The Climate is Changing; We Should too

There are many issues and problems in our world. However there’s one crisis that puts our planet and our future at risk. That crisis is called climate change. Climate change is a very crucial problem, and as the temperatures rise, so do the risks for everyone on our planet.

Climate change is the Earth warming up, ice caps melting, temperatures rising, and more. Who is causing all this? Us humans. Most of us emit carbon dioxide into the air, polluting fuels, and more on a daily basis. You might think climate change is something that is possible to be dealt with many years in the future, and not an issue, but the effects of climate change can be felt in many places around the world already. From increased temperatures to negative effects on human life, climate change has been going on for quite a long time to the present day and its effects are only getting worse. It takes place on Earth, everywhere. Climate change is one big problem consisting of many different smaller problems. One example of an issue is the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is when carbon dioxide and methane in the Earth’s atmosphere trap heat from the sun, heating up the world. As well as making it suitable to live in, and keeping the heat at a manageable amount. But if we burn and release too much of certain gasses (such as carbon dioxide), then the Earth will trap too much heat, warming up the planet even more. Thankfully, there are some solutions to this problem. Plants help keep the Earth from heating up too much by absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen. So, by planting more and more plants, they can absorb carbon dioxide. However cutting down more and more trees means there will be less plants and trees to absorb carbon dioxide. This is already an issue. The Amazon rainforest, which contains around 390 billion trees (which is a significant portion of the world’s trees), and plays a vital role in regulating the climate, is in danger of deforestation. Around 17-20% of the forest has been destroyed over the past 50 years. This destruction is mainly due to illegal logging, land being cleard for agriculture and cattle ranching, and infrastructure developing.

In addition, climate change will continue to affect our world and even human life. As the planet gets warmer, ice caps start melting. Ice caps melting means ocean levels rising. That results in increased flooding, stronger storms, and more. Rebuilding after all these disasters can cost a lot of money, and some people don’t have enough money to do so. In other places, the occurrence of droughts are increasing. One place in particular is California. The warmer air temperature causes plants to lose more water, resulting in farmers watering plants even more. This leads to more water being used. Combined with the daily waste of water, that leads to droughts. Heat waves also occur, causing people to have more and more heat related illnesses. These dry conditions lead to wildfires, and that leads to people losing their homes. Climate change affects humans in many ways, and not just humans. It also affects animals, causing severe changes in habitats. One example is sea ice melting, and less appearing. This gives polar bears little area to hunt for food. This has caused polar bears to resort to drastic measures, such as cannibalism.

To conclude, climate change affects humans, plants, and animals. And this issue is only getting worse. While it may seem like you can’t do anything to help, you can. Conserving water, paper, and more all play a part in helping stop climate change, however little. You can donate to climate organizations, start campaigns for advocacy, and more. Little by little, we can fight back and save our planet– and us.