Climate change. A fact when mentioned most people choose to ignore; push to the back of their minds. Climate change is one of the greatest world problems society faces today. However, the fact that it is happening gradually distracts people from the bigger picture. If not enough action is taken, climate change will drastically affect the future of earth and everything living on it.
Over the past 250 years humans have been artificially raising the concentration of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere at a rapid rate. This will eventually lead to drastically hot summers and fewer colder days. Global warming has already started affecting our planet. It is increasing the frequency and intensity of certain extreme weathers.
In the summer of 2003 a heatwave hit Europe. It caused an estimated 70,000 premature deaths. If nothing is done blistering summers will become the norm. Climate change has the potential power to create more frequent wildfires, longer periods of drought and an increased number of tropical storms. However, it has already started to have an effect on the earth. Glaciers have shrunk. There is a major loss of sea ice. Acceleration in the rising of sea levels. A rise of acidity in oceans. More intense heatwaves and an increase of flooding.
Even with the efforts we are making now to stop climate change, sea levels are predicted to rise 1-4 feet by the year 2100. The Greenland ice sheet is the second largest ice body in the world. It takes up roughly 80% of the surface of Greenland. If all of the ice in Greenland were to melt it would increase our sea levels by more than 21 feet. That is enough water to submerge some of our largest coastal cities. London, New York, even entire countries such as Bangladesh would be under water. This is our future if we do nothing.
But we today have the technology to deliver most of our needs without burning fossil fuels. All society needs is the political will to move forward in creating and investing in renewable energy. Our generation has the power to help solve one of humanities largest problems affecting the future of our world.
The next step is making the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy and taking the first movement towards a healthier planet. This will remedy the environmental disasters we humans are responsible for creating.
