A hot summer

Welcome to YouChoose, a blog about sustainable living. In this post I wanted to share a few reflections about recent heat waves.

This year, like every year, I was in Southern Europe for about 2 months and found myself in the middle of one of the hottest summers on record. This is the second year in a row that I find myself in such a situation over there. I grew up there and I am old enough to remember that summers used to be hot, especially in August, but generally pleasant in June and July. Lately the heat has become unsustainable from the beginning of June until September. The extreme heat was compounded by a drought and extended wildfires. The situation was such that, perhaps for the first time, climate change was perceived by everybody as a real and incumbent crisis. The reality of warming is becoming apparent to everybody.

Deforestation plays a major role in accelerating climate change. Globally, until now, tropical forests have acted as carbon sinks, sequestering large amounts of carbon dioxide. Today, emissions caused by the process of deforestation and land conversion to agriculture are starting to exceed the forest carbon sequestration. Forests are now becoming carbon sources instead of carbon sinks. . This in addition to land degradation, loss of biodiversity, and change in rainfall patterns.

Please read this very interesting article in NOAA’s research news:

https://research.noaa.gov/article/ArtMID/587/ArticleID/2778/Deforestation-warming-flip-part-of-Amazon-forest-from-carbon-sink-to-source

The contribution of deforestation to climate change includes (1) emissions from deforestation, (2) emissions associated with land use (i.e. cattle farming, soy plantation) and (3) reduced amount of carbon sequestration due to the loss of canopy. Industrial agriculture is responsible for the largest part of deforestation with the products of deforestation coming to our grocery cart and our kitchen. It is imperative that we become conscious buyer and learn which products are driving deforestation.

What can we do as consumers:

• Reducing (or eliminating) meat and dairy consumption is the single most important step we can take to stop deforestation
• Eliminate palm oil from the shopping cart
• Purchase certified sustainable coffee and chocolate
• If choosing to consume meat, choose grass-fed, soy-free products.
• Although soy for human consumption constitutes an infinitesimal part of the global soy production, it is important, when using soy-based products to make sure they are sourced from sustainable agriculture.
• Be vocal and participate in campaigns. Demand that governments and companies act to stop deforestation.

What are you waiting then? Be part of the movement to stop deforestation. Can’t go wrong!

The YouChoose app provides several links and information on products and cosmetics ingredients that are unsustainable and bad for the environment.