We often discuss on this site the things that you can do in order to reduce your impact on the planet and the reason for the large majority of what we are saying is because the greenhouse effect is real and it is having a profound impact on the planet and the behavior of our climate around the globe. This has an impact on all life on Earth.

The greenhouse effect is changing the climate of the Earth. Rapidly rising levels of greenhouse gases due to the burning of coal, gas and oil are one of the contributing causes of global warming. Unless we reduce greenhouse gas emissions, we can expect the effects of global warming to have catastrophic consequences for wildlife around the world.

From plankton to penguins to polar bears, the greenhouse effect is harming our animals by forever changing their natural habitats. A recent sobering study says that scientists are now predicting that a quarter of the world’s animal and plant life will face extinction by 2050 due to climate change.

In the Arctic, global warming is already responsible for the loss of sea ice, which scientists have shown is having a negative impact on the health of polar bears and reducing their population. The polar bears’ hunting season is being shortened due to warmer temperatures, melting their sea-ice hunting ground at a faster rate. As a result, polar bears now have less food to eat and to raise their young. It is doubtful polar bears can survive if there is a complete loss of the Arctic’s summer sea-ice cover, according to the International Arctic Science Committee.

What Can You Do To Help?

The first thing that you can do help is the acceptance that we have a problem and the understanding that we should all be making change for the better. Here are some easy to achieve tasks and activities which will help to reduce our negative impact on the planet.

• Buy local so that we can reduce the amount of miles which ingredients need to travel to arrive at your plate.
• Reusing and recycling goods and products is a great way to minimize the need for mass production and transportation of such goods.
• Reduce dependency on fossil fuels by lowering the amount of energy which you use in the home. Working hard to reduce how much gas and electricity we use is absolutely critical to helping us lower our overall energy usage.
• Using public transport or cycling is always going to be the best option when it comes to keeping things green. Aim to only travel in a vehicle if it is full, and always walk or take a bike if you are able to.
• Donating money or volunteering your time to those charities like Greenpeace which have been set up specifically for the purposes of improving the world in which we live. These charities and organizations need our support to keep up their amazing work.

The world is literally on fire, and we have to do more to help.