There are plenty of ways we can reduce our impact on the environment. One of these, a really cheap one, is walking. Walking alone, with friends, with your boyfriend, with your mum, to? You can walk to work, to the pub, to the cinema, to the park wherever!

"Why not use a car?" you could ask me. I would reply with another question: Do you necessarily need to go everywhere by car? Think about it. A nice walk wakes you up when you go to work in the morning and makes you feel better when you go back home in the evening, especially if your job requires you to sit all day; it keeps you healthy, because it gives you energy, it helps you to burn calories, to prevent heart diseases and to stimulate your muscles! More benefits here.

A nice walk gives you the opportunity to enjoy the nature, to breathe and, why not, to meet new interesting people.  "What if its a rainy, cold day?" Well, you can wear your best coat and rainy boots, open your umbrella and just go!

Moreover, walking is cheaper. Better again, it prevents stress!

Driving a car means:

1. More money to spend every day in gasoline;
2. More money to spend every day in parking;
3. More money for the maintenance and insurance;
4. Contributing to pollute the air YOU breath every day;
5. More stress!

I have been working with the Connect4Climate team (a really green one!) for one year, studying with my colleagues the best ways not only to raise awareness about climate change globally, but also to engage young people in daily sustainable actions. The change needs to start from each of us, we should be the first to give an example on how to live in a greener way. I live 20 minutes away from the Connect4Climate office and I walk every day, by the rain, by the sun or by the snow, and I really enjoy it because it makes me feel better.

PS: You live far away from the place you want to reach?  Take a bus or the metro, which will allow you to get closer and then just walk!

Share your green actions and climate change stories in our Voices4Climate competition.

For three years, Muntasir Mamun worked towards one goal and one dream: Trash Maniacs. For 66 days, this 30-year-old engineer from Bangladesh rode across the USA on a tandem bike with his colleague Mohammad Ujjal, to measure and collect the amount of plastic and other waste they came across. Equipped with a smartphone application to track and count litter, they rode for 5500 km, through 40 cities and 12 states, starting in Seattle and finishing in Washington, D.C. With this journey they hoped to raise awareness on climate change and the impact of plastic and trash on the environment, for the benefit of their home country and the rest of the world. 

Why? Muntasir clarifies: "The USA have the highest consumption of plastic based products and the largest consumer market for the bottled water in the world. And Bangladesh is the most vulnerable nation in the world, due to global climate change. A large number of people are displacing their homes from one place to another, as a result of the regular environmental disasters. In Dhaka- the capital- nearly 20 million people are living in only 304km, and this number is growing every day." 

Growing up in a country where millions are affected by climate change has made Muntasir aware of the environmental problems the world is facing and how urgent it is to take a stand: "Dhaka is an example of what is going to happen in the future in many other countries: flooding, storm-surge, shoreline erosion, degradation of agricultural land, cyclones..." 

And so, even though it took him three years to save the necessary money and his visa request for the US was rejected three times, Muntasir didnt give up on his journey to raise awareness for the change the world desperately needs. For 66 days he rode his tandem bike through the country with his colleague, camping along the way and only sleeping at motels or hostels for a very few times, measuring the plastic that is not recycled and other debris they came across. After 40 days, they both ran out of money, and had to rely on friends for shelter and on donations of food and other supplies. But in the end, it paid off. Trash Maniacs won the C4C Special Prize in the Voices4Climate competition, and Muntasir was declared International Climate Leader, by The Climate Reality Project. "This prize helped me a lot in making my voice stronger about this issue".

"Everything comes along with a price. Climate change is the result of our extravagant lifestyle, and if we dont solve this problem, poverty will never be eliminated". For this reason, Muntasir is planning to ride Trash Maniacs II next summer, from Alaska to Toronto, spreading his message along the way. "I want to keep this campaign in other countries where the rate of consumption is higher than their basic needs. My plan is to reach the global scale. This is a common ground where everyone can participate and contribute without any geographical boarder. We just have to start from home: one step at a time, all together".

[video:https://vimeo.com/106893756]

 

Connect4Climate joined the People's Climate March with Rachel Kyte, former Vice President and Special Envoy for Climate Change at the World Bank Group.

