Canada: 1a - My Virtual Profile

Environment   Sep 20, 2017 by Sahaj Kinshuk

What is climate change?

Climate is the general long term weather patterns of an area. Climate change is the trend since the industrial revolution of extreme weather shifts due to human influence on the environment, such as Greenhouse gas emissions. These changes in weather patterns, even very small ones, can damage ecosystems, causing some species to go lose their habitats, or even go extinct. The extreme effects of climate change are clear through events like hurricanes, in which average increase in air temperature allows more moisture to be held in the atmosphere, resulting in greater risk of extreme weather and natural disasters. There is a common misconception that climate change only refers to the warming of the climate, however climate change is not limited to global warming, it can also create harsher winter weather. 

How does it affect me?

I see the impact of climate change every day in my life, most visibly with the hurricanes and flooding in Texas, where some of my family lives. Living in Canada, I can also feel the effects of weather change, as winter begins earlier every year, and summer becomes hotter. This year we had our first snow on September 19, which is very early, and signifies that winter may last around 5 months. Other ways its affects me are the products (such as produce, natural resources, and processed goods) which are available to me, which I could access to if climate change makes the areas in which they are grown or manufactured suffer a drought. On the internet I see articles about how people around the world are being affected by climate change, to the degree that their livelihood is in danger, such as a farmer receiving no water for a season or homes being destroyed by natural disasters. The influence of climate change on the lives of others drives me to learn about what I can do as an individual to lessen the impact of climate change, like joining the Global Connect classroom. There is an obligation to not squander what we have and make future generations suffer for our mistakes.

What is my vision for a sustainable future?

My vision for a sustainable future is a world in which only renewable forms of energy are used, where there has been a complete transition from fossil fuels to solar, wind, geothermal etc. People who work in those job sectors would be transitioned to renewable energy sectors, and education is only available for work in the new forms. All businesses would use practices which minimize their ecological footprint. Waste is minimal, for example disposable plates would be made from recycled paper and biodegradable. The shift from fossil fuels has stopped the exploitation of workers in mines, especially in countries with few labor laws protecting the workers. Communities work together to ensure maximum efficiency of production and equal distribution of manufactured goods. There would be less disparity of wealth as environmentally and socially detrimental practices which would make very few extremely wealthy have been eliminated. This is unrealistic to achieve in any reasonable amount of time, however it provides an ideal to work towards. While having all businesses use sustainable practices is certainly impossible, we could take steps towards this future through actions such as the promotion of sustainable business practices, specifically within business schools which the business leaders of the future, especially business schools funded by the public. 

What am I planning to do to make this vision a reality?

I plan to promote sustainable practices, as well as the use of renewable sources of energy, such as solar or wind. One way I could do this would be to start a solar panel business, because as supply of solar panels increases, cost would go down resulting in more purchases. I could gather support in my community so that my local politician would vote for bills that are pro-environment. I could develop a product made out of recycled materials, giving old materials that would be wasted a new life.

What impact has colonization had on our journey to a sustainable planet?

Colonization is the process of taking over an area and seizing control of the indigenous people that live there. The goal of many of the entities who decided to colonize was to exploit the natural resources of the regions they were invading for monetary gain, therefore colonization has become an icon of environmental destruction. Global cooperation is necessary in order for a sustainable planet to be attained. The attitudes created by colonization impede the progress towards this goal by alienating indigenous peoples of colonies and glorifying pursuit of self-interest at the cost of others’ well-being. Moving forward, effective communication must be established between all the parties affected by colonization so that the social, economic, and environmental issues can ultimately be addressed, thus becoming the preparations for a cooperative, sustainable world.

‘France launches vast solar panel array’

A major player in the world shows initiative in renewable energy, and the background of the picture captures what would be preserved.

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