Help Mother Earth to stay well
Imust confess that until recently I have been lukewarm on climate change but a recent return visit to South Georgia and Antarctica this month changed all that.
To see majestic grinding glaciers receding faster than my hairline over the past two years is frightening. What filled me with awe two years ago now fills me with dread about the wellbeing of our beloved planet.
Less sea ice and phytoplankton means less krill (these tiny crustaceans are the staple diet of penguins and whales), which means less food in the chain. Sea temperatures have increased 3 degrees Celsius in Antarctic waters over the past 50 years. My travel plans in New Zealand were disrupted this week because of another cyclone and many Kiwis’ homes were threatened by raging seas and monster waves. It’s hard not to correlate the shrinking glaciers with the fury of nature that impacts on our own wellbeing.
So, if that’s the bad news is there any good news? From where I sit, many young people take climate change more seriously than their elders.
They realise its effect on their wellbeing, its impact on the creatures that we share the planet with and how it will affect the wellbeing of future generations. They have a social conscience, like my children who know that eating certain varieties of canned tuna is forbidden and quiz restaurants on how the fish on their menus was caught.
The good news is that it is now easier to offset your carbon footprint. The steps to achieve neutral climate change are simple. Measure your footprint, try to reduce emissions and offset those that can’t, such as air travel. Pay to be carbon neutral if your airline gives you a website option.
It has been estimated having a child increases your carbon footprint alone six-fold. So that’s a lot of offsetting. No wonder my kids feel a bit guilty and try hard to teach an old dog new tricks, bless!
Eating organic food reduces your carbon footprint as pesticides often begin as byproducts of oil and gas. Eating more plants helps, as plants require less energy to produce and are good for your wellbeing.
Using alternative renewable energy systems like solar and wind also makes a significant difference when reducing your consumption, and the generation of harmful greenhouse gases that fuel the climate change fire at an exponential rate.
Walking, biking, hiking to work, each small step is a giant step for future generations and your own wellbeing. Reusing, recycling and opening windows rather than turning on the air-con reduces your footprint. To measure your carbon footprint go to climateneutralnow.org
Two years ago, my daughter and I sat at the foot of a mighty glacier where polar explorer Ernest Shackleton stood, spellbound. Two weeks ago, I sat at that same glacier with my son and couldn’t believe the change. Unless you do something now for the wellbeing of the planet, the scenes on TV of rising seas will only get worse. ● Dr Tom Mulholland is an Emergency Department doctor and GP with more than 25 years’ experience in New Zealand. He’s currently on a mission, tackling health missions around the world.