I feel that we as students could help spread the word on how important climate change is and that it should not be taken lightly. If we were to continue to spread the word and grow into a movement of people who are more aware of this problem, we could make an enormous change by finding an alternative solution to the burning of fossil fuels that radiate heat energy/waves towards the upper atmosphere, creating the greenhouse effect. This is the process where gases trap heat energy which is said to be harmful to the environment. As we see the drastic changes in our planet, the ozone layer is also depleting which is causing more radiation to enter into our atmosphere. We need to realize that we are the ones who are responsible for the immediate outcomes that our planet is experiencing. The sooner we act the better chance we have of protecting the environment we live in. If we stay at the pace, we might not be looking at a habitable planet to live on anymore. Many people today focus on acquiring sustainable wealth which can secure an ideal life, and they are willing to go to extreme measures to make that possible. Regardless if those measures may leave many people homeless, starving, and oppressed.
We see all these large-scale corporations and business conglomerates that are fully aware of all these natural disasters that occur due to their own actions, but since they are reaping the benefits, they are willing to continue harming the environment they themselves live in. I would have to say that they do not seem to care very much about the environment. They are more concerned with their investment making them a quick buck. The only way I see us making a change is if we stand united behind a mutual cause, helping our planet and standing up against the big corporations and corrupt politicians, who are more focused on themselves instead of the voice of the people. It is sad to see all the data and information that was collected over the years be scrutinized by people who are willing to sacrifice their lives to make those who are unaware aware. In the midst of it all, people still do not take these matters seriously enough for them to act on their own. They continue to live a carefree life believing that the earth shall protect them forever. I truly believe the earth is like a person and our entire population is like a bacteria. So naturally for a person to feel better, the body must reject the bacteria so the body can reach its peak performance again. The entire world needs to work hand in hand since we are the ones slowly destroying the planet. The only way to fix the problem is for us to minimize the population, so the earth would have enough time to heal itself back to its original state before civilizations started and industrial expansion began. If we are lucky, we will be blessed enough to continue living on this beautiful planet. We have already reached a point of no return. In my opinion, it seems ironic, we have been living on this planet since it all started only to reach a point where we soon will face a cataclysmic catastrophe. And my question is why?
2 Responses
Hi Marko, this is a very impassioned post! Thank you for taking the time to write this up. As per your question, there are MANY things you as students can do to address climate change and its effects on the Earth. While I may not be able to provide an exhaustive list here are some of the easiest mentions:
#1 Exactly what you are doing NOW! By studying the various facets of climate change, writing posts on ClimateYou, and sharing your new perspectives you are contributing to society’s knowledge and awareness of climate change. Awareness helps translate into action, and action into policy!
#2 There are a number of easy changes you can make at home to reduce your impact on the planet. These include: switching light bulbs to LED’s, buying energy efficient appliances, unplugging electronics when not in use, washing clothes and dishes in cold water rather than hot, and limiting the waste of water.
#3 Some of the largest climate impacts come from common actions we have normalized in American society. These include widespread air transportation, food choices, and car culture.
Now, I haven’t flown many places in my life personally, but informing friends, family, and co-workers about the carbon impacts of flying will be a great help. You can make a TREMENDOUS impact by finding alternatives to flying. Air transport is one of the biggest carbon sources from American citizens. Check out these articles:
http://www.yesmagazine.org/issues/life-after-oil/how-far-can-we-get-without-flying-20160211
https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2010/05/flying-airplane-carbon-footprint/
Maybe a topic for a future post 😉
Probably the most common carbon source is driving. One way to help reduce your carbon footprint is to forgo car trips for bus, train, rail, and other public transit trips. Public transport moves more people than any other transport type! Check out this article I just saw today on the recent buzz about autonomous cars!
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/02/27/opinion/automated-vehicles-cant-save-cities.html
Finally, our food choices as a society have a HUGE impact on the emissions that cause climate change. Raising animals for meat requires a massive input of agricultural products, water, and energy, while the waste from these animals pollutes ecosystems and contributes methane (a strong greenhouse gas) to the atmosphere. Most of the food we grow and the calories from that food go to animals, not people!
By reducing your intake of meat AND animal products (eggs, cheese, milk) you can lower your carbon footprint, thereby helping reduce the impact of climate change.
I believe this is related to your point about people and bacteria. While this kind of “population control” / “people are ruining the planet” argument is not uncommon within environmental circles, it is not the ONLY answer nor even the ideal one. Actually, there are many ideal solutions to climate change. You may have noticed that many of the answers I provided are related to changing people’s behaviors. The Earth can sustain the billions more people we may see in the coming decades. Check out this article, one of my favorites!
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/foodfeatures/feeding-9-billion/
What it CAN’T sustain are billions of people demanding the luxuries some have come to enjoy now. And THOSE are some of the ‘toughie’ ethics and equity questions society is asking itself right now..and that environmentalists WANT to discuss with the public.
Implementing the Climate Change as a compulsory subject into Nursery and Primary levels of the educational institutions/systems would certainly make a significant difference to our carefree actions of how we care for mother Earth. This idea must be enforced with strict policies established by the Legislative Arms of Government.
In my opinion, once enforced, humanity is likely to experience a reduction of the heat-trapping gases (Greenhouse gases). The urgent need to protect the planet can ONLY be achieved via the vehicle of RE-EDUCATION on a mass scale. Another major approach that can contribute to a sharp decline of heat-trapping gases would be to (on national and international scales) stop manufacturing vehicles that consume fossil fuels. The energy provided by sunlight can be a good substitute. Evidently, going green with the use of solar panels to produce electricity should be one of the positive leading ways. Conversely, I do not support minimizing the population to accomplish this goal. The threat to human existence is real and therefore needs every hand on deck.