Global warming is the gradual increase of the Earth’s temperature and it has disastrous impacts on the land we live on, the air we breathe, and the water we drink. In the upcoming decades, the effects of global warming will first be disastrous for the West of the United States and Great Lakes region, but will quickly spread to the rest of the country. The same can be said for the whole globe: global warming’s effects will start in the west and gradually move east. This issue is largely the result of humans’ overconsumption and energy use, which is commonly referred to as our societal “footprint.” The main question most people have about global warming is how can we as a society reduce our footprint? Unfortunately capitalism, the economic model used by most “modern” societies, inherently encourages a high societal footprint.
One example of how capitalism has impacted our globe, and thus has indirectly brought about global warming, is the consumerism which the capitalist structure encourages. Consumerism is the enjoyment of spending and purchasing materialistic items in a highly concentrated course. For example, the buying of clothing from unethical brands often occurs in highly concentrated amounts (like a $200 Shein haul) and causes a great deal of waste and pollution. Additionally, throwing out clothing, materials (shoes, bags, and other related items) leads to huge amounts of fashion waste which isn’t always easily biodegradable. Shopping from second-hand stories, thrifting, or heavily researching brands all pose a solution to this shopping problem.
Another thing that we could do to mitigate our harmful impact on the environment is to reduce plastic. Plastic is the most found item in the oceans, which is extremely harmful to the species that live around or in the ocean. For example, plastic rings from soda cans can get caught in the wings of a bird or a turtle can get its head stuck in one of them. These animals need our help, and by reducing our plastic we can help them. Simple things such as getting your own reusable mask, water bottle, and straw can help these animals out tremendously, and would be less of an environmental burden.
Unfortunately, the effects of global warming will be felt in the future decades coming up, and it is nowhere near reversible. Luckily, that doesn't mean we still can't make the land and space around us cleaner, healthier, and more environmentally sound.
Image source: https://gimms.org.uk/2020/01/25/walk-the-talk/
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