Even though climate change may seem like a hopeless problem, there ARE solutions. For example, if we can keep greenhouse gas levels below a 1.5° Celsius increase from pre-industrial (aka pre-Industrial Revolution) levels as agreed in the Paris Agreement, we can mitigate the effects of climate change in the future (however, 2024 was the first (and hopefully last, if we all make changes and raise awareness!) year to reach 1.5° Celsius above pre-industrial levels).

Some other possible solutions to climate change include...

Changing to Sustainable Practices:

• Becoming more energy-efficient

• Reducing our reliance on fossil fuels

• Reducing waste

• Recycling, reusing, and repurposing waste

• Reforestation

• Regenerative agriculture

• Switching to eco-friendly diets

• Shopping from sustainable brands

• Using renewable energy sources

• etc.

Engineering Solutions:

• Carbon capture and storage technologies (CCS): capturing carbon before it's released into the atmosphere.

• Direct air capture technologies (DAC): pulling carbon from the atmosphere to capture.

• Eco-friendly transportation: innovations for more energy-efficient or sustainable modes of transportation.

• Geoengineering: for example, controversial innovations like artificial clouds and space mirrors to cool the Earth

• Green concrete: buildings built with minimal environmental impact by using eco-friendly or recycled building materials.

• Improving renewable energy sources

• etc.

Design Solutions:

• Eco-friendly/green buildings: for example, buildings designed to be cooling without AC using architecture and natural cooling materials.

• Eco-friendly packaging: for example, biodegradable packing peanuts, reusable bags, and minimal use of resources

• Green roofs or green walls: roofs and walls that are covered with living plants.

• Solar roadways or sidewalks: roads and sidewalks that also serve as solar panels to generate electricity.

• Vertical farming/urban agriculture

• etc.

Policy Solutions:

• Banning Single-Use Plastics (SUPs)

• Carbon pricing: a controversial method where companies pay money when they emit greenhouse gases.

• Changes to manufacturing and producing products

• Changes to the clothing industry

• Changes to the meat and food industry

• Climate activists around the world making a difference.

• Governments around the world leading the fight against climate change

• The Paris Agreement: a treaty signed by 195 different countries "to hold 'the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels' and pursue efforts 'to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.' "

• etc.