What are some ways to help mitigate the climate change effects?
Dear Clever Cali,
Just watched Ratatouille and I’m wondering: What is a chef’s hat called and why does it have so many folds?
~ Hungry Harrison
Dear Hungry Harrison,
That is one of my favorite movies ever! To the editor: can we get a review of that movie soon?? A chef’s hat is called a toque in French. Usually, the hats have about 100 folds. It represents the skill of the chef. The many folds represent the number of ways a chef can prepare a dish. An interesting fact is that, in the 18th century, it was tradition for the hats to get taller as the chef became more experienced – indicating ranking and their skill level. A little trivia to use at your next fancy dinner!
~ Clever Cali
Dear Clever Cali,
The changing climate is making me worried about the future of the planet. What are some ways to help mitigate the climate change effects? Is it too late?
~ Concerned Christine
Dear Concerned Christine,
I admire your sense of responsibility for the planet. The temperature on the surface of our Earth is going up and continues to rise. It has risen by 1.8° F since the nineteenth century. Global warming is making things harder for everyone. It is not too late, but we must rethink how we do things. Carbon emission is certainly a crisis. Each American releases 14 metric tons of carbon per year. This can be compared to the weight of 3600 bricks. Bringing this down to the weight of even 440 bricks will make a significant positive change. It will take time and conscious efforts by the people, businesses, and leaders to reach this threshold.
Some simple actions that will help:
- Buy local food. Save on energy spent transporting food from across the world and support local farms and businesses in the process.
- Buy vegetables that aren’t packed in plastic covers. We should address the root cause of not using more plastic, in addition to thinking of recycling.
- Reach out to companies, triggering a change in their system to stop using plastic. Recycling helps but only a small portion of what we dump for recycling gets recycled. The rest still ends up in the ocean and landfills.
- This Christmas, maybe we can create our own games instead of buying more toys. Why more plastic when we can share creative and green gifts?
- Avoiding meat is another way to reduce the carbon emissions that one is responsible for. Following a vegan or vegetarian diet can have a positive impact when it comes to reducing carbon emissions too.
This is quite an interesting question that we can address with separate articles on recycling, vegetarianism/avoiding cheese, and more. Together, I’m positive we can find a solution.
Want to start reading more? The Carbon Almanac: It’s Not Too Late is a great way for families to start learning and contributing to solving this crisis. It’s a collaborative effort by hundreds of writers and researchers, offering a more universal way to look at addressing the climate crisis.
I’m so glad you’re trying to find ways to help. After all, only when we all consider ourselves responsible for our Earth can we truly begin to foster a positive change.
~ Clever Cali 🌎
