One of the most critical and controversial problems defying humanity is climate change. This is primarily due to human activity, like the burning of fossil fuels and overconsumption. Rising temperatures, rising sea levels, and more frequent and severe weather events are just a few of the effects of climate change that are already being felt worldwide, depicting severe dangers to ecosystems, infrastructure, and human health. Addressing climate change requires immediate, cohesive global action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, transition to renewable energy, and adapt to the inevitable impacts.
Dating back to the ancient Greeks, it has been believed that humans could change the temperatures and influence specific weather patterns. Moreover, climate change became more acknowledged throughout the 1800s and 1900s. Climate and weather are two separate implementations of climate change. While weather describes the conditions of a specific place, climate describes the weather conditions expected in a region at a particular time of year. Specific weather patterns and habits we do on earth contribute to our climate and what our environment will be like in future years.
In the past, there was little concern for climate change due to a lack of resources. However, as televisions, cellphones, and social media emerged, people became more aware of what it was and its effect on their residences and travel destinations. In the early 1800s, French mathematician and physicist Joseph Fourier proposed the “Greenhouse effect.” This is where greenhouse gases trap heat close to the earth’s surface. The sun shines through the atmosphere, warming up the earth’s surface and keeping it at an average of 58 degrees Fahrenheit. Human activities are changing the earth’s natural greenhouse effect. Burning fossil fuels into the air, such as oil and coal, adds more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Too much of these gases can cause the earth to trap more and more heat, causing the earth to warm up. However, there are ways to reduce this. Trees, plants, and forestation are crucial to the earth because they balance out the greenhouse effect on the earth. All plants and phytoplankton from the ocean take in carbon dioxide and give off oxygen. While this does help, more is needed to balance out the gases. The ocean, unfortunately, absorbs excess carbon dioxide, which causes changes in the ocean’s water, making it more acidic, which is harmful to many ocean creatures such as shellfish and coral reefs.
In conclusion, urgent and cohesive global action is imperative to mitigate the devastating effects of climate change. Even if emissions are reduced, some degree of climate change is unavoidable. Researchers from the United Nations describe this as a global emergency. Overall, each person views controversial topics like climate change differently. However, we as a nation must take action to address this critical issue of climate change.
