"Stop Procrastinating, Start Doing!"

The Grievous Impact of Climate Change  

What does it mean to say the climate is changing?? 

Climate change refers to the significant, long-term changes in the global climate. The global climate is the connected system of sun, earth and oceans, wind, rain and snow, forests, deserts and savannas, and everything people do, too.

The world is currently experiencing changes in climates which affect millions of lives. There has been bleaching of coral reefs, the sea ice volume in the Arctic has been reaching new lows, an increase in the number of natural disasters worldwide (such as wildfires, droughts, floods) and the mass migration of species.           

Below are described physical symptoms of the planet’s current state which are already noticeable: heatwaves, melting ice, bleached coral reefs, rising sea levels, extreme weather. Some of these impacts are already taking an important factor in human suffering. 

Record Heat 

According to NASA and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2016 was the hottest year ever recorded, as well as the third record year in a row. Eight of the 12 months, from the month of January to September, excluding June, were the warmest on record for those respective months. October, November, and December were the second warmest of those months, behind records set in 2015. And at the halfway point of 2017, 2018 is already the second hottest year on record, with expectations that if the current trend continues it will be the second hottest year overall; this despite the fact that there has been no El Niño, which was part of what pushed 2016's temperatures to record-breaking. Additionally, there was a mild La Nina at the beginning of 2017, which cools global temperatures, and yet 2018 still ranks as one of the hottest years ever so far. 

Average surface temperature has increased by 1.1°C, and most of the warming has occurred in the last 35 years, with "16 of the 17 warmest years on record occurring since 2001". 

Heatwaves  

Higher temperatures mean that heat waves are likely to happen more often and last longer. Heat waves can be dangerous, causing illnesses such as heat cramps and heat stroke, or even death. Warmer temperatures can also lead to a chain reaction of other changes around the world. That is because increasing air temperature also affects the oceans, weather patterns, snow and ice, and plants and animals. The warmer it gets, the more severe the impacts on people and the environment will be. 

Wildfires 

These are a natural part of the ecology in many regions. But rising temperatures and low rainfall increase their frequency and the risk of exceptionally large fires. Wildfires emit carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that will continue to warm the planet well into the future. They damage forests that would otherwise remove CO2 from the air and they inject soot and other aerosols into the atmosphere, with complex effects on warming and cooling. 

Drought 
Drought can affect our communities and our environment in different ways. Drought affects our lives in different ways because of the significant role of water in our daily activities. Humans, animals, and plants need water to live and survive. Lacking the necessary amount of water for such activities may affect our lifestyles negatively. Not having the right amount of water to wash clothes and dishes, water plants and trees, and satisfy our thirst, will lead us to inconvenience, discomfort, and death.

Melting ice 

With a climate that continues heating up–and coastal erosion–these numbers could radically increase. This not only affects coastal communities around the world but it damages global economies as well, requiring citizen evacuations and relocation of major shipping ports and businesses. 

Sea level rise 

Sea levels have risen about 20 cm since 1870, and the rate of increase is accelerating, with around 8 cm of this rise occurring since 1995. The main cause of this rise is shifting from thermal expansion (warmer water expanding) to ice melt. There are countries which are expected to disappear completely if climate change is unchecked. 

With these presented effects of climate change, what action can we do to solve this problem? What can we, teenagers, do to lessen this problem?

The author of this article wishes to present possible solutions that will make teenagers of this generations act despite of our limited power.

1.    Practice minimalism.

               Minimalism is all about living with less. Start by using one piece of paper every time you write your assignments, quizzes, home works, and activities. Don’t just simply crumple the paper with an erasure. Every paper cost a life of a tree. Another tip to practice of minimalism is using a 1 liter plastic bottle as your trash bin. This bottle will serve as your trash bin in a year. This tip will let you evaluate yourself about what causes your litter and what you can do to deal with your wastes.

2.    Start going green.

       We have seen the worse effects of our irresponsibility to apply the proper waste segregation in our lifestyle. While we experience its effects, we tend to complain and blame when we, ourselves, are one of the causes of this. Start changing. Stop blaming.

3.    Start within yourselves.

               We cannot simply eliminate the worse effects of climate change in the community. But we, teenagers, can do something to lessen its effects. Let’s be environment-friendly and help save our future generations. Our future will define who we are right now.

Climate change is getting worse as the years go on. Trees are getting lesser and lesser and the earth is turning brown. The government and the people themselves need to start doing something before it’s too late. These little practices can simply help change the environment even the smallest ways. It’s never too late to change the way we live in order to save the earth. What we have right now is temporary, and abusing the natural resources that we have will just lessen the time that we have in this earth. So stop procrastinating and start changing!

 

"Only you and you alone can change your situation. Don't blame it on anything or anyone." --Leonardo DiCarpio

 

References: https://www.campaigncc.org/current_impacts