If you haven’t
already heard, the Mauna Loa observatory in Hawaii has reported that we have
reached atmospheric carbon dioxide levels of 400 parts per million. So what
does this mean and why is this big news? This milestone that we have reached unfortunately
shows we are moving in the wrong direction. Scientists tell us that we must
reduce the amount of carbon dioxide we have in the atmosphere to below 350
parts per million (ppm) to be in the “safe zone” from the climate crisis. This milestone is
evidence that while we need to be reducing our CO2 emissions, we are actually
increasing emissions. Much of the carbon dioxide that is released into the
environment is from human activity and if we do not reduce our output soon, we will
cause damage to the planet that can last thousands of years. For those
unfamiliar with the Mauna Loa Observatory, atmospheric carbon dioxide readings
have been taken on a daily basis since the mid 1950s and have steadily been
increasing since then. There is a yearly fluctuation in carbon dioxide levels
due to the change in seasons but the overall yearly change has been increasing drastically.
This milestone may seem like a defeat for those fighting to stop climate change, but
it is actually a wake up call to those who have not yet made the decision to
change. In order for 350 ppm to become a reality, the whole world must agree to
change since the majority of the rise in CO2 levels is from burning of fossil
fuels. The last time the concentration of greenhouse gasses including carbon
dioxide reached this mark, many animals were living in the high Arctic and seas
were at least 30 feet higher; today this sea level rise would destroy many coastal
cities.
So what should we do? On an individual
level, there are many things that can be done to reduce carbon emissions. We
can carpool to work, ride bikes and walk to our destinations when we can. We can turn off
electronics and lights, and lower the heat when not in the house. While small
changes on an individual level will make a big difference, we also must make
changes on the national and international level. We must urge our government to
acknowledge climate change, pass laws to reduce fossil fuel emissions and reject the Keystone XL pipeline. On an international level, the Global Power Shift is the new phase of the global climate movement. Climate leaders from around the world will meet in Turkey this June and create a new strategy to tackle climate change and spend the rest of the year using this strategy to take action around the world. The more of us that work together around the world, the more of an impact we can make!
For more information: 350.org, www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/10/atmospheric-co2-concentrations_n_3253757.html, globalpowershift.org/get-involved/
The Unitarian Universalist Association has a Ministry for the Earth, and my own church is actively seeking Green Sanctuary certification through that ministry unitarian
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