Our sixth form essay competition has wrapped up! We received a ton of really inspiring and nuanced articles from all over the country on the subject of technology and climate change. Every single article demonstrated a great understanding of the climate crisis we find ourselves in. This coming week, we will be posting the runner-ups of the competition. On Friday you’ll be able to read the other runner-up and our print issue for this term will contain the winning essay. We start today with Emelia Barker from Hutton Sixth Form.
“Developing new technology is the most important factor in addressing climate change.” Discuss.
Climate change is a long term change in weather patterns, such as precipitation levels or average temperatures. There are both natural and anthropogenic (human) causes of climate change. Natural causes include Milankovitch’s theory (eccentricity, precession, obliquity), solar forcing due to sunspots and volcanic aerosols. Anthropogenic causes include the burning of fossil fuels (coal, gas, oil), deforestation, landfill and agriculture, which increase the production of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane. The causes vary in the extremity which they affect the surrounding world.
Impacts caused by climate change are overwhelmingly negative. Changes which affect people include: water shortages, limiting food production; rising sea levels, decreasing land mass; and extreme flooding, threatening lives. Environmental issues that have consequences for both nature and animals, include the melting of ice caps; forest fires; changing of habitats; and the killing of wildlife. If this continues, it will have catastrophic damage in the future.
The future of the planet, due to climate change, is worrying. The Earth is sensitive to temperature increase, the maximum increase for it to still be safe is 1.5°C. However, scientists have predicted that it could increase by 3°C by the end of the century. This will affect all areas of the Earth, causing: flooding, droughts, food shortages, storms and subsidence.
To save the world from complete destruction, there are new, innovative technologies being invented. An example of this is ‘carbon capture’. Carbon capture is the process of removing carbon dioxide. This takes place by taking the carbon dioxide produced in power stations and transporting it, often underground, to isolate it, blocking excess carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere.Due to carbon dioxide being one of the main greenhouse gases, this use of technology is an important factor in improving climate change.
However, despite the technology being invented, the issue of anthropogenic climate change is still too large. Reducing deforestation, prioritising greenspace and planting more trees, can naturally solve the issues of climate change. By stopping the cutting down of trees, yearly emissions created would decrease by 10% in just the UK, as deforestation creates 4 tonnes of carbon. The UK government has also pledged to plant a million trees between 2020 and 2024. This massively aids climate change, as trees convert carbon dioxide to oxygen. Prioritising greenspace is also positive, due to soil absorbing carbon from the air. This shows that reducing climate change can be done efficiently without the assistance of technology.
On the other hand, trees won’t solve everything and climate change will still have devastating impacts. Scientists have said that even by planting a trillion trees, only 1/4 of carbon dioxide will be removed. However, due to the development of technologies there have been new solutions found to decrease greenhouse gases. Cows produce methane, which is 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide.1.5 billion cattle produce 7 gigatonnes of methane per year, equating to 60% of emissions from livestock. Agriculture as a whole contributes towards 2/3 of all methane, but through research it has been shown that feeding cows seaweed can help reduce this. There is a tropical red seaweed that has been found to reduce methane emissions by 80%, when added as a supplement. This is due to the way cattle digest food, when it ferments in the stomach. This shows how major developments of technology can positively affect climate change.
However, this will not undo the damage of climate change and there is not enough seaweed to support this technology. Despite this, a reduction in meat and dairy consumption can support the prevention of climate change. Meat and dairy are responsible for around 14.5% of global greenhouse gases. Emissions from plants based foods are 10 to 50 times smaller than those from animal based products. Reducing the consumption of animal based products, will help climate change naturally, with greenhouse gases in the UK decreasing by 20%, relating to agriculture. This shows that technology is not essential in helping to prevent climate change.
On the other hand, a reduction of meat consumption will only impact less than 15% of all climate change. Changing to electric transport could have an even greater impact on climate change. Currently, transport is responsible for 14% of annual emissions and 24% of global carbon dioxide emissions. Electricity can be produced sustainably through the use of wind, water and solar, rather than the burning of fossil fuels and through the development of alternative batteries, this is becoming more accessible. With the burning of fossil fuels equalling 89% of global carbon dioxide emissions, this development could be a major factor in climate change.
Despite this, not all electricity is made sustainably, with over 50% still being made by the burning of fossil fuels. By reducing our consumption and littering of plastic, we can naturally help the prevention of climate change. There are about 100 tonnes of plastic produced annually and by 2050, it is predicted to have tripled, reaching 13% of the Earth’s carbon budget. Less than 14% of all plastics are recycled and instead placed in landfill or incinerated, contributing to carbon dioxide production. Reducing our consumption and reliance on plastic and turning to sustainable alternatives such as bamboo, could help reduce climate change without the implications of technology.
In conclusion, I believe that developing new technology is the most important factor in addressing climate change. Though naturally supporting a reduction in climate change is vital for the planet’s survival, Earth is fragile, needing technology to support it. An example of this is the reduction of plastic, due to the requirements for technology through recycling and the production of alternative materials. To diminish the panic surrounding climate change, it is crucial we encompass technology into our solutions.