As Earth Day states, we need to ‘act (boldly), innovate (broadly), and implement (equitably). Businesses, governments, and citizens — everyone accounted for, and everyone accountable’.
Does this year mark a transition – an inflection point – that might we look back and say, ‘we began to turn the corner’?
The data is beginning to look more positive – or at least that we’re heading in the right direction.
In 2022 in the US, for the first time, more electricity was generated from renewables than coal. Renewable energy also surpassed nuclear power. Growth in wind and solar drove this increase in renewables, contributing to 14% of all electricity produced.
in 2022 in Australia, renewables contributed 35% of total electricity generation. November and December recorded 42% renewable generation, compared to 36% over the same period in 2021.
Although, the picture is complex. Studies show that even if all emissions halted today, the planet would still have a 42% chance of overshooting the 1.5 degree target for warming.
An as emissions are not going to suddenly stop, we will almost certainly overshoot 1.5 degrees.
What impact will greater drought, fire, famine, the flow of refugees from increasingly unliveable parts of the world mean for us all?
As individuals, the natural response is to feel overwhelmed. Yet while our lives require us to consume and move – and movement as transport, almost always emits carbon – how can we tread lighter with our everyday choices, take less and give back more?
At i=Change, we believe that backing the experts is one of the best ways to drive change. So we find these people, running the NGOs committed to solving, or at least mitigating, the great challenges of our time.
Seabin is run by a passionate group of volunteers and scientists, who have developed a uniquely simple and scalable way to remove plastics from bays and harbors.
Every $1 donated removes up to 1.2kg of plastic and debris from the sea.
i=Change has raised over $248,000 for Seabin, helping remove almost 300,000 tonnes of plastic from the sea.
The world is at a critical inflection point. The choices we make each day can collectively change the course of history.
This Earth Day, and every day, we can be the change.
