The Reality of Climate Change : Our Planet’s Rapid Death
The Climate Crisis
When humans have fevers, the body changes. Frequently caused by infections, the body goes through a rise in temperature as a response from the immune system. When having a fever, it is common to have chills or feel cold while the body is sweating which is essentially the reality of our planet today. Studies show the beginning of the change in climate due to human activity dates back to the industrial revolution, where coal powered machines were the standard. According to the United Nations, “climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns… which may be natural… [but] human activities have been the main driver” (United Nations, 2022). The effects of climate change are detrimental to the planet and all living beings on it, including humans. Human activity is the main catalyst to this change in weather that is causing devastating phenomena which directly affects humanity and nature. We only have one planet and if we fail, we do not get to retry. Ultimately, it is now or never and we have no choice but to act now.
To begin, the science behind climate change reveals the hard truth about humanity’s uncaring nature towards the planet we call home. Multiple pieces of evidence indicate that “human activities have warmed the atmosphere, ocean, and land and that widespread and rapid changes… have occurred,” such as the shrinking ice sheets and warming oceans. Humans generate greenhouse gas emissions (carbon dioxide is an example of a greenhouse gas that traps heat inside the Earth), a primary source of natural energy used for electricity, transportation, and appliances. To put it in numbers, in 2018, the world produced 48.94 billion tons of greenhouse gasses and it only increases by the year. Just by cars alone “a typical passenger vehicle emits about 4.5 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year” (EPA, 2021). Not only does humanity produce greenhouse gasses, the destruction of natural beings that remove carbon from the air is another factor. By extracting natural resources, humanity effectively destroys trees, a plant that breathes in carbon dioxide and takes in about 20% of global carbon emissions, thus releasing it all back into the atmosphere. All in all, humans create, remove, and release greenhouse gas emissions at extreme rates, successfully warming the planet.
The reason why climate change is a dire issue is because it affects every being on the planet in a negative manner. Natural phenomena such as floods and droughts get more intense, human health is at risk, and the eradication of ecosystems will all lead to the annihilation of life itself. As water temperatures rise so does the strength of hurricanes, causing destruction to cities. When the environment encounters a problem this will directly affect humanity. Humans depend on the natural world for everything, from resources, to shelter, to food and water. Everything stems from nature, therefore everything will die with it. In April 2022, more than 1000 scientists from 25 countries protested for climate action. One NASA climate scientist, named Peter Kalmus, chained himself to the JP Morgan Chase building while telling the public how “[scientists] have been trying to warn [the world] for so many decades…The scientists of the world have been being ignored. And it’s gotta stop. We’re going to lose everything.” His deep passion is shown in a Guardian op-ed, stating: “I feel deep grief over the loss of forests and corals and diminishing biodiversity. But I’ll keep fighting as hard as I can for this Earth, no matter how bad it gets, because it can always get worse. And it will continue to get worse until we end the fossil fuel industry and the exponential quest for ever more profit at the expense of everything else.” Scientists who are tasked with research about the world and trying to prove or disprove marvels of the world and share it with the public are being ignored. Essentially, through the voices of scientists around the world, our planet is dying rapidly.
On the other side of the climate crisis, there exists people who do not believe in it and there are a couple of reasons as to why. First, their own personal experience or what health sciences clinical professor Joe Pierre M.D. called Naïve Realism, people tend to associate personal experiences with the reality of the entire world. One example is if the climate continues at a constant pattern such as having snow and ice during the winter, they associate this with not existing a climate change because they themselves have not experienced the change. Next, disinformation spreads like wildfires and moves even faster than real facts which leads to people not trusting even the facts. Some people go to such lengths where they won’t even look at evidence. Although today, the main reason is because it goes against their religious or political stance. There exists a portion of the world where they do not even believe in science for it goes against their religious beliefs. Furthermore, science has begun to be connected with politics, forcing a divide when a union is required. Ultimately, there is a divide between people who believe and don’t believe in the science of climate change.
Altogether, climate change is in fact very real and the results of the effects are occurring at this very moment. Although many people do believe in the climate crisis, not much action has been taken. Over the course of many years, society has heard the cry for help over and over again to the point where we have become desensitized from it all. But it isn’t too late just yet. Despite the fact that we are promptly close to the point of no return, if everyone plays their part, we will be able to save our home. The only way to do this is to cut each individual's carbon footprint. To do this one must eat less meat and dairy, cut back on flying, take public transportation or walk, reduce energy use (electricity, water, etc.), as well as switching to renewable energy, cut consumption and waste, and finally, protect natural spaces. This is an ongoing problem so keep updated with facts from scientists. Humanity is the root of this influx in temperature and we are the only ones who can stop it, so we have no choice, but to act now: or it will be too late.
#ClimateChange #GreenhouseGasses #Climate #Weather
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