Days before world leaders gathered at the United Nations Climate Summit in New York, the People’s Climate March inspired more than half a million people to participate in public demonstrations. “Action, Not Words,” was the core message of marches and solidarity events worldwide, calling for leaders to take ambitious and immediate action to mitigate climate change.

166 countries

2,808 solidarity events

630,000+ social media posts about the NYC march alone

600,000+ people marching

On today's topic of how climate change affects health, lets start where we left off yesterday, with the role of women in rural communities. How climate change impacts health varies by landscape, location, and how the environment is used or misused by the people in that particular community. I wanted to reference the role of women in rural communities because of how they use the environment to provide for their families. 

As discussed yesterday, women on the continent play a central role in domestic activities in the home, which include cooking and taking care of children. So it shouldn't come as a surprise that acute respiratory failure from breathing indoor cooking smoke from charcoal and firewood is the number one killer of children under the age of 5, as referenced in the above video from Amy Smith. In adults, respiratory problems can manifest themselves as lung disease or bronchial asthma.

The linkages between the various categories become clearer and clearer. In this instance, there is a direct correlation between degradation of forests for energy, and the impact on respiratory health. The World Health Organization recently put a number to the premature deaths related to cooking fires causing compromised respiratory systems:

Although the danger has received scant public attention, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that more than two million premature deaths annually are caused by exposure to smoke from traditional cookstoves and open fires, with women and children the most afflicted. That makes it one of the top five overall health risks in poor, developing countries, and the cause of twice as many deaths as malaria. 

The toxic emissions are blamed for low birth weights, pneumonia in young children, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema, cardiovascular disease, lung cancer, cataracts and other health problems in adults. Half of all deaths among children under age five from acute lower respiratory infections are due to indoor air pollution from household solid fuels, according to WHO.

Another phenomenon of climate change impacting health is the prevalence of mosquitoes in areas where they didn't usually survive. As average global temperatures rise, mosquitoes are able to survive at altitudes where they previously didnt have a presence.

Nina Chestney wrote recently for Reuters, "As mosquito species spread due to climate change, the transmission rate of diseases like malaria will increase, engulfing countries like Zimbabwe from 2025 to 2050".

Malaria is the most prevalent vector born disease that currently doesn't have an effective vaccine and is single-handedly responsible for reducing Africa's populations by 1 million each year. Malaria statistics from our partner organization, UNICEF paints a pretty grim future if solutions to mitigate climate changes threat to global health:

Malaria kills a child somewhere in the world every 30 seconds. It infects 350-500 million people each year, killing 1 million, mostly children in Africa. Ninety per cent of malaria deaths occur in Africa, where malaria accounts for about one in five of all childhood deaths. The disease also contributes greatly to anaemia among children - a major cause of poor growth and development.

While rainy season signals an increase in malaria infections, flooding from too much rain is also another threat to global health. Unpredictable flash floods serve as a vector for spreading waterborne diseases.

The Natural Resources Defense Council lists some of the waterborne ailments flood-stricken communities have to contend with:

Exposure to pathogens from sewage and unclean water can sicken vulnerable communities with illnesses like cryptosporidiosis, giardiasis, and norovirus (which cause diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, headache, and fever).

Human activities, like hillside deforestation, compound the effects of floods. This once again points a finger at human activity as one of the main factors worsening disasters related to climate change. Perhaps we need to consider that if we are the architects of our own demise, it is because we are not making the linkages between our actions and the natural disasters that befall us.

What do you think? What needs to be done in order for us, stewards of the environment, to actively work towards mitigating climate change? If climate change affects all of us through a fabric of human connectivity, how can we build stronger, smarter threads that form a better picture for our global health?

As we continue to dig deeper into the effects of climate change in our six main categories, it is important to take a moment to really reflect on todays category - gender. This is probably the only category that touches on the human aspect of climate change. From 10,000 feet up, we can all agree that climate change is indiscriminate in its effect on humanity. Men and women play important societal roles - both as the cause and the solution to human actions that lead to climate change.

