Saving planet Earth
Atmosphere is what allows life on Earth, it’s a layer of gases surrounding the planet that is retained by the planet’s gravity. Carbon dioxide is the most significant long-lived gas in our atmosphere which is responsible for life on Earth. Without carbon dioxide the light from the sun falling on earth would simply bounce back into space, while the presence of carbon dioxide absorbs the light from sun and allow heating the planet for life to exist. From the dawn of Industrial Revolution (use of fossil fuels and deforestation), we have rapidly increased the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere; leading to global warming. It’s threatening to push the planet past a tipping point beyond which climate change would be difficult to stop and It’s suicidal to think that we can do nothing and continue like that for centuries.
Understanding the problem
As mathematics teaches us, the first step towards a solution is to define the problem(s).
If we think about ecological breakdown; there are two problems: 1. Climate change and 2. the accelerated destruction of biodiversity. Human-induced climate change includes both global warming and the resulting large-scale shifts in weather patterns. While the most dreadful outcome of global warming is still awaited, ruination of the environment is already affecting our food, water and air.
The world we are creating
Our world is getting hotter. Over the next two decades projections tell us that temperature in some areas of the globe will rise even higher, the future will remain uncertain for a lot of people (and by that, I mean you, me and our families). Everyone is extremely vulnerable. Rise in sea levels due to melting of the ice sheets, permafrost spewing greenhouse gases, wildfires, mudslides, floods and severe tornados are making our lives miserable.
While everyone is debating carbon neutrality, we are accelerating the destruction of what enables us to live.
- We are destroying the soils with our non-biodegradable waste and shameless use of fetilizers
- We are buying stuff with a lot of useless packaging
- We are buying gadgets (manufactured in distant places of the world, transported and delivered to our doorsteps) which are replaced every 2-3 years with new gadgets
- We are buying new cars with bigger infotainment systems and improved visual aesthetics
The future we choose
While I’m not going to pretend to know how to solve these problems, here’s what I consider are few good ideas to improve the quality of human life for centuries to come.
- Eliminating waste
- The primary step to reduce waste is repairability. We must buy stuff for life, from companies that embrace repairability. Things break, which is normal but we or a trained technician should be able to repair it.
- Reject new technology like Next-gen gaming consoles, mobile devices with 5G support and other single purpose gadgets. Sure, 5G allows you to stream in 4k but does it really matter on a 6-inch form factor?
- Don’t buy gadgets that are used less than a few times in a year. Only buy multi purpose stuff.
- Fix stuff around you.
- Eliminating pollution
- Don’t own a car, use a bicycle or public transport.
- Reduce transportation by adopting remote work and planning less holidays to the other side of the planet. Keep in mind transportation is not only your personal transportation, it’s also the transportation of everything you use and eat: Food, gadgets, materials, appliances.
- Live rural, buy local. Start a mostly vegetarian diet.
At this point we have a responsibility to do what is necessary, and for most of us that will involve some deliberate reprogramming of our minds.
Interesting projects
- The Framework Laptop; fixing the consumer elctronics industry by desiging products to last.
- Open Source Ecology; focused on building an efficient economy while sharing and innovating by open collaboration.