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You are probably used to a CO₂ emissions map that looks like this, with China by far the biggest emitter and UK’s emissions fairly small.

But this map doesn’t show the full truth. It is misleading for 3 main reasons.

Have a quick brainstorm about what they could be.

To what extent are we actually responsible?

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(Here we look at production-based emissions – that is, emissions produced within a country’s boundaries without accounting for how goods are traded across the world)

First of all it doesn’t show the population of the country.

Using per capita emissions is particularly important if we’re looking at our personal carbon footprints and the changes we should make in our lives to reduce emissions.

When the population is taken into account, China actually has fairly low emissions, and the biggest emitters are countries like the US and Australia.

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The next major thing the first map misses is the CO₂ emissions produced in making stuff that we then trade.

When we buy products that produce a lot of CO₂ during their creation, the responsibility for that CO₂ is passed onto us as we’re the ones actually using the product.

This map shows which countries have a net import or export of CO₂ based on there trade.

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When you take into account these two factors, you get a much more honest picture of emissions.

Can you notice any patterns about the high emission countries from this map?

Take a minute to note them down

It shows ‘richer’ countries produce the most emissions, along with oil producing countries.

Keep this in mind for later when we discuss the impacts of climate change.

But there is still one more factor to consider...

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The third issue is that it doesn’t take into account cumulative emissions (the total emissions from the past and present).

The map above is also not completely honest as it doesn’t show population or trade, but you can see that richer countries have been emitting more CO₂ (which can stay in the atmosphere for over 100 years) for decades, putting them to blame even more (and giving them greater responsibility to act now.

This includes the UK.

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This is a good representation of the information we saw in a the previous map - richer people tend to have larger carbon footprints.

Why might this be? (think about lifestyle, eg. travelling more, buying more, etc.)

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We’ve seen who contributes most to climate change, but who do you think will be worst affected by it? (the cartoon gives you a clue)

Answer:

poorer people, especially in lower income countries, will be impacted more as:

They can’t afford the protection measures against extreme weather
They’re vulnerable (e.g. if their crops are destroyed, they will have no income and no way to feed or shelter their family), among others.

Is this fair?

Especially considering who emits the most CO₂

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Climate change

Coral bleaching

Plankton etc. dying

Ice melting

Extreme weather

Ocean acidification

Fish industry threatened/ sea faring communities affected

Ocean less able to absorb CO2

Sea food shortage

Ecosystem affected

More climate change

Destroy farmland

Destroy habitats & cities

Lack of crops/famine

Species extinction

Refugees

Overcrowded/ lack of resources

Sea level rising

Artic/ Antarctic shrinking

Habitat lost

Weather patterns disrupted

Flooding

Refugees

Species extinction

Extreme weather

Species extinction

Here is a clear diagram of the effects of climate change:

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Oxfam has been documenting the stories of some people affected, who are unable to grow food or find water due to drought, or whose homes have been washed away by floods

Please watch this video about these stories (8 mins long)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuc38-Q6TBs

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Causes of climate change: Consumerism

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What is it?

The concept that an ever-expanding consumption of goods is advantageous to the economy.

In a negative context: the situation when too much attention is given to buying and owning things, often things that are not really necessary:

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On each of the next few slides, there are images illustrating some of the problems with consumerism. For each image, try to guess which problem it’s describing and then click the screen for the answer

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What problems can it cause?

Depletion of limited resources, as we’re producing more than necessary

Waste, which can end up polluting rivers and oceans

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What problems can it cause?

Loss of identity and increasingly relating personal value to the possessions you own - does what you own define you?

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What problems can it cause?

Exploitation of workers, for example in sweatshops where they are underpaid and overworked in dangerous conditions

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What problems can it cause?

Destruction of ecosystems in order to obtain more materials

The carbon footprint involved in making an excessive and unnecessary amount of products

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Who perpetuates it? A consumer-driven society

Consumerism has become a big part of today’s society, so much so that it might be hard to spot at first.

Think about it...how many adverts do you see everyday for products that aren’t really necessities (ie. clothes, phones, etc.)?

Why do companies try to sell you things if you don’t actually need them?

To make money.

But how does this link to climate change?

Everything takes energy and resources to make + almost all consumer items end up in landfill..

