How to Adapt to Climate Change by City Tech Blogger Ainul Haque

A heat wave is an extensive period of abnormally scorching hot weather, and there is literally nothing good that comes out of a period of extreme heat. Heat waves are caused when there is a lot of pressure at the pinnacle of the atmosphere, and this high pressure is sucked in towards the ground, resulting in a sudden increase in temperature on the surface. Heat waves can also last for a very long time, spanning from one day to several weeks. Heat waves can cause heat stroke and even death to us, and our plants can also easily die due to extreme heat. What’s even more dangerous about this type of climate change is that it can cause other weather patterns to shift, leading to a destructive imbalance of weather conditions in a region.

Since I’ve been living in New York for many years now, I’ve noticed that heat waves were never a normal thing before. The only time that I had dealt with constant heat waves was back when I was still in Bangladesh before coming to the U.S. It was always hot there, so it wasn’t really a big deal. However, in recent years, heat waves have been getting worse and are starting to last much longer than just a few days. In New York, it’s been getting really hot, and the worst was this past summer when the temperature reached dangerous heights. The memory of the forecast from last July stands out to me because I remember watching the news and seeing high temperatures predicted. I didn’t think it would be that bad, but I literally almost fainted from the crazy heat. It made me wonder how so many people don’t think that climate change is a real thing, while our ecosystem is literally being destroyed by our own actions.

As stated in a previous blog, the United States was part of the Paris Agreement back in 2015. However, President Donald Trump hates the idea, and he ceased America’s participation under the Agreement until we can officially pull out in 2020. A major cause of climate change is how much pollution is emitted from driving our cars every day. Gasoline is so harmful to the environment, and the holes in our ozone layer just keep getting bigger since so many people around the world rely on cars. The larger the holes in the atmosphere, the greater the chance is for heat waves to spread all over the world. It’s unbelievable to think that our vehicles cause so much harm to the environment, but what’s even more unbelievable is that people think that the recent increase in hot weather is happening without any impetus. Not realizing that in fact the destructive impetus for climate change are the very beings that inhabit our dying planet. Of course, there is always hope for the future. Since I am a Computer Systems major, I’ve grown familiar with working with technology and applying Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) knowledge to computer systems. One way my major can help is by trying to modify electric and hybrid cars to cater more towards the general public. Most teenagers who have cars only care about going fast and having the best-looking car to show off to their friends. However, since there’s been such a major push towards electric and hybrid cars, major environmentally safe brands have begun dominating the automobile market around the globe. Tesla, for example, has become famous for making luxurious, electric cars, and they’re slowly taking over the “car scene” in every modern city. Of course, Teslas are pretty expensive, but there are other alternatives such as Smart Car and the 2019Nissan LEAF that are much cheaper and safer for the environment.

I’d also like to work on windmill technology, using it to power city facilities rather than just relying on giant power plants. Japan and China have also made their mark tackling climate change by minimizing their automobile presence and implementing a larger system of bike riding. New York also has done a great job in adopting this method, and Citi Bike stands are popping up on every corner across the city. Using bikes as a main form of transportation not only is better for the environment, but it provides exercise for people as well, which is always needed. This past summer was really eye-opening for me because I remember how hard it was to even breath under the extreme heat, and now I know how severe it is firsthand.