what to do specifically? Even diet can save us – Corriere.it

We are still in time to reverse the trend which would lead to an increase of 1.5 degrees in global temperature, if not even +3.5 °C, with serious environmental consequences. This was indicated by the Sixth Report of the IPCC (United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) published on Monday. After a thorough analysis of the current situation and future trends based on various scenarios, the IPCC scientists also indicate the time left (a decade) to avoid major disasters and the technologies already at our disposal to act concretely on the ‘climate emergency. Going in two directions: on the one hand by addressing the world’s political decision-makers, invited to take concrete actions which, so far, despite the assurances of the 2015 signing of the Paris Agreements, have remained largely below expectations, on the other by calling into question the individual inhabitants of this planet, spurred on to daily actions which, apparently small and insignificant, can make a difference when added together. Also because, says the IPCC Report, the worst consequences of global warming are not borne by those who largely caused it, but by those who live in the poorest and most vulnerable countries.

personal actions

In terms of personal actions, the IPCC, in addition to indicating the risk of an increase in psychological problems linked to the consequences of global warming, emphasizes:
– healthier lifestyles

– increased use of bicycles and collective transport systems

– walk

– a diet rich in fruits and vegetables

– less consumption of high carbon footprint meats (carbon footprint)
– save water resources

– avoid food waste.
According to Hoesung Lee, president of the IPCC, the references to individual actions are a marked change of pace compared to the previous Report of 2014, where they were hardly mentioned. “At every level – governments, communities, individuals – everyone has always viewed climate change as someone else’s problem,” said Peter Thorne, a professor at Maynooth University in Ireland and one of the report’s authors. “But if we look at the costs, with the improvement of the air the simple health benefits are equal if not greater than the costs of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”

technologies

“Until now we had only talked about technologies, which were largely expensive and not ready”, explains Elena Verdolini professor of political economy at the University of Brescia, senior scientist of the CMCC (Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change) and one of the authors of the IPCC Mitigation Report. «One thing must be clear: we do not yet have ALL the technologies to do what we would like, but we do have those for concrete actions and to achieve good results. It is largely a political will to put them into practice. The costs of these technologies have come down in the last 10 years more than expected». The IPCC Report indicates which ones to focus on to achieve global warming mitigation:
– closure of coal plants

– increase in renewable energy (cost of solar down 85% between 2010 and 2019, wind down 55%)
– storage of unused renewable energies

– traditional hydroelectric and mini-hydro (although there are some negatives)
– shared mobility (car sharing),
– electric cars

– energy efficiency of industrial processes and buildings

– less use of fertilizers in agriculture and less intensive animal breeding

– decarbonisation of air and naval transport

– reforestation

– avoid soil consumption.

Future solutions

The IPCC Report also indicates:
– carbon capture and storagetechnologies that are currently very expensive and whose effectiveness has not yet been demonstrated
– Solar radiation management: they include orbiting panels for shielding the sun’s rays
– dispersal of aerosols into the atmosphere

– direct capture of CO2 from the air with filteri (still experimental)
— fertilization of the seas to absorb the CO2 dissolved in the water.