Reducing Poverty Will Lower Our Impact on the Climate

Climate change is quickly becoming a global crisis. According to WHO, climate change is estimated to cause about 250,000 deaths per year from the years 2030 to 2050. These deaths are expected to be caused by malnutrition due to famine, heat stress, diarrhoea, and much more.

Raging fires, floods, storms, drought, these are just some of the news headlines we wake up to every day. You may wonder, what does climate change have to do with someone like me who likes playing 25 free spins no deposit casino? According to Nature Conservancy, a person living in the US has an average carbon footprint of 16 tons. This means that everyone has an impact on global heating in one way or another. But did you know that poverty and climate change are linked to each other? You cannot eradicate one without getting rid of the other. For instance, we cannot do away with climate change without doing away with poverty.

On the other hand, climate change is increasing the levels of poverty all over the world. Bear in mind that extreme weather conditions are causing food and water shortages and destroying more homes. This shows that the effects of climate change are making poverty worse since, without the source of basic needs, people will continue being poorer and poorer.

It is estimated that by the year 2030, the effects of climate change could push approximately 120 million people into poverty. This, in turn, could even make the weather condition even worse since poor communities try to indulge in activities such as deforestation to try and meet their daily needs. So, before trying to combat climate change, it is time we fight poverty, and this will lower our impact on the climate. Here is a quick overview of how we can achieve this.

Introduce Other Sources of Heat

Charcoal production is one of the main drives of deforestation in economically developing countries. Most people still depend on charcoal since electricity is becoming scarce and cooking gas is expensive. On the other hand, charcoal is affordable and most reliable. Even though cooking with charcoal is harmful to one’s health, some people are using it since this is the only cheap source of heat available to them.

Unfortunately, it is estimated that fuelwood and charcoal emit 1–2.4 gigatonnes (Gt) of carbon dioxide, which is 2–7% of total anthropogenic climate change. As a result, we can reduce burning charcoal and encourage other greener alternatives to it. For instance, processing charcoal dust to briquettes, encourage and make improved stoves affordable and available to all, or switch sourcing of wood or charcoal to other sources like wood residue or agricultural waste. They can also introduce solar panels and lights as a source of lighting.

Break Down the Main Causes of Poverty

Before we try to fight poverty, we have to identify its main causes first. Is it corruption? Or perhaps illiteracy or unemployment? Once we spot the root of the problem, we can begin to find the appropriate solutions. Involving the leaders of the low-income countries or towns and the people of the communities can be of great help. It is through this process when we can be able to transform the poverty situation and reduce the impact on climate.

The Way Forward

While trying to combat climate change, we should not forget that poverty and the environmental crisis are linked. Investments made to mitigate climate change will certainly reduce poverty. However, investments made to reduce poverty will protect us all from the effects of global warming.

Low-income countries can find better ways such as providing nourishing seeds, improved farming technology, markets, and loans to farmers to boost their harvest. The governments can also search for other restoration projects as well as educate their citizens on climate change and what they can do to help.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or the management of EconoTimes