At closer inspection though, climate change skews heavily towards women as the most affected gender. One reason perhaps is that the poorest, developing regions on the planet are usually the ones most dependent on natural systems for survival. Earlier this week, we looked at agriculture, energy and forestry categories. Agriculture is still Africa's number one economic engine. Behind this agrarian economy are the subsistent farmers who plant just enough to feed their families and perhaps trade the excess.

In Africa, cultural practices often put women at the center of providing for family. This means that the survival of the family runs through a woman. She plants, collects firewood and water, cooks and is generally responsible for the well-being of the family unit. But what happens when the natural resources rural women are dependent on like predicable weather patterns for rain, cultivation and clean water are compromised?

The Guardian recently ran a piece with data from The World Disasters Report:

The World Disasters Report, published by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, says 178 million children under the age of five have stunted growth as a result of a lack of food.

The annual report, which this year focuses on hunger and malnutrition, says the rise in basic food prices, the impact of changing climate and an increasing population have pushed the number of people who are undernourished to at least 1 billion. Of these, around 60% are women. When food is scarce it is often women who receive less or give their share to their children.

IPS News, a C4C knowledge partner recently covered a story on women dealing with climate change in Ghana:

As streams dry out, groundwater levels dwindle, and forests and other vegetation yield to droughts or severe storms, women who live their lives in the rural areas of Ghana have to spend more time and energy finding water and food for their families.

For these women, climate change means more hard work just to survive.

Minister for Women and Children's Affairs Juliana Azumah Mensah shares the same opinion.

"It is an undisputed fact that women constitute a large number of the poor in communities that are highly dependent on local natural resources for their livelihoods."

But we shouldn't look at climate change as something that simply victimizes women. It also empowers women to be agents of change within their communities. Wangari Maathai dedicated most of her life to environmental activism. She showed how powerful one womans life can be. Africa's young women are rising up in her foot steps and taking on environmental challenges in their communities, countries and the continent. Esther Agbarakwe, a young Nigerian mobilizing youth in her country and on the continent to participate in the climate change solutions, is just one of many who are strong climate change advocates in their communities. Esther recently wrote this about the importance of mobilizing youth for climate change:

Engaging young people in actions to address climate change is a critical element to any nations strategy. Young people are also a key point of influence for other segments of society (e.g., families and communities). If citizens come to understand what the risks of climate change are and how they can play a role in reducing the impact of climate change, they can become an integral part of the solution. Youth are an important source of creativity, enthusiasm and drive for any actions to address climate change.

In the interest of a balanced discussion on gender, we of course can't rule out the role men play at the intersection of gender and climate change. Just as women are at the center of subsistent and small-holder farming, men are often at the helm of large-scale resource-intensive industries that task the environment. By its very nature, the existence of large-scale farming means that natural systems like forests and waterways were compromised in exchange for the economic well-being of a segment of society.

Male-dominated industries like cotton, tea, sugar and coffee also have to answer to climactic hiccups. Bad crop yields due to weather extremes can force entire industries (employing mostly men) to collapse, diminishing the economic benefit altogether. This forces men with families to again try live off the same compromised eco-system through agrarian survival that is heavily dependent on - you guessed it - women.

How, then, should the solutions to climate change be reached? If women impact the climate through their responsibilities as domestic providers and men impact the environment from the industry side, how do we draw up solutions that dont favor one over the other? Perhaps a good start to answering that question is an excerpt from this research paper from the World Bank from 2008, "Gender and climate change: mapping the linkages" that states:

At the same time, it is the vulnerable and marginalised who have the least capacity or opportunity to prepare for the impacts of a changing climate or to participate in negotiations on mitigation. As women constitute the largest percentage of the world's poorest people, they are most affected by these changes. Children and youth - especially girls - and elderly women, are often the most vulnerable.

We'd like to hear from you. What are some climate change solutions that address gender? How can both genders participate in solutions-driven discussions that benefit everyone? Sound off in the comments below.

To me it seems like we might finally be coming out of what I like to call the post-COP15 climate change fatigue. The world is opening its eyes again. In the aftermath of 2012 there seems to be a broader acceptance that climate-induced extreme weather events are occurring, see WRI’s timeline of extreme weather events in 2012. I am encouraged to see increased climate change discussion happening around the world.

