What is climate change?

Climate is a set of weather conditions, including parameters such as pressure, temperature, humidity, and precipitation levels, and usually refers to a specific location on the planet. Climate change occurs when weather patterns undergo significant variations, the effects of which impact large areas and persist over time.

What are the climate changes that Colombia is experiencing, and what will be the most sensitive areas and potential risks in the near future?

The Ideam has recorded an increase of 0.2 to 0.3 °C per decade and a decrease in monthly precipitation of between 2 and 3 mm per decade between 1961 and 1990. Recent projections based on the changes that, in relation to the period 1961-1990, would occur in 2070-2100 in the IPCC A2 and B2 scenarios for the variables air temperature and precipitation, indicate that in the Colombian territory and due to climate change the temperature will increase between 1 and 4 °C and a significant variation (between 15-30 °C) in precipitation will be generated for the period 2070-2090.

For this purpose, the PRECIS model was used at a spatial resolution of 25 x 25 kilometers. Based on these data and the results of the First and Second National Communications, the areas and sectors most sensitive to climate change in Colombia will be:

Coastal and island areas.

High mountain ecosystems and water resource availability.

Health.

Currently, the different layers of Earth's atmosphere contain an excess of gases and particles, byproducts of burning fuels used by humans to generate heat, electricity, and other forms of energy. These gases, notably CO2 and NOx (nitrogen derivatives), trap heat in the troposphere, exacerbating the natural greenhouse effect and causing global warming.

What is UCundinamarca doing to raise awareness in the community about these serious environmental problems?

Acting #Anvironmentally in balance with nature. “UCundinamarca, committed to social responsibility and the planet, through its environmental management system and each of its nodes—north, center, and south—seeks to promote awareness, ownership, and active participation of the 21st-century generation; in addition, with the cooperation and work of all the institution's employees and officials, it aims to humanize, cooperate, and raise awareness.

”Through Resolution 000155 of 2018, the University of Cundinamarca adopts the Environmental Management Policy, which commits from the Senior Management to the conservation and preservation of the environment, through continuous improvement, efficiency in its processes, activities and services, preventing, mitigating, improving and promoting a responsible culture in the use of energy, materials, water use and management of waste derived from its activities,” highlighted León García.

How can we live in harmony with nature in educational, work, or home settings? It's very simple: the University's Environmental Management System shares tips for caring for nature.

1. Reduce waste generation and water and energy consumption:

• Make a shopping list so you don't end up buying things you don't need.
• Make smart purchases by knowing the environmental characteristics of the product you are buying.
• Avoid using plastic bags.
• Buy in bulk to minimize the generation of unnecessary packaging.
• Take the step to request electronic invoices and avoid using paper.
• Reduce energy consumption by turning off lights, equipment and devices that are not in use, unplugging those that are not required such as chargers or appliances when they have already fulfilled their function, and making the most of natural light.
• Reduce water consumption by turning off taps when they are not needed for showering, washing hands, brushing teeth, and other uses. 
  

2. Reuse by first checking what can be reused for the same or a different purpose before discarding it:

• Use materials like cardboard for pet recreation items.
• Donate your used clothes to people who need them.
• Use glass and plastic bottles or containers as often as possible to package food or other items that may have decorative or artistic purposes.
• Use plastic bags for repackaging or for bathroom baskets.
• Use the sheets on the side not used for writing or printing.
• Use newspaper to wrap gifts or for cleaning.
• Use rainwater to water plants.

3. Recycle what can still be reused:

• Use plastic bottles to make ecobricks with the metallized packaging papers from products you consume at home or work.
• Use both sides of the paper.
• Take advantage of glass bottles, plastic, cardboard and metal food cans (like tuna).
• Separate the plastic lids from any product to donate them to an organization that supports vulnerable populations and that makes proper disposal of the material.
• Use the organic waste produced in the kitchen to fertilize your plants.
• Recycle washing machine water for cleaning floors or toilets.
• When sorting waste, remember to separate expired medications, batteries, and electronic waste for temporary storage and later delivery to authorized collection points.
• Make your own seedbed using plastic bottles adapted as germinators.  
  
  
• 4. Replace environmentally unfriendly elements: 
  
• Replace plastic bags with washable eco-friendly cloth bags for the market.
• Paper advertising (take a photo, write down the details, or get the digital version).
• Single-use plastics like disposables, for a personal beverage container.
• Replace disposable cups and plates with items made of other materials such as cardboard or rigid paper, and replace plastic stirrers with wooden ones.
• The use of Styrofoam for food storage and transport, instead of other materials such as boxes or containers.
• Products with excessive packaging in plastics, cardboard, paper and polystyrene.
• Replace conventional light bulbs with energy-saving light bulbs.
• Biodegradable household and personal cleaning and hygiene chemicals.

5. Recover items and elements before disposing of them as waste:

• Give a second life to items like tires, tricycles, wheelbarrows, etc., by turning them into garden planters.
• Repair shoes, appliances, and furniture whenever possible, for your own use or for donations that can help others.

Because today, more than ever, we have a commitment to live in environmental harmony with nature; this transformation is a decision that is in our hands. Environmental Management System of the University of Cundinamarca.

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