Goodbye 2020

Well it's the last day of the year, and what a year it has been. It felt like a decade passed in a year and March was just last month, all at the same time. Lockdown made this year feel like a time warp. I was much luckier here in Australia. I could live my life quite normally by September this year. But hard international borders meant I could not see my family, which continues to be challenging. I know I am not alone when I say that I can't wait to see the back of 2020. COVID-19 was pretty much at the center stage this year. It was on everyone's mind, all the time. It was overwhelming. Distress and despair was aplenty. Isolation and job uncertainty made mental health take a huge hit globally. Economies all over the world tumbled. It's not over yet, but vaccines are on the way. We are all hoping that 2021 will be kinder to us, and the worst is behind us.

Photo by Edwin Hooper on Unsplash

As far as the environment is concerned, what a contrasting summer we're having here in Australia. La Niña brought an end to drought conditions in much of Australia. In Sydney, our dam levels were 45% just a year ago, and today we are at 97%. While the rain was certainly welcome, flooding events and cyclones also become more common during a La Niña event. It is yet to be seen what more this weather pattern will bring for Australia in the next few months.

What is evident is how erratic these events have become. Just a year ago our whole continent was ablaze and farmers were inundated by the devastating impacts of a crippling drought. A year later with all that's happened, it feels like a million years ago. The pandemic is the only thing occupying our minds. It is imperative that we don't put climate change resilience on the backburner and continue to build on our efforts towards better water security in the months and years to come. With population growth and more unpredictable weather, we will need all the preparation we can get.

Photo by Luke White on Unsplash

2020 was not all bad. The Trump administration finally came to an end in 2020, with president elect Biden to take his place in January 2021. Trump's reign wrecked havoc in the last four years, with many environmental protections removed and big businesses doing what they want without much accountability for their actions. It will take some time for Biden to undo the damage done but the intent is there which is a great start! For starters the US will re-enter the Paris Climate Agreement which is an absolute win for the environmental community. 

Photo by Jose M. on Unsplash

Biden's win has also had far reaching effects on global climate action. It has put pressure on countries like Australia where climate commitments have largely been lackluster, their belief in a coal fired economy strong.  But the world's largest economy claiming clean energy is the way forward sets a precedent that the world needs right now. Here's hoping a cleaner and greener future lies ahead.

So that's a wrap on 2020. It was many things but uneventful was not one of them!

Photo by Immo Wegmann on Unsplash

COVID-19 and Waste

July is the month of Plastic Free July. This year this is particularly challenging. With Covid-19  rampant all across the world, multiple cafes, restaurants, hotels have ditched their efforts to reduce single use items in the interest of public safety. It's been years since I ditched disposable coffee cups and only stuck to my sturdy Keep Cups. But the COVID-19 situation left me no choice but to accept disposable coffee cups at least a few times. I felt weighed down by guilt. But my coffee addiction emerged stronger! Luckily I discovered at least one local coffee shop which let me use my Keep Cup as they considered it a low risk. I always ensure to wash my Keep Cup well before taking it to the cafe and washing it well again after use. The Australian Government never released any mandate on solely using disposable items. It was upon the business owner's discretion. I understand the pressures on small businesses to keep their business risk-free and take all possible precautions, which is why many refused reusable takeaway cups. But the fact of the matter is, there is currently a lack of evidence on whether disposable cups or cutlery are any safer than reusable ones. In my opinion the climate crisis was and will always be a bigger crisis than this pandemic. Hence we should keep using reusable items where we are allowed to. If all else fails and your local cafe only lets you take disposable coffee cups, you can always choose to refuse the coffee lid as they are catastrophic for the environment. A coffee cup lid takes 400 years to decompose! 

The next tragedy is of course, face masks. Let me just make it clear at the onset that I absolutely do not disagree with the science of how face masks prevent the spread of Coronavirus and how they are an essential component in fighting this disease. Nevertheless it makes me shudder thinking about millions of disposable face masks just going to landfill. Even in Australia, I saw them littered across the road. I wish there was more awareness about how much waste this is causing. The majority of people are choosing disposable ones for the convenience of it and possibly also because they consider them safer. Even WHO has advocated for reusable masks such as fabric masks as they can easily be washed and prevent the spread of coronavirus. Using reusable masks also helps prevent shortages of surgical masks such as N95 masks, which need to be reserved for healthcare workers. Just last week the Victorian Government made masks mandatory in Melbourne. It is the first time any state in Australia has made masks mandatory since the pandemic began. There were lines of people outside pharmacies ready to purchase their disposable face masks. A slightly better sight was lines of people outside the Spotlight store ready to purchase materials to make their own reusable face masks.  Nevertheless an even better option would be to make your own facemaks at home using old materials you already have.

