What You Can do About Climate Change in South Africa
As an individual, you may think there’s not much you can do about climate change in South Africa. The impact of climate change on our environment is huge which makes it seem beyond our own control. But take a long hard look at how you’re living your daily life. You may be seriously surprised by what action you can take to contribute to minimising the problem.
Everybody has a responsibility to take care of the natural environment and with so many resources on climate change in South Africa, it’s easy to get educated. That’s how we can all become empowered to do more to benefit the environment. Want to start straight away? Do you want to know what you can do, in your own personal capacity, to affect climate change in this beautiful country? Here are two very simple ways of minimising your personal footprint. Don’t underestimate how big a difference your contribution will make.
Stop Sending to the Landfill
How many of you can say you’re watching how much of your solid waste goes to the landfill site? It’s so easy to toss everything into the bin but have you considered how it’s affecting climate change? One way to minimise your waste going to the landfill is to recycle. Many countries have recycling schemes, so find out what’s been done in your area to recycle plastic, paper, cans and glass. By recycling you’ll become part of the solution. By recycling, you’re sending less to the landfill. Landfill methane gas contributes on a large scale to climate change. If everyone stopped loading landfill sites, man made methane gas would drop. Also, stop throwing out because you think something no longer has a purpose. Find a way to re-use the item or give it to someone who could put it to good use.
Do an Energy Audit at Home
Performing an energy audit at home is a good way of finding out how much electricity you’re using. Right now, as you read this article you’re consuming energy to keep your computer on. And this is being fueled by either coal, water or nuclear (depending on which country you’re in). To keep electricity generation systems operating, natural resources are being used every minute. And these systems are contributing to greenhouse gases being released into the atmosphere. Air pollution is the number one factor affecting climate change. By reducing your electricity consumption at home and at the office, you’ll be placing less demand on natural resources and generation of electricity.
Final Thoughts
Simple actions taken by you and I can go a long way to lessening the effects of climate change in South Africa. While there are numerous environmental organisations doing their bit, you can also make a big difference. By tweaking your own personal lifestyle you’re playing a vital role in combating climate change. While recycling is not something new, knowing why you’re doing it will make you think twice about sending to the landfill. And, an energy audit empowers you to do something about the amount of greenhouse gases being released into the air. Small steps with HUGE outcomes; simple isn’t it?