Encouragement to participate in consumerism is blatantly putting ‘profit over planet’ where big companies prioritise making money above any negative environmental impacts they may be having.

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Is it always bad?

We can make consumerism less bad with sustainable, ethical production but then it’s no longer consumerism.

To fully counter the problems caused by consumerism we need a more dramatic shift to a circular economy: an alternative to a traditional linear economy (make, use, dispose) in which we keep resources in use for as long as possible, extract the maximum value from them whilst in use, then recover and regenerate products and materials at the end of each service life. We need to make sure we value people and planet over profit

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How can we avoid it?

Personally: Change your buying habits! e.g. buying clothes second hand. Think - do you really need it? What impact are you having?

Society: Engaging in environmental actions to raise awareness to the worst offending companies

We don’t need consumerism to have a good functioning society (Ours is not a functioning one with the levels of its inequality)

There is another way! – e.g. Cuba (described in more detail later on)

Both: Change the society! Lobby your mp, protest, join extinction rebellion…

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Solutions to climate change:

What do you think the most impactful actions are?

eating less meat,
not flying,
using renewable energy
buying less stuff

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The government also needs to take action but we control what they do in the way we vote or protest - they have to do what the majority demand in order to get voted into parliament.

The main actions the government can take are:

stopping subsidies to the fossil fuel industry
creating laws and regulations to cut emissions to reduce companies’ carbon footprints
support workers to transition to a green economy - i.e. provide training for ex-coal mine workers to learn to manage renewable energy/ other eco friendly jobs.

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Solutions to climate change: debates

Consumer VS Company: Are you or the company to to blame?

Companies often practice unethical practices which they could alter and are often not transparent. However ultimately it is me and you who demands the product - if no one demanded new clothes every week: no one would make them.

Should lower income countries be stopped from producing fossil fuels? If so what alternatives can we offer them? Do richer countries have a duty to help them become more sustainable?

We have a responsibility to enable developing countries to skip the ‘industrial revolution’ turning it into a sustainable ‘green revolution’.
We as nations who have already ‘developed’ materially need to provide green alternatives to developing nations such as: Incentives to protect natural landscapes for eco tourism, providing solar panels, wind farms and subsidised electrified technologies which promote economic and environmental growth

. Take a minute to ask yourselves what the moral reasons people go vegan for?

According to researchers at Oxford University a vegan diet requires 1/4 less water to grow the same food, decreases C02 emissions from food by 50-73% and requires 76% less farmland.

For each question, debate with a friend or brainstorm arguments

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Can a country care for the environment + economy?

Costa Rica as an example…..

Has a stable economy and a relatively high standard of living due to its emphasis on Eco-tourism + natural food exports

Run off of 99% renewable energy
It aims to be carbon neutral by 2021 meaning it will not be contributing to climate change

Contains 1/20th of world’s biodiversity (5%)

25% of all its territory is protected to preserve the natural landscape

They have no army = more investment in healthcare which is actually better than the US standard

It was named one of the happiest countries in the world - The UK has a stronger economy but poor

Environmental standards, is it really a coincidence they are happier than us?

Costa Rica is an amazing example of what the world could look like if we fight for the change, think about which actions the UK could take.

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What you can do in lock down

Change your consumer habits : Switch towards a plant based diet and cut down on buying into fast fashion. Just buy less stuff in general!

Plant flowers or grow some of your own food

Share your knowledge with your family, friends and community online

Research more about the climate crisis: through articles on the Guardian or books to websites (extinction rebellion has lots of information)

Join Extinction rebellion youth (@xr_youth) or UKSCN (@UKSCN) by following them on instagram and asking how to join a local group

Make artwork to raise awareness

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Yes

Does what you do make a difference?

Brainstorm and note some ideas before looking at the next slide

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Yes!

Does what you do make a difference?

I can’t be bothered (how could you justify this to families suffering the impacts of climate change like we saw in earlier slides?)
I don’t have the power to change anything
It’s companies’ and governments’ fault

We have some of the largest carbon footprints so the most responsibility to change
We can’t justify not changing
Will you vote? It’s the same principle - together our individual actions and voices create change
What you do spreads (joining groups such extinction rebellion!)
We control what the gov. and companies do when we vote/buy things (use your consumer power)
We have to start somewhere