The extreme events experienced in the US in 2012 broke a number of records. This has resulted in Obama actively taking a stance on climate change. In his State of the Union address Obama said: “The 12 hottest years on record all came in the last 15. Heat waves, droughts, wildfires, floods all are more frequent and more intense… We can choose to believe in the overwhelming judgment of science – and act before it's too late.”

Not only is action being seen in the US, but also in countries such as China and increasingly across the developing world. South Africa, for example, has finally signed off on a number of renewable energy projects to help relieve its electricity supply deficit, making it an attractive market for renewable energy project developers. In 2012 most of the new energy projects in the US were also renewable, and in Germany, where the feed-in tariff for renewables has been cut back, the rollout of solar and wind projects still continues.

On a general note, although there was an apparent lull in global greenhouse-gas emissions in recent years, it was largely due to the global economic recession, and global emissions are still growing at an unprecedented rate. In 2012 CO₂ measurements soared. Even though this might have more to do with the fact that it was one of the hottest years on record, and hence the increase was more natural than human induced, the Mauna Loa records do indicate that we are heading above the “standard emissions scenario” of the IPCC and towards a 3°C or even 4°C warmer world, see also the World Bank Report, Turn Down The Heat.

Nonetheless there seems to be an increased realization that the best way of getting out of the global recession is through low-carbon development. Actually, it is the only way. As Betty Williams recently said at the Right Here, Right Now event “climate change is an injustice to Mother Earth.” To let us live in harmony in the future and make sure we and our children continue to enjoy our Mother Earth, low-carbon development is a necessity.

Besides mitigation, the adaptation agenda has really picked up, particularly in because of extreme weather events. There is an increased realization by cities and regional governments that we are already living with the impacts of climate change and that adaptation planning is a necessity. The EU is coming up with its Climate Change Adaptation Strategy and in 2013 Connect4Climate will be represented at the first European Climate Adaptation Conference.

 

Such local and regional action is a welcome driving force. To me it seems that local action will drive global change, and as more and more actors come on board, the movement will no longer be local. It will become global. It is time to connect as far and wide as possible. Every industry, from fashion to energy, needs to take on the sustainability challenge, and every audience needs to come on board, which is why we are pushing for the broadest engagement possible at Connect4climate. In the words of Jim Yong Kim: “To deliver bold solutions on climate change, we need to listen to and engage broader and more diverse audiences. We need to hear the voices of young people. Their futures are at stake. The time for all generations to act is now.”

So while I see an awakening in the world, climate change is more of a reality than ever before. The wasted years from 2009 may finally have caught up with us, and we must not forget the challenge of dealing with climate change. We will have to peak global emissions in the next few years, and we will need to continue building our resilience to the climatic changes we have already set in motion. As Achim Steiner puts it: “the sobering fact remains that a transition to a low carbon, inclusive Green Economy is happening far too slowly, and the opportunity for meeting the 44 Gt target is narrowing annually.”

This makes me wonder why I still see adverts on CNN advocating the growth of the US petroleum industry by BP and other players and why, when 97% of all scientists know that climate change is a reality, the renowned debating forum at the Oxford Union still feels the need to give the platform to a climate skeptic.

In conclusion, thank you all for embracing climate change reality, but please realize that now more than ever it is time to act. In the words of Jim Yong Kim: "Connect4Climate is important because we have to take this struggle to a different level. We have been talking about the numbers. 98% of scientists agree, we are going to see a 4 degree Celcius world by the end of the century... We have said all the numbers again and again, but what we yet have failed to do is actually connect."

So I say, connect right here and right now to solve the climate challenge.

“We need to have a more sustainable way of life.” This is a message that we hear almost every day from multiple environmental sources. However, most of the time this message is so generic, we don’t listen.

Think about water. It’s one of the five Earth elements we waste the most. From morning until night, water is in our lives. As I am writing, I’m realizing that 99 percent of my water-related activities are performed in the bathroom. Sometimes a simple and tiny action can make a real difference.

