What can we do for environmental protection?

Why do you talk about protecting the environment in summer?

Because it is too hot.

Sichuan, Chongqing, Hunan, Jiangxi, and Zhejiang are high. European high temperatures have repeatedly hit high. London, UK, has just reached the highest temperature of more than 40 degrees Celsius, and Vesey, Spain is close to the European record of 48 degrees. In Portugal alone, 1063 people died for two consecutive weeks.

Studies on World Climate Bencing Organization stated that human factors have caused the incidence of high -temperature weather at least ten times. Life is dead, species extinction is no longer a big news. A human ending has been in front of us. Everyone knows that environmental protection is important, but it is often (for fear of death, short -sightedness of interests, slackness of cognition and action, and not understanding of things greater than their own scale ...) forget it.

Let us think about this trouble from another angle: relaxing, as an individual, we do not need to solve all environmental problems in one breath. Do what you can do.

Today we have prepared "12 daily matters that everyone can do for environmental protection." If you are anxious about environmental changes, you can practice a sustainable life where you can do it; if you are not ready to protect the environment as a priority, you can also choose one or two things in this list, because right, because right The environment is more friendly and more friendly to you -healthier, more money, more controlled, and more responsible.

1. Don't waste food!

Every day, about one -third of the food will eventually become garbage.

This means that some forests and wetlands have become farmland, and some waters and land have lost their biodiversity, and some marine creatures are polluted by chemical fertilizers. Moreover, the greenhouse gas will be discharged during the process of processing and transportation, and the global warming is intensified. The waste food will only rot in the garbage landfill, producing greenhouse gas such as methane. The global food crisis has become inevitable.

The report released by the World Bank in 2020 "Reduction of Food Losses and Waste: To Resolve Global Issues according to local conditions" said that agriculture is the fourth largest greenhouse gas emissions industry, accounting for 24%of total emissions. If food waste is eliminated, it will reduce the emissions of greenhouse gas by 8%, 19% of fertilizers, 21% freshwater resources, 18% of agricultural land, and 21% of garbage landfill space.

2. Eat less meat and eat more vegetables

Of course, protecting the environment does not mean that you have to become a vegetarian at once. Everyone has their own dietary needs, and we are not in a consumer system that is convenient and friendly to vegetarians. But you can adjust your diet structure in a small, such as replacing beef and mutton with chicken and pork, or simply eating more crops. This may not be considered at the personal level, but it can reduce the consumption of red meat in the large base, or promote the shape of a more environmental and friendly industry.

3. Buy fresh, seasonal, local products

Because: fresh = reduce preservation energy consumption

Season = reduce production energy consumption

Local = reduce transportation energy consumption

According to the statistics of Our World In Data, the top four greenhouse gas emissions industries in the world are: electricity and heating, transportation, manufacturing and construction, and agriculture. From 1990 to 2020, the emissions of the four industries were rising.

Our World in Data Statistics from 1990 to 2019 to various industrial emission greenhouse gas volume (in the same carbon dioxide)

4. Green consumption!

Try to consider the "carbon footprint" of each consumption. Carbon footprint refers to the entire life cycle process directly or indirectly generated by the entire life cycle process from raw acquisition, factory manufacturing, distribution, sales, and use. Essence

Of course, even if many environmental organizations are promoting the carbon footprint of enterprises to label products, most of the specific carbon footprints of consumption are not visible. But don't be discouraged. Cultivating your "carbon intuition" is also a way: for example, the carbon footprint of a McDonald's giant is 2.35 kg carbon dioxide emissions -this is equivalent to 13 kilometers by car. Globalized raw materials and beef meat cakes are the source of its carbon footprint.

5. Take a few planes, if you have to take the economy class as much as possible!

Each person per person of long -distance transportation is carbon footprint ranking:

Short flight (≤ 384 kilometers) -255 grams

Flying halfway -156 grams

Long -distance flight (≥ 3700 kilometers) -150 grams

Bus -105 grams

Train -41 grams

Cruise -19 grams

High -speed train -6 grams

*Calculate based on the British standard transportation tools

If you have to take a plane, try to take an economy class. The research of the World Bank's "Calculating Carbon Footsteps of Different Class of Aviation Travel" pointed out that due to more travel space, the carbon emissions of high -level cabins (including first -class and business class) are three times the economy class. This may push the airline to adjust the proportion of the cabin, or set up a green tax different from the cabin.

