How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need

Air conditioning is a good example of a fixable problem. One of the biggest issues with AC is that most countries don’t set minimum standards for energy efficiency; of course, people tend to buy cheaper models, which often have very poor efficiency. If policies were updated, the energy demand caused by AC units would drop by 45 percent by 2050.

Currently, the biggest contributors to the climate crisis can be broken down into five categories: Making things, such as steel and plastic, accounts for 31 percent of our 51 billion tons of emissions. Plugging in, or electricity, accounts for 27 percent. Growing things, like plants and animals for food, accounts for 19 percent. Getting around – be... See more