If DIY projects aren’t your forté, a quick internet search helped me find a list of sites that are selling sustainable masks in Australia. Similar retailers are present in other countries so when investing in a mask please think about the lifecycle of the product and do a little research before making the purchase. Choosing a reusable mask will also save you money. Target is selling a 12 pack of disposable masks for $10, which is a bit rich if you ask me!

This pandemic isn’t going anywhere, any time soon. We don’t want to be in a situation where once this crisis passes we have another waste crisis at our hands to deal with. When disaster strikes, human tendency is to just focus on short term outcomes that help us overcome the immediate hurdle. We can’t let our guard down when it comes to the environment crisis as that is and will always be the biggest battle our generation has to face.

Image courtesy: Flash Forward Pod

A nightmarish summer..but there's more.

It would be an understatement to say that Australia has had an upleasant 6 months. A crippling drought, bushfires, floods and then COVID-19. It feels as though we have been living in a thrilling "end of the world" saga, with a new season every couple of months. These have been just some of the headlines we have woken up to every day.

The bushfires burnt more than 12.6 hectares of land, emitted 434 million tonnes of CO2 and left more than a billion animals dead. The drought only exacerbated the conditions. Sydney alone had 81 days of poor air quality in 2019. On New Year's day Canberra had the worst air quality in the world, 26 times the level considered "hazardous" for humas. I wore a mask to work every day. There were so many days when I would look outside and all I saw was apocalyptic smog. I would keep my doors and windows closed, wondering when I would see Sydney's brilliant blue skies again. The bushfire smoke was linked to over 400 deaths in Australia. It took a while but the bushfires finally ended in early March, thanks to some record rainfall (which also landed up causing flooding in some parts). This bushfire season was one of the worst Australia has ever faced. It made us ask a lot of questions. Has this become our new normal? Are we equipped to deal with this catastrophe on a more frequent basis? Was this something that we could have foreseen? The drought made us ask similar questions. The 2006 drought was said to be a one in hundred year event, then how did we get here just ten years later?

Picture Courtesy: Matthew Abott, New York Times

We have known for years now that global warming will cause extreme weather events to become more common or more intense. Eerily, in 2008 a report commissioned by the Australian goverment predicted "Recent projections of fire weather (Lucas et al. 2007) suggest that fire seasons will start earlier, end slightly later, and generally be more intense. This effect increases over time, but should be directly observable by 2020." 

Surely with this knowledge we would have had some plans in place to address this threat. Renewable energy sources are responsible for only 24% of Australia's total electricity generation. Despite renewables rapidly becoming a low-cost solution globally. This report by Climate Works states that we can meet our goal of 1.5C heating by shifting to 79% of renewable enery by 2030 and 100% by 2050. Few can say whether current government efforts can make this a reality by 2030.

A worldwide pandemic has provided reason enough for some to find a convenient excuse to put this issue on the backburner. I'm not saying that the COVID-19 issue is not serious. It has had devastating impacts on many lives. Jobs have been lost. People have lost their loved ones. The economy has plummetted. But climate change is also a public health emergency. The timeframes are just different. While the window to act on COVID-19 is in the next few weeks and months. The window for climate change is the next few years. But both will be responsible for thousands of deaths globally unless urgent action is taken.

Many have celebrated a record drop in pollution levels across the globe since the lockdowns began. The skies are clear again, the local animal and birdlife seem to be reclaiming their land. As much as I hate to be the bearer of bad news, these effects are temporary. Carbon dioxide can stay in the atmosphere for centuries. Thus the total concentration will continue to increase even if there is less production temporarily. As soon as the economy is back, the emissions will be back too. Thus we really can't afford to push the climate crisis off our minds.

I've seen the below image doing the rounds on Linkedin. Perfectly summarises my thoughts.

