January 28th
International Reducing CO2 Emissions Day
As climate change continues to affect our world, humans feel it but also continue to contribute to the degradation of the planet. But the situation does not have to be hopeless! International CO2 Reduction Day is here to motivate everyone to make better use of the resources we have been given.
If every person simply puts in a little more effort to reduce their carbon footprint and CO2 emissions, even just a little bit every day, it will help make the world a safer and more sustainable place to live for both current and future generations. The International Day of CO2 Emission Reduction is here to remind and motivate every individual to better utilize the resources we have been given.
The awareness of the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or CO2 has been on scientists' radar for over 100 years. In 1896, a scientist from Sweden named Svante Arrhenius first predicted that changes in carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere could potentially alter the temperature of the Earth's surface through the greenhouse effect. In 1938, a scientist named Guy Callendar stated that the increase in CO2 emissions is related to global warming and climate change. In fact, this also correlated with research conducted as early as 1824 when Joseph Fourier calculated that a planet the size of Earth in its position relative to the Sun should actually be much colder than it was at the time, suggesting that there must be some insulation or blanket that kept the Earth warmer.
As scientists continue to study the impact of the greenhouse effect and the depletion of the ozone layer on the planet, more evidence of global warming has been revealed, including rising sea levels, increased droughts, severe wildfires, declining water supplies, and many more. When the Kyoto Protocol was signed in 1997, it signaled a move in the right direction towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions from industrialized countries. However, it was not enough to slow down the pace sufficiently. Later, when the Paris Agreement was adopted in 2015, it legally committed 196 different countries to the goal of limiting global warming by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The aim is to achieve a climate-neutral planet by the mid-21st century. The International Day of CO2 Emission Reduction is here to raise awareness and encourage people worldwide to contribute to environmental care and the planet by reducing their carbon footprint.
On the occasion of the International Day of CO2 Emission Reduction, it is time for everyone to do their part. Consider some of these ways to reduce your negative impact on the Earth: One of the biggest controllable contributors to CO2 emissions is the use of personal vehicles, especially if they are older models that are not environmentally friendly. As part of the celebrations of the International Day of CO2 Emission Reduction, consider alternative ways of commuting to work or grocery shopping. It may require some extra time or additional planning, but it is worth it for the sake of saving the planet.
