Climate Change 101

Wrapping up

Calculate your carbon footprint

Your carbon footprint is a measure of how many tonnes of greenhouses gases you are responsible for emitting in terms of carbon dioxide equivalents – this means your carbon footprint considers all greenhouses (including carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide), but tells you about your result in terms of tonnes of carbon dioxide only.

Take some time to explore the below carbon footprint calculators:

A student bikes along a sidewalk on a UNB campus

Reflection

Please take a few minutes to write and answer the provided reflection questions. A good response is usually a minimum of five sentences.

We strongly recommend that you:

  • Keep a reflection notebook, log, or journal, and save a copy of your reflection in it
  • Share and discuss your response with others
  • If you are completing this module as part of a class or workshop, you will likely be discussing your reflection as part of a group activity.

If you are completing this module alone, try finding a group of interested friends or colleagues to discuss your reflections with.

  1. How do you feel about climate change? Think about what effects climate change will have on your community or the place you call home or how climate change will affect your future choices.

  2. What was your carbon footprint in the carbon footprint activity above? Do you think this is an accurate assessment? Why or why not?

  3. When you consider the categories assessed by the calculator, what obstacles are there for you and/or people in your community to reduce their carbon footprint?

  4. What are some positive actions being taken in your community to help deal with climate change? If you don’t know about any currently happening, what actions could you or others in your community take to deal with climate change or help to remove obstacles?

Focus on: Eco-anxiety

Increasing numbers of people worldwide are experiencing negative mental health impacts due to climate change. This is a normal response to the crisis we face.

In addition to eco-anxiety (anxiety focused on the effects of climate change and other ecological issues), some people are experiencing eco-grief (grief for the losses being experienced due to climate change) and eco-paralysis (feeling overwhelmed and helpless in the face of the climate crisis).

If you are experiencing one or more of these feelings, it is important to remember that you are not alone. Mental health experts suggest taking the following steps:

  1. Remember that both good and bad things happen in this world. Step back from “doom-scrolling” and focus on stories about climate hope and solutions.
  2. Talk about your feelings with your friends and people you trust.
  3. Make time for self-care, including exercise, mindfulness, meditation, and similar activities.
  4. Spend time in nature. The mental and physical health benefits of time outdoors are increasingly well-researched.
  5. Take time to engage in creative expression, such as visual art, drama, poetry, or writing, etc.
  6. Take time to reflect on your place in the world, your values, and your particular strengths that you can bring to take action.
  7. Build your social connections by joining organizations, groups, and communities of interest with similar values to your own. Take part in events and help build community with like-minded people focused on positive solutions.
  8. Create positive spaces to talk about the many impacts of climate change with others.
  9. Take individual and collective action on climate change – from small changes in your habits to getting involved in politics – based on your strengths and interests.
  10. Remember that it is important to also take breaks and time to recharge yourself. Let yourself take time without feeling guilty.

Learn more:

*External video - no transcript available

Conclusion

In this module, we looked at what climate change is and how the mechanism behind climate change, the greenhouse effect, works. We took a brief look at the role of the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) and how the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) connect with climate change and its effects.

We paused to quickly check your understanding, and then surveyed some of the positive actions being taken toward climate action at the international, national, provincial, university, and personal levels, along with some of the obstacles faced at each level of action.

You took a few minutes to use a simple carbon footprint calculator and then took some time to reflect on how you feel about climate change, your carbon footprint results, how climate change is or might be affecting your community in the future, and what positive actions you or your community can take to help. Finally, we wrapped up with a quick look at eco-anxiety, a growing mental health issue that has deep ties to climate change.

Resources





Sustainability in social media






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