It is imperative that we act on the climate crisis. I will be delving into the importance of saving our planet.
I will be going in depth as to why we need to act on climate change, whilst looking through the lens of key concepts and the specific effects of climate change here in London.
Acting is the right thing to do, not just for the sake of the planet but also for the sake of our own health. By reducing the amount of greenhouse gas emissions, we also reduce the risks of heart disease and diabetes. This can be done by making changes to our daily transport and diet.
Each year climate change is estimated to cause 400,000 deaths. This is since climate change has effects on the spread of diseases and major temperature extremes. If we continue to act against climate change, we will be able to protect ourselves against the health consequences that come with it.
Photo by Markus Spiske from Pexels
Looking more specifically at the key concept of mediatization, we see that the way in which we act and interact regarding the climate crisis has changed due to the influence media has on us. Hepp, A. (2020) states “analysis of mediatization focuses its attention, both empirically and theoretically, on the specific consequences of this saturation of everyday life by media and to what extent this affects social and cultural change” (p. 4). There are always going to be positive and negative effects when it comes to mediatization, however I would argue that is incredibly positive in the case of the climate crisis.
In order for change to happen, all sectors of society need to be aware of what is happening to our planet. Having our lives so saturated with the media truly means there is no ignoring the climate crisis and the inevitable if we do not do something about it. As Hepp, A. (2020) states previously, mediatization can impact cultural and social change, although social media platforms should not be your go to source for news that is where many people have learnt about the climate crisis and where many climate change petition links are available.
The concept of mediatization also relates to change in practices. Where people once only got information from television or physical publications, we can now get this information from any remote location with our devices. There is so much access to information on the climate crisis ranging from ted talks on YouTube to even short clips on TikTok. There is a plethora of apps and sites where you can learn about climate, there is also a site where you can calculate your own carbon footprint.
There are a lot of public figures who have been using their platform to express the importance of taking action against the climate crisis. One of the most notorious being Leonardo Dicaprio, his donations help climate change, marine life and a multitude of other organisations. Greta Thunberg Is another extremely famous activist who became famous for her work on climate change at just 14 years old. She has been calling out world leaders on the fact they need to do more and has been organising climate strikes. Since she is so young, she has really shown this generation that taking action truly is the right thing to do. Many celebrities and influencers use their platforms to spread awareness about the climate crisis. We see that the media can be a tool in aiding efforts to save our planet.
These Celebrities and activists use their fame to reach the masses and educate them that we must act on the climate crisis to not just save our planet but also tackle the amount of people dying.
© Emily Smith
In relation to London, we must act as a community against the climate crisis. London is a significantly polluted city; this is having major consequences for the weather but also people’s health. It was estimated that in 2008 over 4,300 people died prematurely due to particles within the air. London is also having to make plans to reduce flood risks, cope with droughts and heat risks. Action needs to be taken, urban cities like London struggle with these temperature changes as buildings are made with hard materials that create and put out even more heat. As London’s population is only expected to grow this causes some serious concerns for the future, quality of life in a city and people’s well-being.
Climate change also massively impacts Indigenous communities. Although no two Indigenous communities are the same, a commonality is that they are typically located in more at-risk areas. Due to climate change these communities are having to deal with the effects of climate change in their everyday lives. For example, rise in temperatures affect insect infestations and that can lead to damaged food supplies. Acting on climate change is so important because these communities need to be protected, climate change has a terribly negative effect on their livelihood.
It is clear that climate change is or is going to be a huge issue for everyone, regardless of if you are in a city or rural area.
There is no other answer to the question other than its always right to take action on the climate crisis. By doing so, we are saving communities, wildlife, and marine life. Unless we act, we put everyone on our planet at risk. We are already seeing some of the horrifying effects of climate change, for example the Australian bushfires.
Without change we are setting ourselves and future generations up for an apocalyptic future. It is always right to do everything we can to save our planet.
What can you do to act against the climate crisis?
Bibliography:
Abate, R. and Kronk, E., 2022. Commonality among unique indigenous communities: an introduction to climate change and its impacts on indigenous peoples. [online] Elgar Online: The online content platform for Edward Elgar Publishing. Available at: <https://www.elgaronline.com/view/edcoll/9781781001790/9781781001790.00009.xml> [Accessed 2 February 2022].
Hepp, A. (2020). Deep Mediatization.: key Ideas in Media and Cultural Studies. London and New York: Routledge. [Ebook]: https://libsearch.arts.ac.uk/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=1450746&query_desc=
London. Gov. 2022. [online] Available at: <https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we do/environment/climate-change/climate-adaptation/heat> [Accessed 2 February 2022]
London. Gov. 2022. [online] Available at: <https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/environment/climate-change/climate-change-and-weather#:~:text=London’s%20climate%20is%20changing.,greenhouse%20gases%20like%20carbon%20dioxide> [Accessed 2 February 2022]
London. Gov. 2022. [online] Available at: <https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/environment/pollution-and-air-quality/health-and-exposure-pollution> [Accessed 2 February 2022]
PEOPLE.com. 2022. ‘We Are at a Tipping Point’: Celebrities Who Are Saving the Earth (and How They’re Doing It). [online] Available at: <https://people.com/celebrity/celebrities-who-care-about-climate-change/?slide=6941c16d-cec1-4919-be45-a2e67833bc65#6941c16d-cec1-4919-be45-a2e67833bc65> [Accessed 2 February 2022].
Who.int. 2022. [online] Available at: <https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/climate-change/did-you-know—climate-action-for-the-general-public> [Accessed 2 February 2022].
Nice work! Nicola