For instance, I know that sometimes I wake up late, and my main focus is only how to get to the office on time. I do everything quickly and don’t pay attention to details. I use to set the alarm fifteen minutes before I was supposed to wake up, but the “snooze” button is often irresistible. But even waking up a bit late I still have enough time to get a bucket.

A bucket? For what? Well, I really don’t like to take a shower with cold water (who does?), so I wait for the water to get warm, and fill my bucket with the initial cold water. Can you imagined the quantity of water we use for absolutely nothing? The bucket is the solution! I can use that water to flush the toilet or to even to clean the bathroom.

Some people do not turn off the tap when brushing teeth. I still can’t imagine why people need that water! Perhaps to have a different soundtrack when brushing teeth? Please turn off the tap! The U.S. Geological Survey offers a calculator with which you can measure how much water you use when brushing teeth. Their website also indicates that “generally newer bath faucets use about 1 gallon (3.79 liters) per minute, whereas older models use over 2 gallons (7.58 liters).” That’s a lot!

When taking a shower, do you usually turn off the tap while soaping up? In this case, we can save money on two things – water and soap. When soaping do you really need to feel the water on your skin? It’s useless and makes the soap ineffective.

[video:https://vimeo.com/67090234]

Also, consider washing cars. I used to wash mine quite often, and wasted a lot of water and money in the process. Your car doesn’t need to be so clean that you can see your face on it (though I confess I once thought so). In most cases those car wash machines are enough to clean off the dust and dirt, and hit the road. “A home car wash can go through 80 to 140 gallons (300 to 530 liters) of water, whereas a wash at one of its garages will take about 30 to 45 gallons (115 to 170 liters),” according to Kaady Car Washes, a chain on the American west coast, cited in Scientific American. Numbers such as these are enough to make anyone think twice, don’t you agree?

The meat industry also uses high levels of water. I don’t eat meat, so I am contributing to a more sustainable way of life. I know it is not easy to stop eating meat in just one day. This decision doesn’t need to be radical – the transition to a meatless way can be gradual. Or you could commit to simply eating less meat. National Geographic’s website calculated how much water it takes to allow you to eat your favorite hamburger. Producing one pound (0.5 kilograms) of beef uses 1799 gallons (6810 liters) of water. One pound (0.5 kilograms) of chicken uses 468 gallons (1773 liters) of water. On the other hand, one pound of soybean (tofu’s most important ingredient) needs 216 gallons (818 liters) of water, one apple consumes 18 gallons (70 liters) of water, and one orange requires 13 gallons (50 liters) of water.

Why is it so important to focus our attention on water consumption? In the United States, it is now possible to see the practical effects of water scarcity. The massive drought in California is a wake-up call and it should inspire us to undertake efforts to use water in a more conscientious way.

Think about these little things. I think you will feel better, not only because you will save money on your water bill but you will save the planet for your beloved ones and for the future generations. They also deserve to live in a decent world.

Daniel Pinto Lopes is an intern at Connect4Climate. He is originally from Covilhã, central Portugal.

In our on-going effort to engage on a deeper level with our growing audience, team C4C is going to be digging a little deeper into our main categories of focus. We hope this will encourage the sharing of ideas and solutions along these very critical categories. Each Wednesday, well delve into the topic of forestry and how climate change is affecting forests - more specifically the people, communities, and eco-systems that rely on forests for their survival. Today well focus on diverging conservation advocacy strategies currently in play. We want to look at how large multi-national NGOs communicate to their base about the issues around forestry, versus how individuals, communities, and grass roots sensitization organizations approach the issue.

In all forms of activism, there is often a difference in approach and perspectives between grassroots movements and international campaigns from high-budget organizations. Forests are useful and valuable for a variety of reasons, leading to a variety of perspectives on the best way to manage or conserve them. And as with any advocacy effort, there are a myriad of stake holders with a vested interest in having their concerns addressed.

International campaigns tend to approach issues in a way that is necessary to have relevance to a global audience. This video from UNEP and the UNs International Year of Forests - 2011 highlights that forests provide countless resources for humans, mitigate climate change, and most importantly require our protection. (Personally, I cannot watch it without yearning for a stroll in the woods or a tree-planting excursion.) Such high-profile campaigns from international organizations are fantastic for raising awareness of issues and the need to act on them.

