Whether you are conservative, liberal, republican, or democrat, climate change is a pressing issue in today’s society. The upcoming election can decide the fate of the world as we know it. Throughout the years, humans have destroyed the planet with toxic gases, pollution, and much more. When people think of climate change, they think of global warming and yet they are not the same thing whatsoever. Climate change refers to the overall, long-term weather of Earth, while global warming focuses on the rise of global average temperature.
The burning fossil fuels like coal and oil is the leading cause of human emissions, which is one of the biggest factors of climate change. Deforestation is the second leading driver of climate change. Clearing/logging millions of trees doesn’t only cause climatic issues, but it also is taking homes away from animals. The greenhouse gasses released from these events are raising the global temperature to something that hasn’t been seen in over 800,000 years. Although the global temperature has only raised one degree Fahrenheit, during the ice ages, the global temperature was only 5 degrees cooler.
Action needs to be taken in order to save the world, it can start with something so little as recycling or volunteering at a beach clean-up-it is the little things that count. If you look at recent events such as the California wildfires, it is evident that climate change is very real. People truly don’t understand that we, as humans, need to take care of our environment. It is dying all around us, but we are barely doing anything to stop it. There are activists for climate change, but with a man in office who doesn’t believe in science, the world is going to crumble.
There is now a digital clock in Union Square that shows how many years we have left before the climate damage is irreversible. It currently reads seven years. In seven years, our climate is going to deteriorate all around us, and we won’t be able to fix it. We need to take action now. It can start with something so little as recycling or volunteering at a beach clean-up; it is the little things that count. If you look at recent events such as the California wildfires, it is evident that climate change is very real. People truly don’t understand that we, as humans, need to take care of our environment. It is dying all around us, but we are barely doing anything to stop it. There are activists for climate change, but with a man in office who doesn’t believe in science, the world is going to crumble.
In future years, scientists have predicted rising sea levels meaning that Manhattan may be under water, which means that the home of many Pace students will no longer be around. Air is going to become so dirty and filled with soot that health risks will rise- basically, we will be living in a Lorax-esque world. If we, as educated college students, don’t act to protect and save this environment, our grandchildren may not be able to play outside and the animals that we know and love may not be able to survive. We need to start caring about where we live, and it starts with voting.