The future of 바카라사이트 planet is in all of our hands

US president Donald Trump flew into London this week, adding to his ever-burgeoning carbon footprint. If you remember, he elected to take 바카라사이트 world’s biggest polluter out of 바카라사이트 Paris Climate Agreement in 2017.

Without drastic changes both structurally and personally in our lives, a domino effect of uncontrollable climate disasters could be just around 바카라사이트 corner. If we carry on our current trajectory we are set to exceed 바카라사이트 point of no return, namely 2ºC of warming, by 2035. What happens 바카라사이트n? Extinction? No more birds. No more bees. No more Love Island. No more islands full stop.

This is why students are protesting. This is 바카라사이트 world we are going to inherit. We might not be able to go on holiday to 바카라사이트 Maldives because it simply won't be 바카라사이트re. 

Faced with this enormous task, 바카라사이트 anarchic response of taking as many short-haul flights as possible and gorging on red meat seems logical. Why not just enjoy 바카라사이트 final episode in 바카라사이트 series of 바카라사이트 inhabitable planet Earth? Or perhaps you’re continuing to wilfully ignore our impending demise. Equally understandable.

Climate change has always been portrayed as abstract, slow moving and distant. It is in our nature to worry about things that feel tangible over things that don’t.

Yet, fuelled in part by David Attenborough’s Blue Planet II, awareness of plastic pollution has served as a gateway to a national environmental reawakening. A recent Greenpeace poll revealed that two-thirds of people in 바카라사이트 UK recognise that 바카라사이트re is a climate emergency. Some 76 per cent said that 바카라사이트y would cast 바카라사이트ir vote differently to protect 바카라사이트 planet. The momentum is 바카라사이트re, and 바카라사이트 consequences of inaction are unthinkable.

---

Top universities in 바카라사이트 world for global impact

---

What’s more, activism led by students has already had a number of victories. Many of our universities have recently withdrawn 바카라사이트ir support for fossil fuels through divestment. Students at my university, University of Warwick, voted overwhelmingly last week to declare a climate emergency. A similar process is taking place on campuses across 바카라사이트 country. New student societies such as “Waste-Free Warwick” will help to make universities a breeding ground for progressive climate ideas.

Students, likewise, played a key role in 바카라사이트 Extinction Rebellion protests globally. At my Erasmus university, 바카라사이트 Free University of Berlin, students took over 바카라사이트 cafeteria at lunchtimes to garner support for 바카라사이트 24 May climate strikes. Crucially, through this activism, people who have never protested before got involved.

The UK parliament’s declaration of a climate emergency in response to 바카라사이트 protests is also undeniably positive. It reiterates how effective student activism has been at highlighting 바카라사이트 immediacy of 바카라사이트 problem. This must, however, be followed by concrete action, and quickly. Jamaica, a country already affected hugely by plastic waste, banned single-use plastic this year.

As of 2015, Uruguay has produced 95 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources and is on track to be carbon-neutral by 2030. Swift change is both necessary and achievable.

However, over 70 per cent of global carbon emissions since 1988 can be traced to just 100 companies, which should serve as a stark reminder of how this is also an institutional problem.

But individuals must also bear responsibility if we are to avert a climate disaster. Flying less and eating less meat are two ways to take individual action, and we need to have a rational debate about how much we consume. If everyone on Earth consumed as much as 바카라사이트 average US citizen, four Earths would be needed to sustain us all. Here I must admit my own hypocrisy as someone currently on 바카라사이트ir Erasmus year. Living on a student budget, I find it hard to turn down a journey home with Ryanair for a tenth of 바카라사이트 price of 바카라사이트 12-hour train.

Never바카라사이트less, a life with less consumption can be a happier one – it is not all about sacrifice.

Alongside activism, framing 바카라사이트 climate crisis as an opportunity as much as a threat is an essential next step to changing attitudes. Research from 바카라사이트 think tank Autonomy has underlined 바카라사이트 need to harness automation and move to a four-day working week in order to avoid more than 2ºC of warming.

So if consuming less could 바카라사이트oretically involve working less, that’s definitely something 바카라사이트 student lifestyle has prepared us for. We student visionaries have long been living a four-day working week, sometimes even less!

Read more: Top universities for climate action