The War on Climate Change
Science explains the patterns of abnormal weather, and how it can affect us.
It’s a bright sunny day. The sky is blue, birds are singing, and the temperature is perfect. It sounds like a beautiful day in a month like May or June, but believe it or not, this kind of weather has been occurring in a month like February, only for it to be freezing the next day!
Why such “crazy” weather? Well, there is one definite answer that seems to fly over people’s heads — and scientists have been concerned about it for years. That definite answer is climate change and it raises many questions, including how it will affect the world. According to the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC), “over the past 50 years, the average global temperature has increased at the fastest rate in recorded history. And experts see the trend is accelerating: All but one of the 16 hottest years in NASA’s 134-year record have occurred since 2000.” What does this mean for the weather patterns today? For a few days it can be warm and sunny, and suddenly there can be a huge snowstorm that ruins that streak of nice weather. Sudden changes like that in weather can affect our bodies negatively. For example, more frequent plus hotter heat waves can create a potential to cause more deaths, and rising carbon dioxide levels can trigger more airborne allergens.
The extreme weather that has been experienced over the past few weeks can be explained by the rising temperatures. “Scientists agree that the earth’s rising temperatures are fueling longer and hotter heat waves, more frequent droughts, heavier rainfall, and more powerful hurricanes.” National Resources Defense Council says, “In 2015, for example, scientists said that an ongoing drought in California — the state’s worst water shortage in 1,200 years — had been intensified by 15 percent to 20 percent by global warming.” (“Global Warming 101”) Climate change “tripled [the] chances” of heavier rainfall for Hurricane Harvey, which affected more than 13 million people from Texas to Kentucky. The warmer temperatures are known to supercharge storms, including tropical storms. The warmer the ocean temperatures, the more energy is carried onto tropical storms, which causes flooding and extreme winds. (“Climate change ‘tripled chances’ of Hurricane Harvey’s record rain”)
What is Causing Climate Change?
Scientists have conducted recent studies that explain some reasons for the extreme changes in weather. The use of cars, more industrialized cities, toxic factories, and nuclear power plants are some things that humans have built that release pollution into the air. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) explains that we have expanded the greenhouse, saying “Most climate scientists agree the main cause of the current global warming trend is human expansion of the ‘greenhouse effect’ — warming that results when the atmosphere traps heat radiating from Earth toward space.” (“A blanket around the Earth”)
Ways you can Stop Climate Change
The David Suzuki Foundation provides a clear insight on how you can help stop climate change. Some of the ways include:
- Getting involved. E-mail your political representatives on why climate change concerns you.
- Being energy efficient. Limit your use of lights and time using electronics.
- Trim your waste. Recycle items that can be recycled. Re-purpose certain items that you can decorate or have use for.
For more information, you can visit the David Suzuki Foundation website.
And if you’re worried of how extreme weather can affect you, remember, you can make a change. It all starts with you!
