Throughout history, we humans have depended on the Earth for survival. Natural resources, food, water and more have all helped humans grow to become the largest mammal population on the planet. Unfortunately, it seems that our cultivation of planet Earth has taken a turn for the worst. Factories have sprawled up in countries nationwide. The result is an excess in greenhouse gas emissions, specifically, in the Northern Hemisphere. Deforestation and many other unethical practices have also caused a rise in greenhouse gasses. These gasses significantly help heat up the world. Despite the efforts that many of us are taking, I believe that climate change and the damage we have done to the Earth is irreversible. Furthermore, the exponential growth in population of the world is not helping since more humans means more resources to sustain our “quality” of life. For example, according to an article, a “…study found that the energy use of all US gaming causes 24 megatons of carbon dioxide emissions a year, the equivalent of adding more than 5 million cars to the road” Of course, air conditioning and heating can be useful in specific climates. However, video games are a fun pastime. They are burning a large amount of energy. Fossil fuels and nuclear energy all damage the environment. Renewable energy is a method that can be helpful. However, in some scenarios, it may not be practical. For instance, an article reads “Installing solar panels on our homes – and anywhere else – is also a costly exercise…” The resources and costs needed to utilize solar power in certain regions can be more costly than fossil fuels or nuclear power. Climate change has already shown the damage it can do. Droughts are occurring in certain areas in Africa, and the ice caps are melting. Even locally where I live, NYC is currently experiencing probably the warmest winter I have ever witnessed. There were no major snow storms during the winter season and it’s currently approaching March. In conclusion, climate change is something that I feel needs to change. Nonetheless, at the rate of this population growth, and with companies preferring to harm the environment because it is more convenient than alternatives, and with just the complete absent-mindedness of some individuals, fighting climate change will prove to be an uphill battle.
Resources:
Why Don’t We Use More Renewable Energy? | Inspire Clean Energy
https://www.inspirecleanenergy.com/blog/clean-energy-101/why-dont-we-use-more-renewable-energy
What Is the Environmental Impact of Video Games? – Bloomberg
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-12-17/what-is-the-environmental-impact-of-video-games
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