Climate Change: We only have one Earth
Climate change may as well be inevitable for it already has happened and is continuing to happen unless put to halt or at least, slowed down. It leads to changing weather patterns and these changes are likely to have a significant impact across the world. Severe weather events like flooding, heavy snow and extreme temperatures have already adversely affected many people. Climate change provides us knowledge of the future. Predictions that lead us to predestination of the world, “an end to the world” of some sort but of course, for us, human beings because the world can heal without us and that is the harsh truth everyone must understand.
These predictions are different from false prophets or of speculation or opinion from the old folks. The predictions are based on scientific investigation and clear obvious observations of the science of the Earth's atmosphere, ocean, land, and ice. The predictions include the role of chemistry and biology and also the fact that most people are not doing any good while doing bad things which is being too much of a trouble causing pollution and all sorts which in the end leads us to our very end. There are uncertainties in the predictions, but the core of the predictions, that the Earth will warm, that sea level will rise, and that the weather will change is of little doubt.
The Earth is warming and that a major cause of that warming is the increasing concentration of greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere. This increase is directly related to the activities of humans, and in particular, the combustion of fossil fuels: coal, oil, and natural gas. Global warming is one of the biggest issue we are facing right now. Its effects on animals and on agriculture are indeed frightening, and the effects on the human population are even scarier. The facts about global warming are often debated in politics and the media, but, unfortunately, even if we disagree about the causes, global warming effects are real, global, and measurable. The causes are mainly from us, the human race, and the effects on us will be severe.
The two most important strategies for addressing climate change are mitigation and adaptation. The two strategies are related and overlap to a degree, but the basic distinction is that mitigation means limiting the amount of climate change which occurs, primarily by reducing greenhouse gas concentrations, while adaptation means changing the way we as a society live in response to the changing climate.
It is essential that we act now by reducing emissions and by adapting to change. If we fail to regulate greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming, or use alternative strategies for addressing the problem, the damages could be in large scale, and perhaps catastrophic. Whatever the causes of climate change, not taking action to tackle it is the wrong thing to do; the impacts of climate change will only get worse. Climate change affects everyone and we must all play our part. Community leadership alongside individual action is essential to success and we will make better progress if we are prepared to take responsibility and work together. It is clear that we need to adapt to the changes we are already experiencing and work to reduce the activities that are contributing to the cause of climate change.
From a science perspective, one major thing that can be done about climate change is to support education efforts by the government and non-government organizations that help individuals and societies be informed and aware of the change that is currently occurring. Education on climate change must be integrated as practical knowledge into society so that people become more concerned of the world that they are living in. With proper education, whatever trash people are holding as of this moment, may it be a piece of tissue paper or candy wrapper, they would know how to properly manage their wastes in order to save our only home, Earth.
