Consequences of Climate Change and Responsible Consumption
In Mexico there are more and more heat waves, droughts, and very intense tropical cyclones. Climate change is already noticeable. The good news: there are habits within your reach that reduce your share of the problem.
Consequences We Can Already See
In Yucatán and Quintana Roo, the sea is warming the reefs; in the north of the country, reservoirs are dropping because of drought. What evidence do we have that the climate has already changed, and how does it affect life and health?
Effects on health: "One Health"
Name three consequences of climate change and briefly explain one of them.
Name three consequences of climate change and briefly explain one of them.
Explain two causes of sea level rise (the melting of ice caps and glaciers, and the thermal expansion of water as it warms) and one consequence for coastal areas and…
Explain two causes of sea level rise (the melting of ice caps and glaciers, and the thermal expansion of water as it warms) and one consequence for coastal areas and islands.
The "One Health" approach links human health, animal health, and ecosystem health. Explain this using an example, such as the spread of disease-carrying mosquitoes due…
The "One Health" approach links human health, animal health, and ecosystem health. Explain this using an example, such as the spread of disease-carrying mosquitoes due to rising temperatures.
Heat Waves, Droughts, and Ecosystems
When it rains little and it is very hot, the soil dries out. What happens to a forest then?
Heat waves and droughts cause:
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Water stress: plants and animals can't find enough water; some die or migrate.
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Wildfires: dry vegetation catches fire easily and the fire destroys habitats.
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Changes in life cycles: flowering and migrations get out of sync, like that of the monarch butterfly.
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Smaller harvests, which affects the milpa and the food supply of families.
Adaptation measures (adjusting to what has already changed): collecting rainwater, reforesting with native species, preventing fires with firebreaks, using efficient irrigation and drought-resistant crops, and creating shaded spaces in cities.
In Mexico, heat waves and droughts are becoming increasingly frequent. Explain two effects of this trend on ecosystems (wildfires, water stress…) and propose two…
In Mexico, heat waves and droughts are becoming increasingly frequent. Explain two effects of this trend on ecosystems (wildfires, water stress…) and propose two adaptation measures.
Species Change Over Time
If the climate changes, what happens to the species that live in it? Some move, others adapt, and others go extinct. This is not new: living things have been changing for millions of years.
Fossils (remains or traces of living things from the past preserved in rock) show that there were organisms different from today's, and that many disappeared: they are extinct species, like mammoths, whose remains have also been found in Mexico.
Relationship with climate: if the environment changes very quickly, as it is now, many species cannot adapt in time and may go extinct. That is why climate change threatens biodiversity.
In the municipal plenary session of a town of 4 000 inhabitants, the budget to install community composters and pedestrian lanes is being debated. A councilor argues:…
In the municipal plenary session of a town of 4 000 inhabitants, the budget to install community composters and pedestrian lanes is being debated. A councilor argues: "Our emissions are 0.001 % of those of the region; if large metropolises do not act, whatever we do here is a waste of money that will not alter the global climate."
- a) Refute the councilor's stance by applying the motto "Think globally, act locally", using the concepts of ecological co-responsibility and multiplier effect.
- b) Describe in detail the biological or physical mechanism by which collecting and composting organic waste instead of depositing it in a conventional landfill prevents the emission of a potent greenhouse gas into the atmosphere.
The Carbon Footprint
Reading an emissions graph
In the hard exercise you will see a graph of kg of $\text{CO}_2$ per person per day by type of transportation. Steps: (1) read the value of each bar, (2) subtract to get the savings from a change, (3) multiply by the number of people and by the number of days.
What is carbon footprint? Name two actions from your daily life that would reduce it.
What is carbon footprint? Name two actions from your daily life that would reduce it.
The graph shows the average daily direct $\text{CO}2$ emissions per student according to the means of transport used to travel to school. a) A secondary school with 300…
The graph shows the average daily direct $\text{CO}_2$ emissions per student according to the means of transport used to travel to school.
- a) A secondary school with 300 students who currently travel alone by private car is considering two emission-reduction measures for a school year of 180 school days:
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Option 1: Create a municipal school bus route that manages to attract 60% of those students.
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Option 2: Build a secure bicycle parking facility that gets 30% to cycle and another 20% to carpool (at a rate of 4 students per vehicle, dividing car emissions by 4).
Quantitatively calculate the total $\text{CO}_2$ savings (in kg) that would be obtained with each option and justify which one is more effective.
- b) A classmate claims that the graph proves that cycling has zero environmental impact (0 kg of $\text{CO}_2$) under any circumstance. Refute this statement by distinguishing between direct emissions during use and indirect emissions throughout its entire life cycle.
The Three Rs and Responsible Consumption
In Mexico, an average of about $0.9$ kg of trash is generated per person per day, and a large part of it ends up in dumps. What order of actions reduces this impact the most?
A sustainable school
Possible measures: energy (turning off lights and using natural light, or installing solar panels), mobility (organizing walking or biking to school, carpooling), and waste (sorting bins, compost from recess, refillable bottles). Each measure is justified by saying which emissions or waste it avoids.
Order the three Rs — recycle, reduce, and reuse — according to their environmental priority and give an everyday example of each.
Order the three Rs — recycle, reduce, and reuse — according to their environmental priority and give an everyday example of each.
Your middle school wants to become more sustainable. Propose three specific measures (one regarding energy, one regarding transportation, and one regarding waste) and…
Your middle school wants to become more sustainable. Propose three specific measures (one regarding energy, one regarding transportation, and one regarding waste) and justify each one.
Back to the beginning: climate change is already noticeable in the heat, the droughts, and the sea, but reducing, reusing, recycling, and getting around with fewer emissions really does lower your footprint.