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Sustainability: Change in our Everyday Lives

In his talk, “Building a Climate Safe Future,” Jonathan Foley describes the negative

impact of humans on the environment, and mentions solutions that will help us achieve a

sustainable society. Throughout his argument, Foley effectively conveys his message of

positivity and achievability through the use of statistical evidence, as well as the presentation of

solutions to global warming issues. By doing so, Foley’s argument presents a strong and

persuasive claim that emphasizes the concept that we can heal our environment if we choose to

act with more consciousness towards our environment.

Foley discusses the reality of climate change and how human activities have acted as

catalysts in the degradation of our planet. Foley emphasizes the effect of population growth, such

as the increase of natural resources to satisfy the demands of society, as well as the exponential

growth of the economy. He mentions deforestation and the release of greenhouse gases into our

atmosphere as some of the major contributors to climate change, and he analyzes potential

actions we can take in order to counteract the problem, such as reducing food waste. His

argument further states that climate change has solutions that are obtainable through the

contribution of the population as a whole to create a safer environment.

Foley effectively suggests solutions to the growing issue of climate change, which further

emphasizes his claim that saving our environment is possible. In his talk, Foley mentions that the

decrease of food waste would result in the reduction of 70.53 GT of CO2 by 2050, while

comparably protecting indigenous people and their land could result in the reduction of 6.91 GT

of CO2 (Foley). He subtly encourages the audience to consider adopting new habits by

presenting the effect that our participation in sustainability could have on our environment’s
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CO2 levels. Through the use of scientific data, Foley’s claim that sustainability is achievable

becomes more credible, and it makes the concept of change seem possible. He also mentions

that “Rooftop solar turned out to be pretty important. It avoided about 25 billion GT of CO2

equivalent, and had a net savings of about $3.5 trillion” (Foley). The use of rooftop solar panels

was ranked #10 among solutions (Foley). This shows that effective solutions are not

complicated, and it’s implementation could result in both the decrease of CO2 levels and

spendings.Although rooftop solar panel installation is not accessible to low-income groups due

to its cost, they can be utilized by cities, companies, or other groups that can afford it. With this

in consideration, Foley also introduces various solutions to global warming that are much more

attainable for the general population.

Although multiple solutions provided by Foley require government intervention, he also

introduces simple changes that people can integrate into their everyday lives. By mentioning that

we can combat global warming in simple ways, he spreads the notion that change is possible. For

example, he asserts that “A plant-rich diet turns out to be the #4 solution to climate change”

(Foley). This small-scale solution proves to be effective in the fight against climate change, and

can be implemented into anyone’s lifestyle. Foley’s provided solutions to climate change spreads

an optimistic view on saving the environment, since it proves that their actions create results.

Foley also mentions that family planning is a solution to many of the global warming issues

because it would result in the decrease of population growth. Since family planning can be seen

as a simple solution that can be integrated into anyone’s lifestyle, combating global warming is

made simple in the eyes of the audience.

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Foley builds a strong argument through the use of statistics and realistic solutions to the

presented issues. He does an effective job of influencing the audience to consider adopting new

habits that will help the environment recover, while also spreading the message that hope is not

lost. Overall, Foley makes important points that address the reality of climate change, as well as

the reality of what can be done to solve the problem.

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Works Cited

Foley, Jonathan. “Building a Climate Safe Future.” Scott Institute For Energy Innovation,

15 May 2019, Carnegie Mellon University, Lecture.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhJfl1jVB5