Mum

I'm going to try and find the motivation to keep writing on this blog. My mum used to love my posts and always encouraged me to write a new one. I started this blog in 2014. When I started, I was quite active. But when the full time job started, the posts became infrequent. Mum would always urge me "write a new one!". Whenever I would finish a post she would be the first one to read it. Then she would share with all her friends and family. Even if nobody else was reading it I used to be happy I put a smile on her face. A doting mother, she always made me feel good about myself. She is the reason I have the confidence I have today. When the insecurities crept in, she told me to believe in myself. It was easy to do that when it came from her. All I had to do was look at her and see the solid belief she had in me. It was easier to believe then.

My mum passed away in September last year. It's been over 6 months now. Not a single day passes when I don't think of her. So many times I have caught myself thinking "oh I should tell mum about this" or "oh how does this work? Better ask mum". She was my answer to everything. My best friend. We would talk for hours and hours. Every single day I would call her on my way home from work. I would pour all my worries and frustrations on her and she would keenly listen to it all. Providing me with love and comfort after every interaction. 

Now she is gone and it is a process every single day. It'll become easier they say, for now I am just taking one day at a time.

 

Five every day things

I thought I'll keep this blog post nice and simple and share some of the easy ways you can have a lower footprint. They're just simple, small things but can make a whole world of a difference. It's just about getting in the habit.

1) Carry your own water bottle: This one is pretty easy, you just have to remember to do it! Plus it will save you precious money too. Why spend money on something you can get out of the tap?

2) Carry your own keep cup: I have spoken about this before. We simply cannot afford to throw a coffee cup 5 days a week in the bin. The waste this is generating is completely unnecessary. Plus look how much cuter keep cups look!

3) Carry your own shopping bags: I have always carried by own bags when going grocery shopping. Honestly I find them so much sturdier and easier to carry in comparison to flimsy plastic bags. I was doing this much before the single use plastic bag ban at Coles and Woolworths last year. It was a little amusing seeing everyone get used to this. There were quite a few grumpy people who thought the change was unnecessary and inconvenient. Nevertheless, the result was worth it. The ban saw an 80% drop in plastic use nationwide. That is commendable. 

(Courtesy Earth Bottles)

4)   Buy what you need: There is a running joke in my family about my fridge. People have often found a single tomato, a single capsicum and just a loaf of bread in my fridge many a times. Whilst it may be amusing, it is practical! I plan ahead for my week. I know exactly what I'll be cooking and when. So I buy the ingredients accordingly. I do this to minimise waste. I really don't see the point in buying a bag of carrots when I will only be needing one. I have to admit the supermarkets don't make buying small quantities of things easy. Bulk quantities are always cheaper. It boggles my mind why a 2L bottle of coke is $2.85 at Coles and a 600mL bottle $3.70? Consumers are forced to buy things in large quantities to get cheaper rates. The result of this, for single people like me is that a whole lot of it will simply go to waste. I never buy the 2L bottle of coke because the fizz disappears after the first day and then it goes so flat I just chuck the rest down the drain. Anyhow, resist the impulse to buy in bulk. Don't buy a bag of donuts which will expire in one day. You know you can't finish it (but if you can, I'm no one to stop you!).

5) Take public transport: I have to admit I am very lucky to live in a city like Sydney where there is an excellent, well connected public transport system. I don't have a car and very rarely take Ubers and have absolutely no problem getting around. If you live out in the country or are in a city with a poor public transport system, I feel for you. Investing in a good public transport system is imperative for every government to counteract the impacts of climate change. Think about this: a full bus can take 40 cars off the road. If you are lucky enough to have a choice, public transport should be the way to go. What's more? It gives you time to read a good book or get some work done while someone else does the driving for you. In my personal experience I have noticed that most millenials in Sydney prefer taking public transport whereas the older generation seems more comfortable taking their cars to their respective destinations. Some people like it the old fashioned way. While I understand that breaking a habit can be hard we have to understand the times are changing. The need of the hour is to do everything in our power to reduce the greenhouse gases we release in the air.

(My friend and I responsibly catching a train at Wynyard station, Sydney. 

Look how happy we are, public transport is fun!)

So there you have it. Those were my five every day things through which we can reduce our ecological footprint. There are many other ways and means to do better but it always helps to start with something small and easy so we don't overwhelm ourselves. Until next time!

The Time is Now

I feel cautiously optimistic. There is a growing realisation amongst people in Australia (the youth in particular) that the threat of climate change is no longer generations into the future. It's not a far away concept anymore where we don't see tangible consequences in the news every other day. 2018 was Australia's third hottest year on record. Rainfall levels were the lowest since 2005. Bushfires came early, coastal regions saw floods and erratic weather patterns were noticed all around the country. Drought conditions intensified and farmers in particular, suffered. Prof Will Steffen from Climate Council commented "We are concerned that there may be a point of no return a few decades down the track where we actually lose control of the climate system".

