Climate Change is Changing the World
Date: 21/10/24
There’s a lot of talk about how climate change could change the world for the worse. That’s why Think Hire are working so hard to change the world of your workplace by switching your site generator hire to cleaner, greener solar power to combat the threat.
Of course, climate change is more than just talk. In the Alps, between Italy and Switzerland, the world is quite literally changing, because the border between the two countries is having to be redrawn as a direct result of global warming.
Shrinking glaciers
The phrase ‘glacial change’ is often used to describe something very, very slow, but in fact, the glaciers between Italy and Switzerland are changing rapidly. They have shrunk by as much as 10% in the last two years alone, forcing their national border to be redrawn. The border was previously based on the glacier ridgelines, but with these glaciers shrinking rapidly, the borders can no longer rely on these landmarks.
Many glaciers are shrinking so fast that scientists think that it’s unlikely that they can be saved. Even the largest glaciers may disappear within a generation, radically changing the landscape in places like central Europe.
A crucial role
The size of a glacier in a remote mountain region might not seem that significant to us here in the UK, but glaciers play a crucial role in the lives of billions of people across the world. It’s estimated that 20% of the world’s population depend on meltwater from glaciers to irrigate crops, provide drinking water and even to cool nuclear power stations. If the glaciers disappear, these countries will suffer a raft of problems.
These are not problems for the far-off future; they are already being seen in Europe. For example, shipping on the Rhine was disrupted last year by record low water levels. In 2022, Swiss river levels became so low that fish had to be rescued and stored in tanks.
At the same time, while shrinking glaciers mean water shortages on a local level, that meltwater has to go somewhere. The Met Office reports that global sea levels are rising by 3mm to 5.2mm every year, partly due to melting ice across the world. That might not sound much, but the cumulative effect will be devastating for low lying countries and coastlines.
You can change the world
It may be too late for some of the world’s glaciers, but it’s not too late for us all to make a difference in the fight against global warming and climate change. Every positive change we make helps to change the world for the better, whether that’s insulating our homes or turning down the thermostat by a degree or two.
You can also make a big change at work too, by switching your site generator hire to a more environmentally friendly alternative from Think Hire. Our Solartainers harness energy from the sun to power construction sites, road and rail repairs, and many other projects. Switching your site generator hire to solar means you use less fossil fuels, and so you create less damaging carbon emissions. Case studies show that in most circumstances, you site will also spend less on operating costs, even after the cost of your hire has been factored in.
Climate change is happening now
As the border problem illustrates, climate change is no longer a vague scientific concept or some sort of future threat that we can worry about later. It is happening right now, all around us. Which means that we all need to act right now to do all we can to slow those changes down.
To find out more about changing your site generator hire to solar with Think Hire, contact our expert team today. With glaciers melting as much as 10% every two years, you can’t afford to put your renewable energy plans on ice.