Climate Change Solutions as Top Trumps

Unfortunately, there isn’t one easy solution to climate change – if only it was that simple! Instead, scientists, policy makers, international organisations and governments have proposed numerous potential solutions to the crisis we are facing. The problem is that each ‘solution’ has its positives, but also its negatives. Whether that be it is too expensive, it doesn’t solve the root of the problem, it can’t be used on a large scale, and so on… Thus, the world is left with a pretty tricky situation.

As the ticking time bomb (a.k.a. our planet) continues to count down, we need to decide what is more important, and what factors we are going to prioritise in regard to those solution options.

To help summarise some of the main proposed solutions to climate change, I’ve created 8 top trump cards. Each solution is scored out of 10 for 5 categories (effectiveness, cost, scalability, ease, feasibility), with 10 being the best e.g., the easiest, most effective, etc. The only exception to this is the cost, where a lower score means a lower cost.

Effectiveness refers to how successful, by itself, the option is in stopping climate change. Cost is how expensive this solution will be to use. Scalability refers to whether the option can be scaled up to a size big enough to be used on a global scale to make a significant impact. Ease is relating to how easy the option is to implement. Feasibility is how achievable the option actually is in the present day and in the real world.

8 climate change solutions as top trump cards: decarbonisation, nature-based solutions, carbon capture and storage, direct air capture, solar radiation management, personal action, education and climate policies.

Regardless of what you think might be the best option, I think we can all agree that there is no simple, clear-cut, perfect solution. Instead, at least to me, it seems that the obvious thing to do is to implement a number of these solutions. I know in the real world this is easier said than done; money doesn’t grow on trees. But neither do solutions to the climate crisis.

Find out more about each of these solutions at the links below.

Decarbonisation:

https://www.twi-global.com/technical-knowledge/faqs/what-is-decarbonisation