Australian Federal Elections are coming up next month. Nationwide polls are showing that the public attitude towards climate policies is shifting. According to a recent poll, only 13% Australians believe the government is doing a good job of addressing climate change. The drought in particular made many realise that climate change has the potential to destroy livelihoods for generations to come. The government's stance on climate action will play a pivotal role in the upcoming elections. 

When we talk about environmental issues in Australia, you cannot skip talking about the mega controversial coal mine project by Adani. The project aims to dig the biggest coal mine in Australian history. The catastrophic impacts of the project include, but are not limited to, releasing close to 5 billion tonnes of carbon pollution to the atmosphere, getting access to almost 300 billion litres of Queensland's groundwater (for free, might I add!) and severe coral bleaching in the great barrier reef. Just this week Environment Minister Melissa Price granted federal approval to the coal mine, strategically signing off right before the elections. The current government insists that the project has been subjected to a multitude of conditions which will restrict its environmental impacts. But that is hard to believe. What is disappointing is that the opposition has primarily taken a lukewarm approach as well, with no strong promises on how it will restrict the harmful environmental impacts of the project.

This is all happening at a time when it is clear that in order for the world to keep warming well below 2 degree celsius, we'll need to leave fossil fuels in the ground. Australia needs to take a strong, hard look at their policies if they are to meet the emissions reductions targets adopted in Paris in 2015.

Public support for large-scale energy transition is noticeable. A recent poll showed that a sizeable proportion of Australians believe that the government should focus on clean, renewable energy, even if it means that investment needs to be made to make the infrastructure more reliable.

We will have to wait and see how Australia truly stands on the subject of climate change and clean energy. The elections will reveal how serious the country is about electing a leader that will make tangible changes to improve our response to this climate emergency. Choose wisely, Australia. 

Escape to Mars

Mars. It has always been an enigma for mankind. Does life on Mars exist? How similar is it to Earth? Will humans ever get there? In recent times Mars has become synonymous with what people consider a safe haven, away from global warming stricken Earth. People casually joke "Oh well, I'm just going to move to Mars." This may not be too far from reality anymore as the race to Mars is real and talks about colonisation of Mars aren't all mumbo jumbo.

We have been told that Earth is heading towards its "tipping point". A term in climatology which means close to irreversible climate destabilisation. We have already raised global average temperatures by 1C pre-industrial levels. If this is raised by a further 1C, we will face a "hothouse" climate where Earth will continue warming even if all emissions cease. The Paris agreement on climate change made by 194 countries aimed to limit global warming 'well below' 2°C, or 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels if possible. However current efforts are unlikely to meet this target.

Reading reports such as these does make me pessimistic and I too wonder if we are fighting a losing battle and if Earth is hurling towards its inevitable demise. Grim huh?

This is probably one of the reasons why Elon Musk, Boeing and others decided it might be worth looking towards the skies for a way out. First humans on Mars are predicted to reach as early as 2020s. The idea is to start small,  build a base in Mars, learn how to survive and eventually build a self-sustaining community. It won't be easy. With freezing temperatures, radiation and thin atmosphere, humans can definitely not take a stroll in the Martian landscape without heavy spacesuits. But this too is being explored. A concept called "Terraforming of Mars" aims to alter the atmosphere of Mars through planetary engineering so it is more hospitable to humans. I have to admit, this concept does seem a bit far fetched to me and we definitely don't have the technology to do it in 2018.

But guess which place is hospitable to humans? Earth! I have nothing against space exploration. It is one of my key interests and it would be a grand day when we finally land on Mars. However I am hesitant to accept Mars as an escape route. We can make tremendous progress to reverse climate change here on Earth, through the resources we would invest in making a self-sustaining community on Mars. It almost sounds like we are giving up on this home, disregarding it as a sinking ship. Transferring the entire population of Earth to Mars is much, much more far fetched than making concrete efforts to reduce global warming here on Earth. Apart from everyday things that we do - reducing automobile use, eating greener etc. an important role we can play is to elect leaders who have an understanding of the delicate situation we are in and are willing to tackle climate change head on and not just cater to the whims and fancies of the fossil fuel industry and the likes.

So let's keep our eyes on the prize, shall we?