Russia needs reliable and timely information on the climate change

The climate change was discussed at the Ecosystem Youth Forum, which was held in the city of Cherepovets. Vadim Petrov, Co-Chairman of the Russian Environmental Chamber, a member of the Public Council of the Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring (Rosgidromet), made a presentation in a popular science form and made a short introductory review of the main climate concepts and processes.

According to him, in order to successfully navigate the climate problem and solve emerging problems, reliable and timely information about the state and climate changes is needed. Such information should be taken from a trusted source - Roshydromet, which annually releases the Climate Report. It makes estimates of the anomalous current state and trends in the characteristics of the climate system on the territory of our country. The report is based on data from the State Observatory Network, which carries out hydrometeorological observations on the territory of the country and is the basis for climate monitoring in the Russian Federation.

As a result of a series of industrial revolutions, the anthropogenic factor began to be considered one of the causes of climate change, along with dynamic processes on Earth and the intensity of solar radiation. Often, when mentioning the problem of climate change, the contribution of the waste sector is not taken into account, says Vadim Petrov.

«Excessive and unjustified consumption provoked excessive energy consumption for the production of goods and the formation of a huge mass of waste that cannot be disposed. The impact of waste on the climate occurs not only at the stage of energy production for sometimes unnecessary things, but also at the stage of storage or disposal of waste. According to various expert estimates, from 20 to 42% of all greenhouse gas emissions are associated with the circulation and use of goods (food, packaging, waste).»

«It is well known that the most problematic and voluminous (up to 40 percent of the total volume) fraction in the composition of consumer waste is organic matter. Organic waste prevents the extraction of useful components - the packaging gets dirty, which could become recyclable. Food waste triggers anaerobic processes, which leads to poisoning of water, air, soil, landfill gases begin to be released. Petrov recalled that landfill gas consists of methane up to 50–60%, as well as carbon dioxide and a small amount of other gases. Methane generation is a major climate problem in the waste management industry.»

According to Petrov, it is necessary to approach the reduction of the impact of waste on the climate in an integrated manner, and one of such integrated solutions is the circular economy. The so-called "garbage reform" in Russia is at the beginning of the way of building effective work in the field of waste management.