REPORT
Climate Change during the holidays: Taking good practices in the suitcase
Published on July 29th, 2015
Even during the holidays, you can help mitigate the effects of climate change, avoiding the emission of more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. More specifically, the protagonists of this story are the mitigation measures of this phenomenon. Clima@EduMedia project spoke with environmental engineer Filipa Alves who suggested a series of actions to take during the holidays.
The impact climate change will have by the end of the century depends on each of us. That is what the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns in its last report, published in 2013: even if we stop greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon dioxide immediately, the effects of climate change will be felt in the future. Therefore, all possible reduction is necessary so as not to worsen the planet’s situation.
Start saving up on the bill presented by weather events, which has been aggravated over the past years, preparing, for example, the house before going on holiday. “Since the person is not going to use some of the equipment that is frequently used, when at home, such as modems and phones, one can turn them off during this period”, notes Filipa Alves, who belongs to the working group Energia e Alterações Climáticas (Energy and Climate Change) at the environmental association Quercus. Another measure may be to increase the temperature of the fridge when empty, or even turn it off.
Good practices must also travel with us when going on holiday. At a holiday home or hotel, though we are not to be liable to pay the light and water bills, emissions of greenhouse gas continue. “Whether at home or away, we must reduce consumption to the maximum”, she warns. “We must make a rational use of energy, even if it is 100% renewable”, she added, revealing that, nowadays, more and more hotels have ecological and environmental concerns. “If we are in a place that uses renewable energy and if we exceed the energy consumption, they will have to resort to traditional sources”, emphasises Filipa Alves.
Attention to the ice cream stick
Summer is also a time of festivals and return to the land, of walks in the countryside, in the hills, in nature. “In commuting to summer festivals, young people should take advantage of existing partnerships and use public transport”, says the expert. In outdoor excursions it is also possible to mitigate climate change, albeit indirectly, by saving water. Spending less water is a measure with double impact: on the one hand, it does not hinder the supply and availability of this resource, which is scarce in some areas of the country during this time of year and, on the other hand, it leads to a reduction in the use of energy in the treatment and transportation of tap water. One way to save water, during this period when we feel thirstier due to the heat, is precisely to take advantage of spring water. “People have to know, however, if the water has quality and realise of whether or not they are they are taking health risks”, she warns.
With summer and heat, ice creams become more desirable. According to the expert, even when choosing which ice cream to eat we can mitigate climate change. Choosing ice cream with the tropical forest green symbol (Rainforest Alliance) means that we are choosing brands that have resorted to forests with sustainable management to produce, for instance, the ice cream stick. By contributing to reduce deforestation and by support sustainable logging, we are indirectly preventing the destruction of carbon reservoirs. Trees and other vegetation consume carbon dioxide, reducing the concentration of this gas in the atmosphere.
When travelling by plane, one can also make a contribution to, for example, promoting reforestation. “There are airlines that allow the person at the time of purchase, to pay an additional fee to support endangered ecosystems or to plant trees”, explains the environmental engineer.
Using free time to volunteer in activities organised by the authorities for forest cleaning is also an important measure. The cleaning of these areas reduces the risk of fire, preventing the destruction of these carbon reservoirs.
By: Renata Silva
Start saving up on the bill presented by weather events, which has been aggravated over the past years, preparing, for example, the house before going on holiday. “Since the person is not going to use some of the equipment that is frequently used, when at home, such as modems and phones, one can turn them off during this period”, notes Filipa Alves, who belongs to the working group Energia e Alterações Climáticas (Energy and Climate Change) at the environmental association Quercus. Another measure may be to increase the temperature of the fridge when empty, or even turn it off.
Good practices must also travel with us when going on holiday. At a holiday home or hotel, though we are not to be liable to pay the light and water bills, emissions of greenhouse gas continue. “Whether at home or away, we must reduce consumption to the maximum”, she warns. “We must make a rational use of energy, even if it is 100% renewable”, she added, revealing that, nowadays, more and more hotels have ecological and environmental concerns. “If we are in a place that uses renewable energy and if we exceed the energy consumption, they will have to resort to traditional sources”, emphasises Filipa Alves.
Attention to the ice cream stick
Summer is also a time of festivals and return to the land, of walks in the countryside, in the hills, in nature. “In commuting to summer festivals, young people should take advantage of existing partnerships and use public transport”, says the expert. In outdoor excursions it is also possible to mitigate climate change, albeit indirectly, by saving water. Spending less water is a measure with double impact: on the one hand, it does not hinder the supply and availability of this resource, which is scarce in some areas of the country during this time of year and, on the other hand, it leads to a reduction in the use of energy in the treatment and transportation of tap water. One way to save water, during this period when we feel thirstier due to the heat, is precisely to take advantage of spring water. “People have to know, however, if the water has quality and realise of whether or not they are they are taking health risks”, she warns.
With summer and heat, ice creams become more desirable. According to the expert, even when choosing which ice cream to eat we can mitigate climate change. Choosing ice cream with the tropical forest green symbol (Rainforest Alliance) means that we are choosing brands that have resorted to forests with sustainable management to produce, for instance, the ice cream stick. By contributing to reduce deforestation and by support sustainable logging, we are indirectly preventing the destruction of carbon reservoirs. Trees and other vegetation consume carbon dioxide, reducing the concentration of this gas in the atmosphere.
When travelling by plane, one can also make a contribution to, for example, promoting reforestation. “There are airlines that allow the person at the time of purchase, to pay an additional fee to support endangered ecosystems or to plant trees”, explains the environmental engineer.
Using free time to volunteer in activities organised by the authorities for forest cleaning is also an important measure. The cleaning of these areas reduces the risk of fire, preventing the destruction of these carbon reservoirs.
By: Renata Silva