What are some solutions that we have towards this growing crisis?
Barriers are a great way to block water from entering the city. There can be multiple types off barriers. The one seen below is a type of barrier in which the coastline is extended with greenery, and a seawall that can be climbed to access the park. Greenery is great since a) it helps the environment, but also b) because they can suck up water. The seawall is to reduce the amount of water from storm surge entering the city. This barrier can be all done without altering much of the existing streets. Some cities like New York have proposed this method in their fight against rising seas.6 Use AR to explore the features of an extended coastline barrier.
Another type of barrier is one that is off the coast of Boston. There would be a seawall that connects outer islands together to form a wall. There will be moving gates that allow water in and out, and prevent large waves rushing into Boston which are similar to the ones in Venice. Use AR to explore this concept.
If we can go to the moon and create faster phones every year, why don't we also find ways to adapt living in a world with climate change?
How we get around every day matters. In fact, cars account nearly one-fifth of all emissions in the United States7. That's a lot! We rely on cars to go to and from places. What are the greener alternatives?
Public transportation is a great way to cut down on emissions. In fact, public transportation helps the United States save as much as 4.2 billion gallons of gas every year.8 Public transportation has many more benefits like reduced congestion, saves money, but also help but also helps out local communities.8
Carpooling with someone you know is a great for the environment. Carpooling also helps cut down on traffic, cost, and save the environment at the same time!
Why not get an electric car for your next car? Not only is it great for the environment, but also it can be very stylish, smart, and safe! Although they aren't perfect, they do help the environment.
Biking is a great way to get exercise and help the environment. Getting bikes are easy as there are many public bike rentals around urban populations.
How we eat can affect climate change. Eating more plant-based alternatives and vegetable is not only great fo our health, but also great for the environment. Cows are one of the largest methane emitters. Methane is really bad since it traps more heat than CO2. If all of us switch to a Mediterranean diet, that's the equivalent of taking 1 billion cars off the street! 9
Not all of these solutions work for everyone. It's not possible for some to take public transportation, carpool with others, or buy an electric car. Also it's not feasible for some towns to create barriers to protect them against the ocean. But there are solutions that anyone can do.
It might be really hard to adjust and adapt, but a little can make a very big difference. The choices we make will reflect in the future.
Reusing things you have bought and your trash is a get way to saves the environment and extends its lifetime. There are hundreds if not thousand of guides online on reusing plastic bottles and milk cartons. Have an old Android device laying around? Why not modernize it by installing a new operating system. The stuff you buy don't have to die once it's no longer supported or outdated.
When your electronics break, don't just throw it away. In fact e-waste (electronic waste) can be dangerous if not fatal to humans and the environment. You can hold on to these electronics by doing simple repairs. Not only is it cheap and fun, you are saving lives and the environment. iFixit has a comprehensive guide to repairing anything from cracked screens, battery replacements, and even motherboard replacements. You might learn a new skill along the way!
When comes to your next upgrade, wait a bit longer. It's a hard to resist it, but doing so helps the planet. The stuff we buy is so inefficient to the point that 99% of the effort wasted just to create 1%, or the product. Sad thing is that all of these products are thrown in 6 months 10
Recycling is great. Only if you do it right. Recycling is truly a great thing since it does help us cut back on creating and mining for more raw resources. When we recycle, we should make sure that the product itself is not contaminated as that can be harmful. In fact, over 25% of the stuff we recycle has to go to the landfill since it's too contaminated.11 It is also important that we recycle electronics in places we know that are real recyclers. A lot of electronics products gets shipped overseas for people to break them down, and that it can be toxic if not fatal to humans.
Lastly, represent for Climate Change. Push for actions and make sure higher ups are responsible for their actions. We have a voice, why not use it towards the greater good. The more action we push towards saving our planet, the better it will be for our lives in the future.