Our Planet - some thoughts on global warming and what we can be doing to help
For most people summer is the best part of the year, filled with holidays, beach trips, and relaxing in the garden. However global warming may affect the future of our summers more than you think…
Global warming is a gradual increase in the overall temperature of the earth’s atmosphere. The main contributor to global warming is carbon dioxide emissions, these have been increasing ever since the industrial revolution in the 1800s. Surprisingly the actual increase of the earth’s temperature is only at 1.9 degrees, which when we are sitting outside in the sun a difference in temperature of 2 degrees is not too noticeable. Yet this tiny increase in temperature has substantial effects on our environment.
There are many observable effects which are widely spoken about, including, rise in sea levels, loss of sea ice, and glaciers rapidly shrinking, the list is endless. Despite this when the events are not impacting you directly it can be hard to understand the severity of the situation.
So I think it’s good to talk about the effects in the UK, it seems that in the UK heatwaves are more common. Even recently in June of 2020 temperatures easily reached mid-30s, a strange temperature for Britain! In 2018 a similar heatwave occurred and this left farms in the south-east land completely parched, the heatwave was so intense the land needed time to recover.
Climate change is a factor in this heat intensity, heatwaves have been happening for centuries but climate change is causing those temperatures to keep rising and rising. Primarily climate change causes the extreme polar opposites in weather, we can begin to expect cooler winters and warmer summers. Those warmer summers present high levels of UV, which can be dangerous for our skin in the long term. Our sails block up to 98% of these UV rays, so if you do decide to purchase and as long as you are under the shady part of the sail you can sit outside with the peace of mind that you are being protected.
As well as gardens our sails are also bought by many businesses, restaurants, bars, hotels and schools/nurseries to help provide some much needed shade during the summer months.
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As climate change becomes more talked about there are positive signs. There are many solutions to fix climate change, and most of these exist today. The UK is undergoing an energy transition, in fact during the lockdown period, we set the record length of time for using no power derived from coal. Solar power is now estimated to provide 11% of the UK’s energy and with more solar panels and wind turbines around the UK, this can only be set to rise. Not just the UK, but the planet as a whole has the means and technology to start reducing climate change and “going green”.
It’s the little things all of us can do to help! For those short journeys maybe walk or take a bike, visit your local farm shop - the more locally sourced food the better! In any area of life try and reduce that waste, a personal favourite is to visit antique shops and try and give old furniture a new lease of life!
Maybe try and find new ways of using a single object. Some of our customers have found some great uses for our sails, not just for shade purposes. As they are also waterproof they are very adaptable. They have doubled up as wedding venue backdrops, outdoor cinemas screens, kids playroom dens, windbreaks, outdoor furniture protectors, room dividers, and all sorts. What other uses can you find for yours when you are not using it as a sun shade?