6. Take less car and change to public transportation

The carbon footprint ranking of short -distance transportation:

Gasoline light car -243 grams

Ordinary electric vehicle -209 grams dual -people riding gasoline cars -122 grams

Motorcycles -119 grams

Electric train -29 grams

Bus -17 grams

Green Energy Electric Vehicle -0g

Bicycle -0g

Walk -0g

*Calculation based on Australian standard transportation

7. Bring your own cups and tableware to reduce the use of disposable tableware

Three things: save money, environmental protection, and leave a good impression on the pedestrians.

8. Don't buy or use excessive packaging things

The meaning of packaging can be conveyed in other ways.

The packaged packaging can become a storage box, a storage bag ... or a packaging of other people's gifts.

**** 9, **** recycling and repetitive use

Every year, the world's solid garbage generates 2 billion tons.

The classification of garbage does help discern plastic waste in domestic waste, as well as different incineration, landfills, and power generation methods for developing dry and humid waste. If your city has a garbage classification policy, supervision and practice are not a bad thing.

However, for environmental protection, dry and wet garbage is at the end of the recycling chain, respectively. What we should do is to reduce, repetitive, and recycling in this order. When we need to decide the stage of incineration or burial, we have failed too many times.

10. Repair, second -hand, all cool

The coolest things in recent years: use old things.

It is cool to buy and sell second -hand books; buy and sell vintage, super cool; things made of second -hand materials -hand accounts, collages, old clothes canvas bags, especially cool. Those who can repair and replenish it are cooler than those who are broken.

11. Are the air conditioners be so cold / hot?

A vicious cycle: the hotter the earth, the more people turn on the air conditioner, the hotter the earth.

Air conditioning is the most power -consuming home appliance. Together with electric fan, air -conditioning power consumes 10%of all human activities -a horrible number. In addition to power consumption, the air conditioner also leaked hydrofluorized refrigerant during operation, which is generally a mixture of high -intensity greenhouse gases.

Many countries have set a minimum air -conditioning temperature in summer. In most European countries, this number ranges from 25 degrees to 27 degrees. In Spain's new energy -saving policy announced this year, the air conditioners in public places must not be less than 27 degrees. France will punish the shops and air -conditioning shops at the same time. In China, this number is 26 degrees. However, within the scope of civil buildings, how many degrees of air conditioning still depends on personal energy conservation and environmental awareness.

Pay attention to the degree of hot and cold air conditioners may be the most convenient thing for renters. If you live in your own home, you can also check the energy consumption of the air conditioner. When you update, you can consider purchasing a more green energy -saving air conditioner -this is also the direction of international manufacturers under the pressure of public opinion.

12. Establish your own "protected area"

A teacher of Peking University also mentioned a practice that is difficult to think of on weekdays: "One thing that everyone can do is to make this place around you -whether it is a community or the green space of the unit -interested If you turn it into the so -called 'protective community'. We have built a protective community at Peking University. You decided, 'I want to protect this place'.

At Peking University, the teacher with interested students passed the registration of natural protection communities from the bottom up. This natural protection community includes the waters and secondary forests of Weiming Lake District, Spoon Sea, Ximen Yuchi, Minghe Garden, Honghu, Jingchun Garden, Langrun Garden, Yannan Garden and Weixiu Garden outside Ximen. Under the management requirements, some areas will stop cleaning the dead wood and leaves, and no herb or pesticides are not eliminated. She said: "What are the good (natural phenomena) recorded in this place is a list; at the same time, observing its changes, this is a very good citizen scientific record."

The 12 small things listed above have occurred at the individual level.

But if you are willing to discuss these 12 small things with others, or share environmental protection behaviors that more people can do, reality will be more or less changed at a larger level. Don't forget, there are every individual behind the government and enterprises with huge environmental influence.

It is also necessary to remember that the environmental deterioration and environmental protection have the cost, and these costs fall on everyone are uneven -recognize the existence of the price, speak for the environment with compassion, and re -examine the decision in life. We can do the biggest little things in a fragile world ecology.

Summary

The article is transferred from: Action Asia

Edit: Pierre

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