Climate Change is a controversial topic most of the time. The term Global Warming, often used synonymously with climate change, can bring out a range of strong opinions; is it really happening? Is it a natural phenomenon that happens repeatedly throughout history, or is it a man-made issue? Regardless of where you stand on this, the evidence is there to show that since the Industrial Revolution, the Earth’s temperature has risen immensely compared to patterns throughout history (Met Office, 2015). Whether we have caused climate change or not, there is no denying that we are exacerbating the problem.
It is easy for us here in Scotland, to say that climate change is not a problem, where is the evidence of global warming when we only get one day of summer a year?! However, in the short film Antarctica on the Edge (2017), it is obvious that the effects of climate change are most clearly seen in the more remote biomes of our planet. The Antarctic and southern oceans influence the whole world’s weather systems and ocean currents. This means that we are all affected by the melting ice from the region, whether we want to believe it or not.
When a piece of the Mertz Glacier measuring over 26 square kilometres broke away in 2010, it had massive repercussions. Enabling scientists to explore the large area of the ocean floor now exposed for the first time, they discovered vast holes and caverns in the underwater ice. Referring to the ice as “rotten”, the scientists explain this as the result of warmer ocean currents causing the core of the glacier to melt. The presence of air bubbles seven metres down in the ice show signs of salt water infiltrating the glacier and weakening the ice.
I found the film very informative. Although I was aware that the remains of dead marine creatures contained carbon and were fossilised or ground into tiny particles in the sea bed, I had not made the connection between this and the role nature plays in the removal of carbon in the ocean to beneath the sea floor until I witnessed the brittle starfish immobilise and devour the fish on the ocean floor.
I also increased my knowledge of the role of aerosol particles in the air, and the implications on our water cycle of the air quality. It was interesting to hear how knowledge of how clouds are formed and the variations of this from before the Industrial Revolution can impact climate change, as this was not something I had ever considered. I did however have some concerns about the impact this scientific voyage would have on the environment of the Antarctic, particularly observing the blasé way the ship seemed to crunch through the sea ice. It seemed slightly ironic that they would break the ice up even further, in their quest to prevent the ice breaking up!
Climate Change Scotland Act
In terms of how this has affected my own life, I would say that it has not had much of an effect as I almost feel as if I am one step ahead of the government on this issue. Having been a teenager in Ireland when the plastic bag levy was introduced there in 2002, it quickly became habit to bring your own bag. I incurred strange looks for a few years when producing my own reusable bags in supermarkets in Scotland. However, I have not once paid for a plastic bag since the levy was enforced here, as it was already second nature to me. Similarly, I had been separating my waste for recycling in Ireland, long before it was rolled out in Scotland and so my family were already in the habit of separating waste before municipal refuse was recycled in Scotland.
I was delighted to see that the Scottish Government’s initial interim target of reducing CO2 emissions by 42% of the 1990 baseline by 2020 was exceeded six years early in 2014 (Scottish Government, 2017).
One issue I would really like to see the government tackle, is the amount of plastic used by our supermarkets. The human race managed to survive for thousands of years before the invention of plastic, so there is no reason why we couldn’t cope without it again. With 9 out of 10 people calling for a plastic free aisle in UK supermarkets, it wouldn’t take long for big businesses to see that a complete overhaul of the way we shop would be a welcome change for most people (A Plastic Planet, 2017). There is provision in the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 for this to happen (section 83 ), however my search for any information on any proposals towards this came to nothing.
Carbon Footprint:
I was very satisfied with the results of my carbon footprint test, however I do feel that some questions were quite vague and made assumptions that may not be accurate, for example my monthly spend on cosmetic products is quite high, and this is obviously taken to equate to overconsumption by the diagnostic test. It doesn’t take into consideration that the reason I spend so much, is that I only buy cosmetic products that have been made using all natural, ethically and sustainably sourced materials and ingredients, using only recycled/biodegradable containers and packaging. This is something I am quite zealous about, as I try very hard to avoid the ethical and moral consequences of purchasing popular branded products using palm oil, animal testing etc.
Although the test results indicate I am saving 5% of my carbon share, the implications of my travel are quite high. This is due to the fact that travelling to university is a 68 mile round trip, four days a week by car. Unfortunately, this is due to the excessive costs of travelling by train: the price of a weekly train ticket to university is £15 more than my weekly petrol costs, and this includes my husband using the car at the weekends, along with taking children to afterschool activities etc. I definitely feel that the government could do more to improve public transport for people, for example improving reliability and lowering costs.
The carbon footprint test can be found here: http://footprint.wwf.org.uk/?_ga=1.176985891.745195644.1442412124
REFERENCES:
A Plastic Planet, 2017. Poll reveals that more than 9in 10 people want a Plastic Free aisle in supermarkets [Online] Available: http://aplasticplanet.com/poll-reveals-9-10-people-want-plastic-free-aisle-supermarkets/ [Accessed 5th October 2017]
Met Office, 2015. What is Climate Change? [Online] Available: https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate-guide/climate-change [Accessed 5th October 2017]
Scottish Government, 2009. Climate Change (Scotland) Act, 2009 [Online] Available: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2009/12/section/83 [Accessed 5th October 2017]
Scottish Government, 2017. Draft Climate Change Plan 2017-2032 [Online] Available: http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2017/01/2768/3 [Accessed 5th October 2017]
