Question

Share your opinion on how students can be the biggest change makers in creating a pollution free planet.

Answer 1

Answer:

Humans played a big role in the changes to the earth’s climate over the last century, and scientists predict catastrophic problems if climate change goes unchecked. America is the second largest contributor to carbon dioxide in the world but accounts for only 4.4% of the global population, which means people in the U.S. can make great strides in the fight against climate change with the right tools, information, and resources. College is a great place to start, and there are many opportunities for involvement as a student. See what climate change experts have to say on the matter and learn more about the different ways you can get involved on campus and beyond.

What is Climate Change?

News outlets, social media, and organizations are abuzz about climate change and global warming, but what do these phrases actually mean and how do they affect us and the world we live in?

To understand, it’s best to start with weather. Weather is the temperature and conditions you see right outside your window. One day it might snow while the next day brings clear blue skies.

Many of these weather shifts are dictated by the climate we live in. Climate describes the average or typical weather behavior in a given place over a long period of time. Individuals in Florida would be very surprised to receive two feet of snow in January, but this behavior wouldn’t be uncommon for those in Maine.

Climate change doesn’t relate to day-to-day shifts in weather; instead, it’s concerned with changes in the climate of a place. If the weather report called for snow in Boston on a Monday but it snowed on a Wednesday, that’s a weather change. But if Boston only got 23 inches of snowfall rather than its usual 44 inches, that’s climate change.

So what causes climate change? Scientists have lots of different theories. Some are obvious – sometimes the sun is closer to earth and sometimes it’s further away. Sometimes the sun sends out higher or lower levels of energy.

There are lots of factors outside our control, but the majority of scientists agree that humans and our modern conveniences are also part of the problem. Technology – from cars to central heating – use coal, gas, and oil as sources of power and when these substances are used, they release gases into the air. Many of these gases cause the air to warm, and as more air warms, the climate of a place gradually changes.

According to NASA scientists, the earth’s climate warmed by approximately one degree Fahrenheit over the last century. That may not sound like a lot, but even an increase of a single degree can cause oceans to rise, icecaps to melt, and climates to shift.

If climate change continues to go unchecked, more severe consequences may occur such as:

Sea levels continue rising, eventually submerging coastal towns or even entire islands

Temperatures continue rising, eventually making some parts of the world uninhabitable

Ecosystems are stressed or changed, causing some species of plants and animals to go extinct

In warm/tropical areas, new diseases likely spread

Carbon dioxide levels continue rising, affecting biological systems and harming things like coral reefs and marine life

But how do scientists know all of this? Climate researchers use a variety of tools to study the earth’s present and past climates. The current method for collecting data include satellites, weather balloons, radars, buoys, and weather stations, but they also sample prehistoric glacial ice to learn about long ago. Modern scientific instruments have existed for 150 years, so scientists also have that data at their disposal.

Why Should You Care?

Lots of the discussion around climate change is scientific in nature, so we don’t always understand the tangible effects it has on our daily lives. But climate change can impact the planet and, in turn, us in a variety of ways:

Draught and forest fires

California and large portions of the West Coast have experienced severe draught in recent years due to climate change, causing problems with water supplies as well as extremely dry air and soil. And it’s not just the U.S. The New York Times recently reported that Cape Town is less than three months away from “Day Zero”, which is when the city will implement severe water restrictions until rain comes to replenish water supply. Aside from disturbing crop growth, areas affected by draught are at a much higher risk for uncontrollable fires due to the lack of moisture in the atmosphere. And if people lose access to water, as may soon be the case in Cape Town, consequences will be far worse.