Climate change doesn't need to be a political matter, though it seemingly becomes one. Data collected from leading scientific institutions from all over the world points to climate change on planet earth, that has already begun to effect our ecosystems. When you can watch Antarctic ice shelves melt and fall off live on the internet, it makes you wonder what is up for debate. Yes, drastic climate change has happened on this planet before (e.g. in the time of the dinosaurs), but there is no doubt that industry and deforestation has caused CO2 levels to rise in the atmosphere.
What do you think about this? Climate change is something we can't really feel or see (at least right here right now in MI), but that doesn't hold true for others all over the globe.
Check out some climate change stories (here)
On October 24, people around the world are taking a stand for a safer global climate.
People are taking what action they can to help! "Leading global warming author Bill McKibben's 350.org is asking activists who want to highlight the need to reduce carbon levels in the atmosphere to 350 parts per million - the highest level that scientists tell us is safe - to participate in an International Day of Climate Action. All you have to do is make a statement, whether you're at a rally with a digital camera or at home with your friends and a cell phone, incorporating the number '350' in a very visible way," (Whit Jones, PowerShift 2009, University of Michigan).
Check out Bill McKibben's 350.org
Check out these cool and calm NASA scientists explaining some aspects of climate change:
There is always a lot of debate of whether or not there truly is a climate change, but I have to say – I think I’m noticing a difference. Scientists say not to look a year but rather a decade for a climate change, and to some point I agree. But on the other hand, I grew up in New Jersey knowing each summer around July to be super hot (from the upper 80’s to the low 100’s in temperate) and each winter to be cold. These last couple of years, the weather doesn’t make any sense. For example, this summer was cool and rainy with fewer sunny days than normal. Not only that the heat wave that normally comes in New Jersey in July did not arrive till early to mid-August. I’ve been noticing changes in the environment due to this unusual weather such as the flowers don’t start blooming at the appropriate time. I remember a few flowers and trees starting to bud end March and into April but this year I did not see anything until late April if not even late May. The Atlantic Ocean was super cold until late into the summer and unnaturally quickly, it became warm. A few such changes I noticed were not the norm.
ReplyDeleteA lot of people say that it is not us human beings and our actions that are changing the climate. They mention that every so often our planet goes through different spells of warm periods and cold periods (prime example being the Ice Age). That may be to some degree true but I feel that at the rate the climate is changing, it has to be not just that – it has to be us too. Plus if we can decrease our carbon emissions, why not? Even if the icebergs aren’t melting because of us, what is the harm with ensuring environmental health and for once preventing future problems? We humans have a bad habit of waiting until the last possible moment and then only fixing a problem when it has become too deep and complicated for a quick fix. And even still, when we have reached that point of a problem bigger problem we don’t change our lifestyles, we just keep making quick fixes and “bandaiding” the situation. With the climate we have an opportunity to keep our air clean and keep from being over riddled with unnecessary gases.
In addition it would be such a shame to see beautiful cities like New York or Miami go underwater just because we couldn’t keep our carbon emissions down. Regardless of just beauty, thousands of people would lose their homes in those places and across the world. Those with means can start anew deeper in the country but a lot of people in poverty maybe washed away or unable to start afresh after their homes have been destroyed by the changing climate – which we may or may not have caused by our indifference.
To say that there is a possibility that there is a climate change in recent years, I believe, is a bit of an understatement. There are a number of indications already present in the world today that points to changes in the climate. I suppose the most obvious would be the melting ice caps in the Arctic and Antarctica. We literally watch polar bears on television swimming in the ice-cold waters because large amounts of the ice caps have melted. Also I believe that we can feel the climate changes as well. Having grown up in Michigan all my life, I’ve noticed the fluctuations in weather specifically during winter. In my elementary years, the snow would pile up to well beyond my knees. I remember not even having to hope that it will snow during Christmas vacation, because it just did. It was always certain that I would wake up Christmas morning and the streets would be covered in a blanket of snow. 10 years later in the same location, snow isn’t a guaranteed companion to Christmas morning. Imagining these changes as minute in Michigan, I cannot even begin to guess how the climate changes have affected more susceptible countries. Professor Trumpey mentioned in lecture one class that there were remote islands in the Pacific Ocean that could possibly sink below sea level due to climate changes. Most of these remote countries are not nearly as developed as the United States, and most don’t use nearly as much energy and resources as the United States does.
ReplyDeleteThe level of CO2 emissions coupled with huge deforestations all around the globe certainly contributes toward climate changes. Along with the decrease in oil resources, perhaps this is a sign for the inhabitants around the world to reduce usage of resources. Somehow our ancestors were able to survive without having to cut down massive resources at once. Granted, their population wasn’t nearly as high as it is today, and our population is only expected to grow. If we could focus more on our intake and less on reproduction, it would be like a person following a diet. Instead of in taking products at such an alarming rate, we will eventually become obese and the longer we continue our habits, the larger our problem will become. Not to mention that our world would be overall healthier in terms of resources. The earth can only handle so much, just like our bodies can only handle so much food. We have to allow it time to replenish, like allowing our bodies to fully digest what we have already eaten.
Week 7