The Climate Crisis has a solution, but it's not what you expect

I made a mistake when I wrote the text titled 'How to reduce your impact on climate change'. Therefore, I explain that nothing we do individually has the capacity to reverse the crisis. The solution, however, is not; individual. Until Quite recently, I still believed that changing individual attitudes could mitigate the impact of humans on the climate and act as a feedback system that could infect others close to you. to also review attitudes. However, I did not take into account that 10% of the richest people in the world are responsible for more than half of all emissions, nor that 1% of the richest are responsible for emissions. responsible for 15% of greenhouse gases, while the poorest half of the planet emits only 7% of carbon. 63 million people emit more than twice as much carbon as 3.1 billion. According to report from Oxfam, an NGO of British origin, this is a case of carbon inequality or climate injustice, and it made me rethink about this consumer society we live in .

< em>Figure: Cumulative proportion of emissions between 1990 and 2015, and global distribution of emissions linked to the consumption of different income groups. Source: < a href="https://webassets.oxfamamerica.org/media/documents/Confronting-Carbon-Inequality.pdf?_gl=1*ypd9p0*_ga*NTg5NTU3MTE3LjE2OTUyMTMyNzA.*_ga_R58YETD6XK*MTY5NTIxNjY2My4yLjEuMTY5NTIxNjY2Ny41Ni4w LjA." style="text-decoration-line : none;" target="_blank">Oxfam.

I argued, based on studies, that a "dietà A plant-based diet, or at least a reduction in animal protein consumption, could reduce carbon emissions. My argument was relative to the It is estimated that 100 hectares of grain production can feed 1,100 people, but these grains intended for agriculture beef feed only feeds eight people with meat. 

However, I didn't take into consideration that almost one third of all food produced in the world is Wasted throughout the production chain, half between production and the market and the other half with the final consumer. Only This waste contributes to 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, while 10% of the world's population goes hungry. In Brazil it is It's even worse and this rate reaches 15% of the population. It won't just be; avoiding the consumption of animal protein, which can contribute to reducing emissions. Waste is It is a great villain, whether in production or consumption, and must be fought. In production, because it is It is more profitable to waste food than to propose solutions to feed the population that is already hungry. which costs money and is not converted into profit. In consumption, because more than half of people don't see problems having too much food, inevitably generating waste.

Passed me It is also unnoticed that a diet is important. herbal base is It is the privilege of a minority, because it is the privilege of a minority. Dear. In Brazil, the largest soy exporter in the world, a liter of soy oil cost R$ 15.00 when my previous text was published (2022), which is, at least , an incongruity. But it can also be called inflation due to the rise in the dollar, as it already has. that the devalued national currency favors exports, because it is most profitable . Therefore, the nutrition of the lower-income population is limited. based on cheaper products, produced on a large scale, that is, ultra-processed and, consequently, of poorer quality. This adds to the fact that access to a diet based on natural products is essential. This is harmed by the low income of the population because they are more expensive.

I also mentioned: m that it would be possible to reduce emissions by reducing "air travel", because flights correspond to 2.5% of the total carbon emitted annually, but a flight between Sã ;Paulo and Miami issue per person the equivalent of one year's worth of a car. But who's going to Miami? It certainly isn't. a reality for 50% of the Brazilian population, which wins even R$453.00 per month. Or even for 90% of the Brazilian population, which earns less than three thousand and five hundred reais per month, and a large part of these Brazilians are in the informal market (40%). Meanwhile, the former economy minister complained that there was a time of appreciation of the real and greater purchasing power of the population, and was “everyone going to Disneyland, maids going to Disneyland, a hell of a party. But wait a minute. Go for a walk there in Foz do Iguaçu, go for a walk there in the Northeast. Go to Cachoeiro From Itapemirim, you will see where Roberto Carlos was born, you will see Brazil.” It cannot be ignored that plane trips are made by a minority of the population, with greater purchasing power. span>

I also did not consider that only 2.9% of the Brazilian aircraft fleet is made up of aircraft. intended for public and regular transport, against 46.6% that is intended for public transport. toilet. Who is You're really rich in Brazil, you don't take private flights, you have your own jet, and a large part of these carbon emissions come from this means of transport.

"Not owning a car" It has also been argued because they are among the highest emitters of CO2 per capita compared to other modes of transport such as public transport or cycling. But this is already the case. is This is the reality of half of the Brazilian population, who commutes to work every day by public transport, and is She is the one who suffers most from traffic. Once again, it is not necessary. The majority of the population owns a car. There are Furthermore, the fact that Brazil, despite being one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases, its main contribution is through the agricultural sector. The contribution of Brazilian transport to total global emissions is of 0.43%, against. Agribusiness emits more than double that. Again, a small portion of the Brazilian population, which owns the land, is owned by the Brazilian population. the one that contributes most to global warming.

< em>Figure: Contribution of greenhouse gas emissionsby country and economic sector. Source: WRIBrasil.

Finally, I mentioned that "having fewer children (or not having them)" is This is the attitude that has the greatest impact on reducing individual CO2 emissions. This argument was the embryo of my current thinking on the subject, when I explained that “emission reduction is not a problem. is the same for the whole world, now that the per capita emission is It is quite unequal between rich and poor countries. [...] An Elon Musk jet emits the equivalent of 30,000 Americans [...]. This means that the decision not to have children generates more impact among families in rich countries than in poor countries.” Only that recent facts go in the opposite direction. Elon Musk himself has ten children, but he is a child. Only the most famous among the billionaires who have many children. Here, you You can see a list of American billionaires with more than eight children. Added to this is the fact that billionaires like Jeff Bezos (from Amazon) are investing in genetic improvement companies to “defeat death”. We know that this type of technology, if viable, will be to serve this small segment of the population.

Therefore, from There is no point in changing our habits, not even influencing people close to us to change theirs when the differenceis in just 1% of the world population. É We need to organize ourselves as a collective so that change concerns the way the human species relates to the planet and to itself. After all, the only weapon we have is a weapon. the amount. É I need to overcome the vision of incessant profit, in which 63 million people emit more than twice as much carbon as 3.1 billion. Only This way we will be able to survive as a human species.

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Leandro Bonesi is Oceanographer, Master in Biological Oceanography and PhD student in Environmental Oceanography. He works as a Manager in an environmental consultancy company and is currently working as a manager. in this market since 2007 trying to understand how humans impact the marine environment. É You are also a PADI accredited diver, underwater photographer and collector of unforgettable moments at sea and in nature.

Instagram: @lbonesi