Proposed solutions to anthropogenic climate change: A systematic literature review and a new way forward
Humanity is now facing what may be the biggest challenge to its existence: irreversible climate change brought about by human activity. Our planet is in a state of emergency, and we only have a short window of time (7–8 years) to enact meaningful change. The goal of this systematic literature review...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2023-10-01
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| Series: | Heliyon |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844023077526 |
| _version_ | 1797646493995237376 |
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| author | Svetlana V. Feigin David O. Wiebers George Lueddeke Serge Morand Kelley Lee Andrew Knight Michael Brainin Valery L. Feigin Amanda Whitfort James Marcum Todd K. Shackelford Lee F. Skerratt Andrea S. Winkler |
| author_facet | Svetlana V. Feigin David O. Wiebers George Lueddeke Serge Morand Kelley Lee Andrew Knight Michael Brainin Valery L. Feigin Amanda Whitfort James Marcum Todd K. Shackelford Lee F. Skerratt Andrea S. Winkler |
| author_sort | Svetlana V. Feigin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Humanity is now facing what may be the biggest challenge to its existence: irreversible climate change brought about by human activity. Our planet is in a state of emergency, and we only have a short window of time (7–8 years) to enact meaningful change. The goal of this systematic literature review is to summarize the peer-reviewed literature on proposed solutions to climate change in the last 20 years (2002–2022), and to propose a framework for a unified approach to solving this climate change crisis. Solutions reviewed include a transition toward use of renewable energy resources, reduced energy consumption, rethinking the global transport sector, and nature-based solutions. This review highlights one of the most important but overlooked pieces in the puzzle of solving the climate change problem – the gradual shift to a plant-based diet and global phaseout of factory (industrialized animal) farming, the most damaging and prolific form of animal agriculture. The gradual global phaseout of industrialized animal farming can be achieved by increasingly replacing animal meat and other animal products with plant-based products, ending government subsidies for animal-based meat, dairy, and eggs, and initiating taxes on such products. Failure to act will ultimately result in a scenario of irreversible climate change with widespread famine and disease, global devastation, climate refugees, and warfare. We therefore suggest an “All Life” approach, invoking the interconnectedness of all life forms on our planet. The logistics for achieving this include a global standardization of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) or similar measures and the introduction of a regulatory body for verification of such measures. These approaches will help deliver environmental and sustainability benefits for our planet far beyond an immediate reduction in global warming. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T15:02:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-101d4c8dfa7d46a68453036c25980c9a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2405-8440 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T15:02:26Z |
| publishDate | 2023-10-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Heliyon |
| spelling | doaj.art-101d4c8dfa7d46a68453036c25980c9a2023-10-30T06:06:31ZengElsevierHeliyon2405-84402023-10-01910e20544Proposed solutions to anthropogenic climate change: A systematic literature review and a new way forwardSvetlana V. Feigin0David O. Wiebers1George Lueddeke2Serge Morand3Kelley Lee4Andrew Knight5Michael Brainin6Valery L. Feigin7Amanda Whitfort8James Marcum9Todd K. Shackelford10Lee F. Skerratt11Andrea S. Winkler12All Life Institute, Washington, D.C., USA; Corresponding author.Mayo Clinic and Mayo Foundation, Rochester, MN, USACentre for the Study of Resilience and Future Africa, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa; Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), IndiaFaculty of Veterinary Technology (CNRS), Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand; Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, ThailandPacific Institute on Pathogens, Pandemics and Society, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada; Global Health Governance, CanadaSchool of Environment and Science, Nathan Campus, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD, Australia; Faculty of Health and Wellbeing, University of Winchester, Winchester, UKClinical Neurosciences and Preventive Medicine, Danube University Krems, AustriaNational Institute for Stroke and Applied Neurosciences, School of Clinical Sciences, Auckland University of Technology, New ZealandDepartment of Professional Legal Education, Faculty of Law, The University of Hong Kong, Hong KongDepartment of Philosophy, Baylor University, Waco, TX, USADepartment of Psychology and Center for Evolutionary Psychological Science, Oakland University, Rochester, MI, USAMelbourne Veterinary School, Faculty of Science, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, AustraliaCenter for Global Health, Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany; Department of Community Medicine and Global Health, Institute of Health and Society, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, NorwayHumanity is now facing what may be the biggest challenge to its existence: irreversible climate change brought about by human activity. Our planet is in a state of emergency, and we only have a short window of time (7–8 years) to enact meaningful change. The goal of this systematic literature review is to summarize the peer-reviewed literature on proposed solutions to climate change in the last 20 years (2002–2022), and to propose a framework for a unified approach to solving this climate change crisis. Solutions reviewed include a transition toward use of renewable energy resources, reduced energy consumption, rethinking the global transport sector, and nature-based solutions. This review highlights one of the most important but overlooked pieces in the puzzle of solving the climate change problem – the gradual shift to a plant-based diet and global phaseout of factory (industrialized animal) farming, the most damaging and prolific form of animal agriculture. The gradual global phaseout of industrialized animal farming can be achieved by increasingly replacing animal meat and other animal products with plant-based products, ending government subsidies for animal-based meat, dairy, and eggs, and initiating taxes on such products. Failure to act will ultimately result in a scenario of irreversible climate change with widespread famine and disease, global devastation, climate refugees, and warfare. We therefore suggest an “All Life” approach, invoking the interconnectedness of all life forms on our planet. The logistics for achieving this include a global standardization of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) or similar measures and the introduction of a regulatory body for verification of such measures. These approaches will help deliver environmental and sustainability benefits for our planet far beyond an immediate reduction in global warming.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844023077526 |
| spellingShingle | Svetlana V. Feigin David O. Wiebers George Lueddeke Serge Morand Kelley Lee Andrew Knight Michael Brainin Valery L. Feigin Amanda Whitfort James Marcum Todd K. Shackelford Lee F. Skerratt Andrea S. Winkler Proposed solutions to anthropogenic climate change: A systematic literature review and a new way forward Heliyon |
| title | Proposed solutions to anthropogenic climate change: A systematic literature review and a new way forward |
| title_full | Proposed solutions to anthropogenic climate change: A systematic literature review and a new way forward |
| title_fullStr | Proposed solutions to anthropogenic climate change: A systematic literature review and a new way forward |
| title_full_unstemmed | Proposed solutions to anthropogenic climate change: A systematic literature review and a new way forward |
| title_short | Proposed solutions to anthropogenic climate change: A systematic literature review and a new way forward |
| title_sort | proposed solutions to anthropogenic climate change a systematic literature review and a new way forward |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844023077526 |
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