We know that we are experiencing extreme weather from global climate change, but what is the best way to prepare for it? Here are the best tips for how to Prepare for climate change instead of panicking.
The United Nations defines climate change as long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. Although some climate change is normal, even expected as a natural occurrence, the rate at which our climate is changing is the reason for concern. Due to human activity caused mainly by burning fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas, we have increased the rate of climate change.
This quick and dramatic increase in climate is caused by heat-trapping gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases. The gases trap heat in the air causing the sun’s warmth to trap in the atmosphere, like a greenhouse.
Unlike natural climate change which happens more slowly, nature is having a hard time keeping up with all the sudden changes. We are now seeing many of these impacts and will continue to see them as our climate continues to warm.
Impacts of climate change include:
- Temperatures will rise
- Frost-Free season and growing season will increase
- Changes in perception patterns
- More droughts and heat waves
- Hurricanes stronger and more Intense
- Sea-level will rise
- Artic will continue to lose ice
- Flooding
- Water quality issues
- Farmers facing challenges to produce food
- Increase in diseases
- Ocean acidification
- Extreme weather events
Many of the impacts listed above are already happening! It may seem bleak and even gives rise to a common phenomenon known as eco-anxiety, but know that education and preparation is key. So how do we prepare for climate change instead of panicking?
Here are the best tips to prepare for climate change:
Tip 1: Create an emergency evacuation plan
With climate change, we can expect natural disasters to be more frequent, more severe, and more unpredictable. This means that we may not have the time we’re used to having to prepare for disasters. This also means that once a natural disaster occurs, it may be worse than what was predicted. To stay prepared, create an emergency evacuation plan.
One of the best solutions to help prepare for climate change is to make a plan. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the benefits of making a plan for emergencies include:
- Helping to keep people safe;
- Limit property damage;
- Knowing what to do during and after a disaster;
- Better managing your savings;
- Supporting community preparedness; and
- Helping your community get back up and running after a disaster.
When you’re starting to make your plan, you’ll need to consider that your plan will need to be specific for your family. There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to a plan however, here are some tips to help you create a plan.
Here are some things to consider in your evacuation plan:
- If you had to evacuate, where would you go?
- How would you evacuate? Think of modes of transportation.
- Do you have money saved for an evacuation or emergency?
- Do you have an easily accessible location for your personal information and important belongings?
- What would you do with your pets?
- Do you have all medications you and/or your family may need during the evacuation period?
- Do you have an emergency “go bag”? See tip 3 for more on this!
Visit FEMA’s “Are You Ready” guide for specifics based on possible natural disasters.
Tip 2: Consider hydroponic gardening
Hydroponic gardening gives you an opportunity to What is hydroponic gardening? Believe it or not, hydroponic gardening requires no soil! This type of gardening is appealing when considering how to prepare for climate change because you can grow all year long and it doesn’t require a lot of materials. In fact, you can even grow indoors during the winter.
Why should you consider hydroponic gardening? Scientists have noted the impact of climate change on agriculture and food security. Higher levels of CO2, the most common greenhouse gas, can have significant impacts on crop yields (source). This is in addition to increased temperature and droughts, increased precipitation, and more unpredictable weather events expected from climate change. Other agriculture entities such as fishing may also be impacted as animals begin to adapt to warmer waters, disrupting natural ecosystem patterns. Having your own system to grow food on a consistent basis without needing a large amount of land and space is a great way to prepare for climate change to reduce panic.
To learn more about hydroponic gardening check out this small-scall hydroponics how-to guide here.
Tip 3: Create a go bag
Having a go bag ready for possible climate-related events is imperative! A go bag is exactly what it sounds like – a bag ready to grab on the go. Having a go bag makes evacuation easier and faster. It also helps to ensure your imperative items aren’t left behind.
When it is time to consider what’s in your go bag, think about your bag in two categories: emergency supplies and personal items.
Here are some emergency supplies to consider:
- Batteries
- Flashlight
- Canned goods
- Bottled water
- Face masks
- First aid kit
- Items for your pet
- First-aid kit
- Manual can opener
- Radio
- Paper maps
- Extra cell phone charger/portable charger
Here are some personal items to consider in your go bag:
- Emergency contact information
- Picture each member of your family with any important information on the back (name, age, allergies, etc.)
- Extra clothing and underwear
- Menstrual hygiene products
- 7-day supply of medications
- Copies of personal information such as marriage license, insurance information, birth certificate, passports, etc.
- Cash
Tip 4: Understand how to prepare for extreme heat
According to the EPA, hot waves are expected to become more frequent and more intense as our climate continues to warm. Therefore in order to best prepare for climate change, we need to also prepare for extreme heat.
Here are some tips to prepare for extreme heat:
- Stay hydrated
- Use air conditioning indoors, if possible
- If air conditioning is unavailable, use fans
- Keep up curtains or window treatments to block the sun during the day
For more on extreme heat check out this resource from Ready.Gov!
I hope you enjoyed this blog post all about how to prepare for climate change instead of panic!
This blog was co-written by Lacie, Teach Go Green and Sharon Mcdonald from Sharon McDonald Love.
Related Posts
Leave a Reply