It’s another hot summer, and our global warming situation is getting more dire.
Take action to protect our planet with OPL’s Beat the Heat Challenge.
No, it’s not just your imagination. The Earth really is getting hotter. In July 2023, over 81% of humans experienced at least one day of extreme heat globally. Of that figure, almost 2 billion people experienced hazardous heat conditions daily for the entire month of July. In the dog days of summer, it’s hard to ignore the increasing temperatures that point to clear signs of our warming planet.
Climate scientists caution that the frequency of heat index days over 105 degrees Fahrenheit in the United States will triple by 2050. Ocean temperatures will rise, causing the widespread destruction of coral reefs across the globe, as well as more intense forest fires and frequent agricultural losses. While our planet naturally goes through cycles of warming and cooling over several millennia, humanity’s increasing carbon emissions have caused Earth to warm at a faster rate.
Human activity exacerbates Earth’s natural climate fluctuations. If we don’t curb our carbon emissions now, we will accelerate our own demise.
Michael Mann was among the first to ring climate change alarm bells in 1998 with his famous “hockey stick” graph. The chart warned that Earth’s relatively stable climate would experience drastically warmer conditions in the years ahead, mainly due to human activity.
As Mann points out in his book Our Fragile Moment: How Lessons From Our Past Can Help Us Survive the Climate Crisis, there is a very small window of climate variability that allows for the sustainability of life. Mann’s book shares a sweeping history of Earth’s millennia-long cycles over the past 4.5 billion years and how climate change has created – and could eventually destroy – the fragile conditions required for our survival.
Unfortunately, rising temperatures are detrimental to our environment and hazardous to our health.
Overexposure to extreme heat and high humidity can have hazardous health effects on both young and old humans. When environmental temperatures rise to over 95 degrees Fahrenheit, the body is no longer able to cool itself by sweat evaporation. Heat waves can cause increased air pollution, which is detrimental for asthma sufferers. Some doctor-prescribed medications can cause dehydration or hinder the body’s natural sweat response. It’s no surprise, then, that heat is the world’s most deadly weather-related fatality.
You can help cool our overheated planet. Your small actions are impactful and matter.
Participating in OPL’s Beat the Heat Challenge can help you live a more sustainable life. The Joyful Changes in this challenge are designed specifically to help you reduce your carbon footprint in your home and on the go. Use the One Planet Life app to track your progress and watch your small efforts add up. Once you join the challenge, you will receive a set of challenge-specific Joyful Changes added to your existing sustainability journey.
The Beat the Heat Challenge items include various ways you can make small changes for a better planet. Action items include using a reusable water bottle daily, adjusting your thermostat by one degree weekly, buying local food and eating more vegetarian meals per week, capturing rainwater for irrigation, reducing dryer usage, and more!
Track Your Challenge Progress Easily with Our App
To sign up for the Beat the Heat Challenge, tap the “Challenges” tab at the bottom of the One Planet Life app, then tap “Join Challenge.” Once you’re signed up, the Life Center tab will display a set of temporary, challenge-specific Joyful Changes for you to complete. These Joyful Changes are in addition to any existing journey-specific Joyful Changes you may have. Indicated by a trophy icon, these challenge-specific Joyful Changes will only appear in your Life Center for the month of August.
When you complete a challenge activity, mark it as complete by tapping the radio button next to the Joyful Change.
Don’t forget to monitor our Challenge leaderboard to see how challenge participants are progressing together. Let’s work together to make a difference!
Maximize Your Impact
Take your Challenge progress further by making a 12-month commitment to sustainability. The Planetary Sampler journey combines elements of each of our journey offerings for a balanced, carbon-reducing punch! Check it out in the One Planet Life app.
The Planetary Sampler Eco-Journey Starter Kit can help you get started! Our starter kits include information about each journey and a set of curated products to help you create more sustainable habits. The Planetary Sampler Eco-Journey Starter Kit consists of a One Planet Life canvas tote, a reusable utensil set in a sustainable handmade travel pouch, a foldable and reversible travel tote, and an insulated water bottle by One Planet Life, as well as OPL’s Planetary Sampler Little Book to give you inspiration, tips, and motivation on your journey.
