The Race Against Climate Change
Who is it hitting hardest, why should we care and what are we doing about it? Sam Bailey, Social Media Consultant at Nash Squared, questions the solutions available via technology to the climate crisis.
If you were in the United Kingdom last week, you would have seen first-hand the true effects of global warming; but how bad is the problem and what are we doing to stop it?
How bad is it?
Research into our global climate crisis is ramping up and consistently ongoing. Sea levels are rising 3mm a year, the fastest growth in 3000 years, heatwaves are now 30% more likely and three trillion tons of ice have melted from Antarctica in the past 25 years.
We know what we are doing, but seem incapable of stopping it.
Like anything, global warming is first hitting the most vulnerable of our population. Hotter summers and colder winters are harshest on the homeless population without proper protection from the elements. What people do not realise is this is a huge subsect of society, and is made up of numerous minority groups.
More than 270,000 people are homeless in the UK right now, with one in 260 of these without any shelter at all. Additionally LGBTQ+ youth are 120% more likely to experience homelessness and almost 1 in 5 of these have experienced homelessness in their lives. Nearly 40% of the homeless population is made up of people of colour, and half of the homeless population live with a disability.
This is just one portion of our society that is becoming increasingly vulnerable due to global warming, and yet they have a small impact on the global crisis and limited power to help fix the issue.
Can we fix it?
There are dozens of factors to account for in attempting to slow down our destruction of the planet, and they must all work in unison to produce real results.
It would take less than 0.2% of the global GDP per year to properly respond to global warming. To put it simply, nations worldwide could do this with ease. But would require a change in public opinion towards more environmentally friendly practices, changes in law, and most importantly a dramatic decrease in greenhouse gas production coming from transport, trade, oil ect.
Does the technology sector have more ability to help us combat the issue?
Recently we welcomed Envision Racing and their partner Genpact to the Tech Talks podcast. Envision competes in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship with Genpact driving their digital transformation.
Formula E has become the trailblazer for sustainable sport. With every part of the car being up to 90% from recycled materials, or recycled after the race and decreasing its carbon emissions every year, Formula E is the only sport to ever be certified net zero since 2020.
Although Formula 1, alongside all motorsport, is working tirelessly to bring down its footprint, Formula E demonstrates that sport can work together in a ‘Race Against Climate Change’.
But emissions are not the only contributor to global warming. Acidity levels in the ocean have gone up 30% since the industrial revolution.
Originating in Denmark, ReSea Project is one of many companies trying to chip away at our pollution problem by cleaning up our oceans in Indonesia on behalf of companies, and tracking plastic to find out where it’s come from. Focus on cleaning up the ocean has become a huge priority as levels rise, recycling becomes more important than ever and animal welfare is increasingly at risk.
What do we need to do?
Initiative and action isn’t only for corporations and charities, the smallest actions can make a huge difference. The most important step is changing public opinion and understanding environmentally friendly practices are no longer optional.
Help in any way you can. Recycle. Reduce water. Eat as sustainably as you can. Do your part to be the change.
How Formula E achieves net zero | FIA Formula E
Homelessness and the Climate Crisis | Climate Reality Project
45 Frightening Global Warming Statistics (2022 UPDATE) (petpedia.co)
