And the quest begins...

“How sad to think nature speaks and mankind doesn’t listen.” – Victor Hugo, 1840

What an underrated clairvoyant Victor Hugo was...  this quote is really rather relevant to the present day! Let me justify that bold claim with a few facts from the IPCC:

• Between 1901 and 2010, the entire world experienced surface warming (Figure 1) and since the mid-nineteenth century, average global surface temperatures have risen by 0.85 degrees Celsius.
• Since 1750, atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases (CO₂, CH₄, N₂O) have all increased due to human activities and in September 2016, atmospheric CO₂ levels passed the 400ppm milestone.
• Total radiative forcing (the change in energy fluxes caused by climate drivers) is positive, which has led to an increase of energy in the climate system. The increase in anthropogenic atmospheric CO₂ can largely be attributed as the cause.

Figure 1: Observed surface temperature change (degrees Celsius) between 1901 and 2012 (IPCC, 2013) 

The IPCC conclude that ‘human influence on the climate system is clear’.  Emissions are rising to the extent that a World Bank report has warned that the Earth is likely to experience a 4 degrees Celsius temperature rise by the end of the century. This would cause extreme heat waves, destruction of ecosystems and habitats, fatal seal level rise, and mass disruption of food stocks and more.

I have often regarded climate change to be such as distant problem. I have read news articles about how the world is changing; I became shocked when I found out Antarctic temperatures had reached record highs early this year with a staggering 17.5 degrees Celsius; I was worried when I discovered how the Greenland ice sheeting has the potential to melt at a rate faster than first thought; and I’ve experienced abnormal torrential rains in north east England in 2015. But I lie to myself and say that someone else somewhere else is dealing with this crisis. There’s just no way I could do anything to help solve this utter calamity.

But, the world is changing. We humans are responsible. We humans are noticing it. Yet, we humans are not changing. I think it's time I changed: my quest for becoming green begins.

But… how can I reach being ‘green’? Can you even reach ‘green’? What does being ‘green’ mean? Does it matter if I am ‘green’? Are there contradictory views from different organisations and institutions? Can individual efforts even make a difference?

Over the next four months, I will address and hopefully answer these questions with a series of blog posts: please feel free to comment your ideas and critiques!