could reduce UK transport emissions by 9%.

2. Switch Off

We are all guilty of not doing this, though the average UK household's footprint has reduced significantly, an extra 3.6 tonnes reduction from 8.1 tonnes by 2030 will ensure we reach our 80% nationwide emission target by 2050 necessary for addressing climate change.

You can help meet this by switching off your lights and devices, 4 light bulbs switched off every night can save the same amount of CO2 produced by 20 car trips from London-Paris.

3. Eat Less Meat


Here's some food for thought: livestock farming produces 20-50% of all human-induced GHG emissions, this doesn't even account for the GHGs produced for feeding, processing and transporting meat around the world.

By eating less red meat like beef and lamb you can reduce your footprint by a quarter, good for the environment, animals and your health!

4. Consume Locally Sourced Products



Cut your footprint by up to 7% by eating locally, seasonally produced food and products, as supposed to imported food! Reduce your food miles, energy used for packaging and eat your way to a smaller carbon footprint!

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It's important to remember that climate change is a contextual issue. It requires a multi-stakeholder approach that means we, as individuals have a responsibility and a role in ensuring we meet our climate goals, we cannot rest on our morals and assume that governments, agreements and technology can solve this issue alone. 

For more ways on how you can reduce your carbon footprint, check this article out!
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