Yes, climate change is a true threat to the future of humanity. Climate change has become a very heated political and social issue; some believe that this issue is not a true threat, but is rather people exaggerating for their own benefit, like an overtaxing scam on U.S. citizens. This ignorance has caused the issue to worsen because no one is holding any corporations responsible for the irreversible damage they have caused. In fact, it has become such an impassioned topic many 2020 Democratic candidates such as Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders have declared climate change to be their top concern.
Recently Greta Thurnberg, a sixteen year-old girl from Sweden, spoke at the UN Climate Action Summit in New York and her words “Shame on you” were meant to fill the attendees with guilt for putting the pressure of climate change on the younger generation and ignoring the problem. President Donald J. Trump has been known to call the issue a hoax created by the Chinese which many of his followers subscribed too. Trump has also enacted policies that could end up hurting the environment.
For example, after the BP oil spill that caused devastation in the Gulf of Mexico, former President Barack Obama created stricter oil drilling regulations.
Trump has reversed some of this work, making it clear that he disregards any efforts to prevent something like the BP oil spill from happening again. Trump also pulled America out of the Paris Climate Agreement in 2017, a UN convention that focuses on the emission of greenhouse gases. Trump is solely interested in boosting the economy and helping corporations profit. He has allowed for pipeline companies to use land otherwise protected or limited states’ rights to deny oil companies on their land. Although oil companies are making money now, according to the American Security Project, climate change ultimately will attack America’s Infrastructure, which many are trying to rebuild.
The ASP Business Council believes the cost of ignoring climate change will significantly outweigh taking action now. Since, it will be cheaper to help preserve the future of the planet, it’s important to educate those who believe it is not a threat and push for adjustments in our lifestyles. This also debunks the notion that it is too expensive to take action now because, in actuality, it will be cheaper to take preventative measures rather than paying for the repercussions later.
Besides the fact that it is cheaper to prevent it now, all scientific evidence points to climate change not being a myth. The extreme records of sea level risings and severe carbon emissions that are burning holes in the ozone layer are proven. According to ocean.si.edu, a Smithsonian organization, the ocean has risen over 400 feet over 20,000 years greatly due to human carbon production. The carbon levels have been on a steady rise since the 1950’s and the impact is detrimental to our planet. This steady rise has caused the levels of the carbon that the ice caps are releasing to be upwards of 400 parts per million versus the 300 level in the 1950’s, a jump this high has not been seen. A
According to www.usgs.gov, there will be longer and more intense heat waves in North America as well as droughts that will be detrimental to the farmers of the Midwest.
The more carbon released and ice caps melting the greater chance of extinction for animals, such as whales who must have a precise climate in order to survive. Bumblebees are at risk due to not only the rise in temperature, but also the shortening of the spring season, because they have less time to pollinate. These are a few of the many animals who could possibly face extinction according to many sources such as NASA and
WWF. If bees go extinct, humans will be effected because one-third of the global food supply is pollinated by bees. Also of the bees were to become extinct humans would only have four years to live.
Climate change is still partially reversible if we were to make changes to the conveniences of society we have gotten used to. For example, creating a greener means of travelling such as riding a bike to close destinations or using public transportation, or using fewer single-use plastics. If we focus on recycling, and decrease the amount of trash in landfills, less ozone burning nitrogen and carbon will be released.
In order to continue living on this planet there need to be extreme changes made to the lifestyles of most people and everyone needs to come together on the issue to take action.