With all of our energy focused on politics and the economy of the United States, we have been neglecting what has been unravelling with our planet: climate change. One may argue that there has been no significant change in the last few years, but the statistical data to back up the rapid change is staggering and should raise flags.
Climate change has been scientifically proven to have been happening ever since the Industrial Revolution took place. It has been stated by CNN, and reported by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, that the planet will soon reach a crucial threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius, which is equivalent to 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit, above the pre-industrial levels. This could happen as soon as 2030.
If changes are not made, this could increase the risk of extreme drought, food shortages, floods, and wildfires, impacting a large portion of the Earth. These estimates are based on the most recent measures of greenhouse gas emissions. We are almost there; the Earth has warmed around 1 degree celsius since before the Industrial Revolution.
One may question what causes climate change. According to NASA, the main contributor to climate change is human expansion of what we call the Greenhouse Effect, which is the trapping of heat within the atmosphere which results in warming. Gases like water vapor (H2O), nitrous oxide (N2O), methane (CH4), and carbon dioxide (CO2) are known for their ability to block heat from escaping.
Our actions are changing the “natural greenhouse,” such as the burning of fossil fuels, clearing land for farming and industry and many other acts of pollution. 1,300 scientific experts from across the globe have concluded that there is a more than 95 percent probability that human activities over the last half-century have warmed Earth.
What is happening as a result of our actions? Well, according to NASA, multiple things are happening. Temperatures will continue to climb globally depending on the amount of greenhouse gases that we continue to release into the atmosphere.
The growing season of crops will most likely lengthen as a result. Also, they predict that there will be changes in precipitation patterns, and the Northern United States is expected to see much more winter and spring precipitation.
In contrast, the Southwest will see less. In some areas, there will be more droughts and heat waves, especially in the Southwest. This means that summer temperatures will likely continue to rise, and droughts could be extreme. Since the 1980s, hurricanes have also increased in both frequency, duration and intensity. We aren’t exactly sure how we are contributing to hurricanes, but it is thought that there is a correlation between human actions and these storms.
The global sea-level has also risen by around 8 inches since 1880. This doesn’t seem like a lot, but it is predicted to rise 1 to 4 feet by 2100. This is due to the melting of ice and the expanding of sea waters. This could displace many people who live in coastal regions.
One may ask what local examples exist of this phenomenon, and you do not have to look too far. The Adirondack Mountains are being impacted significantly, which has been observed recently by Eric Leibensperger, a SUNY Plattsburgh climate scientist. He was interviewed for an article in the Adirondack Explorer, which points out that the Adirondacks are warming faster than the majority of the world, and many cold-water fish are becoming stressed due to this.
As stated by CNN, the Earth has warmed about 1 degree Celsius in the Industrial Age, but the Adirondacks have warmed about double that, around 1.8 degrees. The majority of this warming has occurred since the 1980s, which has been witnessed by many of us in our own lifetimes. If the current energy trends continue, it is expected that the Adirondacks will warm another 2 degrees by the 2050s. This warming has also been seen in the lakes, such as Lake Champlain, which has warmed 1 degree since the 1990s, which could devastate certain fish species if this trend continues.
When digging deeper into this topic, I decided to Interview Professor Peter Pettengill, who teaches environmental studies. I asked him the following questions:
Stickney: What do you think we can do to change the future?
Pettengill: Let your individual actions speak louder than your words.
Stickney: Is climate change inevitable?
Pettengill: No. But, it will require a paradigm shift in the way we live.
Stickney: What solutions do we have?
Pettengill: Consume less fossil fuel and demand lower impact alternatives.
Stickney: What have you observed in your lifetime?
Pettengill: Increased aridity in the desert southwest and less consistent snow and cold across the northeast.
Stickney: Do you have any other comments or concerns regarding climate change?
Pettengill: There is a disconnect between what environmentalists preach and what we practice. In a nutshell, environmental hypocrisy.
With further research and more effort in changing our ways, we should be able to stop the furthering of climate change and make the world a better place. We tend to be stubborn when it comes to changing our daily habits and we do not always realize what consequences come with buying plastic water bottles and choosing not to recycle. If we promote better practices and stick to them, this can be beat, but we have a long road ahead of us.