However, the nuances of conservation efforts are often lost in the attempt to reach a global audience. The reality of forest conservation is far more complex than is often depicted. Efforts to preserve forests, in implementation, have sometimes neglected the rights of indigenous groups or the needs of rural populations. It then can lead to displacement, environmental degradation elsewhere, and the loss of cultural heritage - sall of which alienate people from conservation efforts, as in Uganda in the 1990s:

...The National Resistance Movement (NRM), now the ruling party, thought it prudent to conserve Mabira and started reforestation efforts, including evicting many of the families who had come to live in it.

(More governments are now providing incentives for communities to preserve their forests.) International organizations cannot be faulted for leaving these nuances out of campaigns. The complexity of most issues is impossible to summarize and address in awareness-raising campaigns or calls to action for the general public. You simply cannot fully educate everyone about everything.

Grassroots campaigns, on the other hand, have more ability to focus on the nuances of specific situations and address the needs of specific communities. But grassroots campaigns struggle with access to resources necessary for global attention, funding projects, and enacting change.

How then can grassroots movements and international organizations work together to make their campaigns most effective, their policies most beneficial to forests and the communities which rely on them? What role can technology play?

Finding a healthy and balanced lifestyle has been an ongoing process for me. What foods and practices are healthy for me and the environment? Which choices make me feel proud to say that Im doing my best?

Avoiding factory-farmed foods is a practice that I maintain for reasons, including the fact that, "Millions of animals are crowded togethercausing significant environmental threats and unacceptable health risks for workers, their neighbors and all the rest of us". 

Here are a few brief takeaways for you:

1. Sustainable Table:

"Factory farms emit harmful gases and particles such as methane and hydrogen sulfide, which can contribute to global warming and harm the health of those living or working nearby".

2. Sustainable Table:

"Air pollution results from the overuse of machinery, the mismanagement of manure, and the irresponsible feeding practices that characterize industrial farming".

3. Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production:

"Every day, doctors use antibiotics to treat thousands of sick children and adults. Humans depend on these life-saving medicines for their personal health. But did you know that as much as 70 percent of all antibiotics sold in the U.S. are being fed to cattle, swine, and poultry on industrial animal farms, for purposes other than treating disease?"

Maintaining a diet free from factory-farmed foods feels both healthy and intuitive to me. Many times, food that is served to us originates from practices that are not healthy or kind to any party or place involved, including the animals, those working within factories, and the surrounding soil and air.

Some healthy food for thought:

• Research where your food is grown and packaged
• The fewer ingredients, the better
• If you don’t understand an ingredient, write it down and research what it is and why it has been added to the item

When I moved to the US I realized that the consumption habits related to my new household and everyday life were not the most sustainable. Air conditioning 24 hours a day, and to always use the drying machine instead of drying your clothes naturally in the sun is something unbelievable in my home country (Portugal) and not the right path if you care about your impact on the environment.

So, after this consumption shock, I realized that I had to green my routine and thats when I decided to transform the 12x5 backyard garden of my house into a vegetable garden.

Gardening and growing your own vegetables is easier than it seems and is also a fulfilling experience. Gardening is an action that is more than a funny, relaxing, and rewarding outdoor exercise. It requires you to learn more about crops, watering methods, soil characteristics, and to feel the real impacts of climate change on living species. Besides this knowledge advantage, growing your own vegetables will bring you several benefits. It allows you to really know what you are eating, to always have fresh vegetables, to try better tasting food since you will be sure to avoid pests and food modifying processes, and to reduce food waste. At the same time, you will save money on groceries and you will even be able to involve your family and friends in an outdoor activity a great way to engage everyone in sustainable actions and to promote a green lifestyle. You will be making an healthier and smarter choice for you and for the planet!

With a small sunny piece of soil, a packet of seeds, and the right mood to become a modern farmer everyone can grow his or her own vegetables. Here I am with my beautiful first pumpkin, happy and ready to celebrate Halloween, or to transform it into a delicious pumpkin cake!

Got a personal climate change story to share with us, then submit it to Voices4Climate for a chance to win!