Over the years, flooding, dried, extinction of species, temperature records and constant heat waves are increasingly frequent subjects in our daily lives. But what do these events have in common? All are effects of climate change in Planet. But there are several initiatives acting for combat these effects. That's what you'll see in this content!
Main causes of climate change
They happen for several reasons, but the main one is the excessive release of greenhouse gases, which retain the sun's heat and increase the planet's temperature. This excessive release occurs through human activities. According to data from the UN Emissions Gap Report 2022, Brazil is among the seven largest emitters of these gases in the world. In the country, this emission occurs mainly through the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation and fires.
The logging is also one of the causes of climate change, as it removes the planet's vegetation cover, which would absorb CO2, and can release carbon stored in plants and soil into the atmosphere. In Brazil alone, in 2022, the deforested area increased by 22.3% compared to the previous year, according to data from the Annual Deforestation Report (RAD 2022).
The report also shows that, Amazon and Cerrado, together, total 90.1% of affected biomes. The expansion of the agricultural frontier, the construction of roads and hydroelectric plants and mining are some of the main causes of deforestation in the country.
Another cause of climate change is the soil and water pollution. In soil pollution, the capacity to absorb water and store carbon is reduced, also impacting the quality of the land for crops. In water pollution, the quality and quantity of water resources available on the planet for consumption and use in other activities is reduced, resulting in the use of more polluting resources.
How to combat these effects?
Now that you know the main causes of climate change, you must be wondering what you can do to combat these effects. There are several policies to conserve the environment and reduce the effects on the planet, such as ESG Agenda, a Carbon Zero (or net zero) action, O Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
But in addition to these policies and agreements, it is also possible to assume small individual actions to combat the negative effects of climate change. We tell you more about it in our blog post “Habits that impact”.
On the other hand, further away from the universe of large institutions and global actions, there are some local initiatives, mostly with national action, that combat these effects. This is the case of some projects that have already gone through the Sitawi. Check out some of them below:
- talanoa: aims to improve decision-making and accelerate climate action by combining data, science and dialogue.
- TNC Mantiqueira: aims to restore 500 thousand hectares of the Serra da Mantiqueira, in the Atlantic Forest, in up to 10 years.
- Viva Água Movement: aims to contribute to ensuring that there is quality water for everyone, through actions that promote environmental recovery and the transformation of the socioeconomic reality in the Miringuava River basin, in PR.
These actions and initiatives remind us that, together, we can make a difference in preserving the planet. Keep following us to learn about more projects with positive socio-environmental impact!
