Climate Change: What you should know
Climate change: it’s real, and that's a fact. There is too much indisputable evidence to claim that this is not a problem. But what exactly causes climate change? What are we doing to resolve this? What can you do to truly make a difference?
Let's start with some basic facts and statistics:
The atmosphere’s temperature is set to rise by as much 1.5 degrees celsius by 2040.
Ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica have shrunk greatly. A study shows that Greenland lost an average of 286 billion tons of ice per year between 1993 and 2016.
In the last century, sea levels rose 8 inches globally.
As the result of more greenhouse gases emitted by human activity, acidity of surface ocean waters has increased by about 30 percent since the Industrial Revolution.
Everything mentioned above, and much more, has serious repercussions not just for the Earth and environment, but for humans as well.
Climate change will cause increases in heat waves and reduction of moisture in soil, leading to more droughts. As well, occurrences of heavy precipitation will increase, even in regions where precipitation is thought to decrease, like the Southwest. This drastic change in climate puts our planet’s diversity at risk by destroying habitats and upsetting balance. Let's take whales, for example: Whales are the top of the food chain in the ocean and are vital for the general well-being of marine life. However, almost half of all whale species are endangered, with as few as 300 North Atlantic whales remaining. The warming oceans are fluctuating the food availability for whales, as large groups of plants and small animals are more likely to move or change, forcing the whales to travel long distances just to find something to feed on.
Humans are facing health, safety, and economic concerns. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the impacts of climate change “threaten our health by affecting the food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe, and the weather we experience.” For instance, warmer temperatures will lead to exposure to extreme heat, especially in regions that are usually colder that will not be prepared for the abnormally warm weather. Things like dehydration and heat stroke, as well as cardiovascular, respiratory, and cerebrovascular disease, are just some of the health risks that will come from climate change. As for the economic impacts, one major issue will be dealing with the cost of coping. Since climate change increases severity, intensity, and frequency of natural disasters, we will have to pay the price for the damage.
We know what the problem is, but where does it come from? Though some don’t believe it, much of climate change is caused by human activity. In fact, scientists from the UN conclude that there is over 95% chance that this is the case. The main way our activities contribute to climate change is through the release of copious and unhealthy amounts of greenhouse gases. Carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases are present naturally in the atmosphere, but human actions including transportation, commercial/residential activity, and agriculture processes emit unneeded greenhouse gases. They then trap the sun’s energy radiated from space instead of reflecting some of it back out. This warms the Earth (also known as global warming) and thus causes changes in climate.
The point is, climate change is harmful in too many ways for us to ignore. Possible big-step solutions to climate change include ocean conservation, implementation of a carbon tax, investment in renewable energy sources, and changes in public education and lifestyle, which is where you can do your part.
When thinking about personal changes, we want to focus on minimizing our carbon footprint. A carbon footprint is the amount of carbon dioxide and other carbon compounds emitted due to the consumption of fossil fuels by a particular person or group. If many people put effort into reducing their carbon footprint, it will make a large impact as a whole.
Here are some small adjustments you can make to reduce your carbon footprint:
Something we always hear but is impactful nonetheless: walk or bike whenever you can to reduce transportation emissions completely. If you must drive, switch to a low carbon vehicle, but that doesn’t always mean an electric vehicle. Electric cars are only emission-free when they are charged by a clean energy source (solar energy). If not, you’re better off with a regular gas vehicle. As well, consider carpooling and public transportation.
At home: always turn off the lights when not they’re in use. Make sure all appliances are energy efficient and install a thermostat that automatically turns off heating/cooling when you’re not at home.
Eat local: In the U.S., and estimated 13% of greenhouse gas emissions comes from the transportation of food. Go organic—many fertilizers are fossil fuel based.
Reuse and recycle: The extraction of resources, manufacturing, transport, and final disposal of goods is estimated to contribute about 29% of the U.S.’ greenhouse gas emissions - so use the resources you already have responsibly!
Renewable energy: advocate for cleaner energy sources like wind and solar that emit close to none greenhouse gases. As well, aim to install solar panels for your own home.
At HC, initiatives like Earth Week and the Sustainability Challenge has brought attention to the danger our planet is in and how easy it is for each of us to contribute to one big difference. Even after Earth Week, we should continue to be mindful of our actions and how they affect the Earth.