wecausedit

[wecausedit]

Why We Should Care About Climate Change

Hey everyone. So, I’ve been thinking a lot about climate change recently because of this green expo stuff. Especially with how the weather is so infrequent in Boston so I’m like, is this normal? It will be 80’s one week and then 51 with snow the next. So I looked into and….it is not.

We have to be honest. Climate change isn't new. It’s been happening for around 800,000 years. And we’ve done nothing but made it worse. And on top of climate change, we have a hole in the ozone layer that won't close until about 2066. Unrelated to climate change but our fault regardless.

🌍 Now, What is Climate Change?

In simple terms, Climate change is when the Earth's usual weather pattern shifts. That doesn’t really seem like a problem but it is. It’s becoming less predictable and more sporadic. Like, the news will say it’s going to rain all day….and then it never does. At first, I thought the news was just trying to make me look insane by having me carry around an umbrella all day but it’s actually not their fault. It’s humans' fault. 

It is caused primarily by humans burning fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas, which releases gasses like carbon dioxide.The gasses trap heat, wrapping around the Earth in a way which causes it to warm up.

But why is it a problem?

A few degrees warmer doesn't SOUND like a big deal but it messes up everything.

For one,

Melting ice in the Arctic. And with the way it’s going, it’s on track for all of it to melt soon. That will lead to not only polar bears and penguins being unhappy but it will also raise the global sea level 60M submerging major cities like Boston and New York. 

More wildfires. Due to the severe lack of rain and paired with the insane heat, it’s bound to start a fire. Hopefully nothing as devastating as the LA fires during January but if so, it’s honestly inevitable. 

Stronger storms. The warmer it is, the more water vapor clouds can hold which ultimately results in more hurricanes and floods. It’s like the saying “When it rains it Pours”.

Animals losing their homes. With the fires, that will end in a lot of trees burning. 

It’s not just about nature though. It affects us too. Some communities deal with droughts, food shortages, and even some having to move because their homes are burning down/ destroyed by weather events.

Is it too late to fix it?

It may seem like that at times. But Yes!! We CAN still fix it!

Use clean energy, like solar or wind. Solar energy is energized by the sun. And wind energy is…well wind. 

Drive less! Cars release greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide. 

Speak up! Oftentimes, government officials and people with higher statuses as a whole don’t speak on climate change at all. And sometimes when they do, they say it’s not a big deal or it's not real at all!

Even if we’re just regular civilians, we can make a difference. If we get enough people into it, we can make a change.

I’m not a scientist by any means but I want to not die from something that was honestly preventable as well as fixable. We as humans have a right to clean air. Animals should have the right to not have to move or just die because of human wrongdoings. I don't want to worry about my home burning down or getting flooded every time someone throws a cigarette near a stack of dry leaves on the ground or when it rains a little too hard. (Don’t smoke by the way.)

Climate change is real, serious and we need to act on it. Even just learning to recycle and riding a bike to work or school, even a skateboard is helpful. It’s better to do something than nothing.