Yes, that one
Remember the scorching heatwave we had in the summer of 2022? The heatwave that marked a milestone in UK climate history? Yes, that one. Whether you were soaking up the rays in your back garden or sweating your booty off at work, I will inform you of the brutal truth as to why this arose and reveal the harsh reality of what will happen to our world.
What happened?
So, in July 2022 in the United Kingdom, we experienced an unprecedented extreme heatwave that reached a record high of 40.3 degrees Celsius in Coningsby (Lincolnshire). It was documented to have reached over 40 degrees Celsius in multiple locations across the UK. Alongside this, we saw exceptionally high average temperatures throughout the summer. But. The UK was not alone in this as we were associated with the prolonged and serious heatwave that ribboned its way across Europe. Where temperatures exceeded 40°C in France, 45°C in Spain and 47°C in Portugal, this shows that it was not an ordinary phenomenon.
Why did it happen?
Climate change made 2022's UK heatwave 'at least 10 times more likely.' Human-caused greenhouse gas emissions made the heatwave at least 4 degrees hotter than it would have been. Obviously, we all know that this stems from the 1800s when the industrial revolution and changes in land use. Many greenhouse gas emitting activities are now essential to the global economy and are a fundamental part of modern-day life where we now demand more than ever before in an economy of overconsumption. So when fossil fuels are burned to produce electricity to heat your home, when that massive farm produced cows to meet your need to keep eating steak every week, every time that prime delivery driver delivers a parcel to your house in their diesel van all added to human-caused greenhouse emissions.
What does the future look like if we carry on?
Now you may think that 4 degrees hotter than it would have been, is not a massive amount however if you think about your body temperature. If your body temperature changed by 40 degrees you would be knocking at death's door. So we need to think of this in terms of our planet. We are killing our planet by inducing this need for all things, that create greenhouse emissions. Now a lot of people think I won't be around for when the world ends but are happy to leave the planet in a terrible way for their grandchildren. If you were cooking in the kitchen, you would clean up after yourself? You wouldn't leave pans and food all over the side for the next person to clean up?
What you can do to change the climate
My top tips for the average Joe:
Respect and protect green spaces - throw away your litter! How simple is that!
Eat less meat and dairy - have one or two days a week you do not eat meat or only eat meat in your dinner, not at lunch or breakfast. Try almond milk. Not everyone in the world needs to be vegetarian or vegan to reduce emissions to a sustainable level. But everyone does need to cut their consumption of meat.
Reduce your energy bills - turn the lights off if you are not in the room.
These simple 3 steps could help YOU change the climate.
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