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.

Another hidden cause of food-related emissions is fertilizer. The introduction of synthetic fertilizers in the 1960s and 70s was a game changer. Suddenly, people could grow grains and vegetables in places where it was previously impossible. World hunger took a dive . But this advance came at a cost.

The key message here is: We can reduce food industry emissions by living more consciously.

You may know that cattle produce a lot of methane, one of the most harmful greenhouse gases in terms of contributing to warming temperatures. But did you know that throwing away food is also a significant contributor? When food rots, it also produces methane. And we throw away lots of food every year – the equivalent of 3.3 billion tons of carbon d... See more

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

What’s more, many areas of the world are just now getting more industrialized. Economies are booming. Overall, this is good news. It means more people are being lifted out of poverty and becoming wealthier. But as these countries begin to take steps toward improving their infrastructure and building thriving cities, they’re picking up the same tool... See more

Getting to zero won’t be easy. Harmful emissions are caused by many things that we’ve come to take for granted. Electricity, heating, transportation, large-scale agriculture, and fundamental construction tools like iron and cement – all of these areas will require serious rethinking if we’re to reach the goal.

Getting to zero emissions will be difficult, but it can and must be done.

Setting a goal to reduce our emissions - but not eliminate them - won't do it. The only sensible goal is zero.