#climate actions

Meat and dairy giants have been accused of halting climate progress by cosying up to policymakers to justify the soaring growth of animal agriculture. Globally, food and agriculture contribute one-third of total greenhouse gas emissions, second only to burning fossil fuels. In the EU, animal-sourced foods make up between 81 and 86 per cent of total greenhouse gas emissions of total food production – despite only supplying around 21 per cent of calories and 64 per cent of protein. Scientists have repeatedly warned that our diets need to change to bring down emissions and improve our health. The 2025 EAT-Lancet Commission report – compiled by 70 leading experts from 35 countries – found that around 15 million deaths could be avoided each year if the world shifted to predominantly plant-based diets. Such a move could also lead to a 15 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture. But the carbon footprint of animal agriculture continues to rise, driven by both modern industrial farming practices and increased livestock. According to Greenpeace, 60 per cent of all mammals on Earth by weight are now livestock – including methane-producing cattle. Just four per cent are wild, while the rest (36 per cent) are humans. Despite this, only four per cent of national climate plans include quantified, time-bound agricultural methane reductions – and fewer still include targets towards sustainable diets. A new report from European non-profit Changing Markets Foundation, which exists to expose ‘irresponsible’ corporate practices, says that meat and dairy are being kept off the climate agenda due to ‘hidden’ partnerships and twisted narratives.

Excerpt from this story from Extinction Today:

If we want more people to connect with crucial news about the climate and nature emergencies, we have to stop over-complicating the message. In pretty much everything we say…

Have you ever considered the words we use on a daily basis in an attempt to wake people up? We are causing them to hit the snooze button for longer.

As a journalist, one of my tasks is to translate difficult concepts into words and phrases that anyone on the street could understand.

Yet the media is complicit in bamboozling its audience with terms which leave most people none the wiser about how important they are.

I’ve written a list below of common environmental terms, and suggested alternatives. Some may surprise you - for example, even the word ‘climate’ is included as being too complex.

But remember that most people are fairly simple folk, most haven't got science degrees, most will use shorter words in place of longer alternatives.

To effectively communicate a message, we have to speak in the language and tone of those we are aiming at. Not the language of scientists and politicians.

The Hit List

Environment

A word that encompasses so much, it’s difficult to develop a personal connection with it. Try natural world, or even our surroundings.

Climate

We’ve had fun with this one, haven’t we? When the leaders of the world confuse climate with weather, it must mean it is difficult to understand - or perhaps, the word is purposely being skewed to send a biased message of misinformation to an uneducated base of followers. Perhaps…

So why don’t we actually talk more about the weather? When it comes to climate change in particular, explain more about a dangerous increase in extreme weather.

Biodiversity

Communicating the importance of the biodiversity crisis and its link with the climate crisis is crucial, but again, it’s an all-encompassing term that is difficult for a lot of people to understand.

Try using terms like all life on Earth, and the wide variety of plants and animals.

Sustainability

The buzzword which has seen increasing prominence in recent years, yet can be a difficult concept for mass audiences to understand.

Try talking about living in a way that protects our natural resources and living within our means for a better future.

Carbon Footprint

This has never been an easy one to measure, quantify or explain, and is by now associated with too much negative messaging about personal vs corporate and government responsibility.

Just talk about our impact on the planet instead.

Greenhouse Gases

Many of us can understand the reason for using the word ‘greenhouse’, but maybe explain more often that carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide are heat-trapping gases - using more of them traps heat in the atmosphere.

Fossil Fuels

This term should be largely understood, but don’t shy away from writing or saying coal, oil and gas - the fact that they are formed from ancient organic matter is not really relevant.

We’ve come up with another great term there, haven’t we?…. Renewable energy is a difficult concept for many to grasp - instead perhaps call them endless energy sources.

Net Zero

As this term is all over politics, many people don’t trust it, never mind understand it. And a lot of politicians don’t seem to understand it, either.

Talk about achieving a balance between the amount of heat-trapping gases emitted and those removed from the atmosphere, or balancing emissions to zero. ‘Net’ is the word that confuses a lot of people.

Deforestation

Again, this should be largely understood, but it’s a word that removes the horror. Let’s communicate more about cutting down forests - for animal farming, logging, or development.

Desertification

Another word which has all serious consequences removed. It actually sounds quite appealing…We’re talking here about turning land into desert, due to human-caused climate change.

Rewilding

A nicer word, and perhaps more easily understood, but let’s move away from all the media scare stories of wolves being introduced into every community in the world, and focus on bringing back nature.

Circular Economy

For the green movement, an economic model based on reducing waste and reusing resources is central to achieving transformative success.

It’s not a sexy term though - just talk about the importance of recycling and reusing everything.

Biodegradable

Another scientific word that is becoming more understood, but still requires explaining to most people.

Have you checked the Earth Day 2022 projected by Google? Climate is really changing, but are we and our mindsets? How warmer the temperature has gone from where it was few decades back? Our habits and ‘Chalta hai’ attitude, it doesn’t matters from one person, many such jargons and our carefree attitude has contributed to what situations we are facing and coming generations will be facing. It…

Frozen #Information in #magnetic #minerals can forecast #ClimaticChanges faster #ClimateSamurai #Climate #ClimateAction

Clues to climate change in the past are found in fossils, micro-organisms, gases trapped in ice and isotopes, but the laboratory techniques are cumbersome, costly, and time-consuming. Indian scientists have now unraveled a technique using magnetic minerals that is rapid and efficient.

Scientists from the Indian Institute of Geomagnetism (IIG), an autonomous institute of the Department of…

Watch: #US Democratic candidate #JoeBiden vows to rejoin #ParisAgreement, plans millions of job in #ClimateAction #ClimateSamurai

United States’ Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has unveiled a USD 2 trillion proposal to boost investment in clean energy and combat the global warming as he pledged to rejoin the historic Paris agreement on climate change if elected in the November elections.

Joe Biden in a major policy address on climate change, which he said poses a serious threat the mankind said “We’re going to…

Activists asks not to grant extension of clearance to #Himachal #hydropower project #ClimateSamurai #HydroElectric #Hydropower

Close to 1,000 representatives of environmental action groups, locals and academics have asked the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change not to grant extension of clearance to the state-run Kashang hydropower project in geologically fragile Kinnaur in Himachal Pradesh.

Citing April 30 natural calamity, they said a large portion of a steep mountain in Kinnaur district slipped down…