Some may argue that climate change isn't real, but data and research says otherwise. For example, according to NASA, “the planet's average surface temperature has risen about 1.62 degrees Fahrenheit since the late 19th century” (NASA). Climate change is a problem that everyone must realize that they are causing and make an effort to make a difference in the world. Climate change is a factor that determines if we have a future on this earth, and if changes aren’t made there may be no world to live on. The pollution in the oceans to the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are all contributing to climate change, so let's make a change. Here are some ways to limit the emissions of greenhouse gases:

Drive less and walk more. Vehicles are the leading cause of air polluters in the atmosphere, in fact, “in 2013, transportation contributed more than half of the carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides, and almost a quarter of the hydrocarbons emitted into our air” (Union of Concerned Scientists). Limiting the use of vehicles could potentially limit the greenhouse effect that makes the Earth warmer. Through how many vehicles that are used throughout the world the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are beginning to pile up, which is causing the Earth to warm up at a faster pace. From walking this will be able to reduce the emissions of harmful gases and provide a better environment to live in.

Use renewable energy. Renewable energy doesn’t emit any greenhouse gases in the air and is a good way to produce clean energy. This clean energy also is supplied by the earth and its natural processes like sunlight or wind power. Some examples of renewable energy is wind energy, solar panels and geothermal energy. Through the use of renewable energy today, “in 2017, renewable energy provided about 11 quadrillion British thermal units (Btu) 11 quadrillion British thermal units...equal to 11% of total U.S. energy consumption” (Energy Information Administration). From using renewable energy, this will be able to provide the world with a way to produce energy in cleaner manner that doesn’t devastate the world.

Recycle. Through recycling, manufactures have a way to reuse materials, and the result is the producers of products burning less fossil fuels. For instance, “manufacturing products from recycled materials typically requires less energy than making products from virgin materials” (King County). Recycling is a way to limit the amount of greenhouse gases that are being produced by the industries, where your products are coming from. The simple act of putting something in a blue bin will be able to make a difference, so why not participate in a simple act like throwing something away.

Climate change is causing many horrible consequences is affecting everything that is living on earth, like the wildlife. An example could be the desperate polar animals that are barely surviving on their little pieces of ice in the arctic. According to NASA, “Greenland lost an average of 286 billion tons of ice per year between 1993 and 2016, while Antarctica lost about 127 billion tons of ice per year during the same time period” (NASA). Due to the warm temperatures melting the habitats of arctic animals they have nowhere to go and nothing to do. but we could change that. The Arctic animals aren’t going to be able to survive without solving the problem, us as humans have caused.

Another example of wildlife being disturbed would be the ocean population. The fish in the ocean are slowly fading away, due the chemistry of the water changing. The water in oceans is becoming more acidic, which is making the animals that live their dye off because of the unusual atmosphere. The water is becoming more acidic because according to NASA, “the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by the upper layer of the oceans is increasing by about 2 billion tons per year” (NASA). In the oceans because the chemistry of the water is changing so fast animals are unable to adapt and eventually don’t survive under the new conditions. The sea life is fading away with each species beginning to disappear because of what we as humans caused.

If no sympathy is brought by the wildlife that is being killed, then consider the human population and generations after. Climate change is making the air warmer and causing more insects that carry diseases to become more present in the atmosphere, this could cause a huge global scale of deaths to occur in the world. Many generations are going to become sick and diseases are going to spread faster if this issue of climate change is not solved. Little changes every day can make a difference, but if this issue isn't addressed the future of this beautiful planet that we all live on will be doomed.

Works Cited

“Climate Change Evidence: How Do We Know?” NASA, NASA, 17 May 2019.

“Climate Change, Recycling and Waste Prevention.” Climate Change, Recycling and Waste Prevention from King County's Solid Waste Division - King County.

“Renewable Energy Explained.” Renewable Energy Sources - Energy Explained, Your Guide To Understanding Energy - Energy Information Administration.

“Vehicles, Air Pollution, and Human Health.” Union of Concerned Scientists.