By Céleste Merlin (2EA)
Our Planet needs our help. Too many mistakes have been made and we need to take action for a better future.
What is it?
Climate change is a change in climate patterns. In a few decades, the level of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere produced by the use of fossil fuels has drastically increased.
As this graph from NASA shows, since 1950, the carbon dioxide level is higher than ever.
The impact climate change has on our world and lives cannot be overlooked.
This causes much disturbance on our Planet. Our Planet is being mistreated and, soon, won’t be able to maintain the ecosystem it has. As the population will grow, more pollution will be created.
Our planet has already dealt though and is dealing with increasing heat. The icebergs are melting, causing death to many animals as they are being stranded. Flooding and erosion in coastal areas are creating difficulty for humans as well as the health impact in cities due to heat. The droughts are increasing wildfires which are endangering human life.
Our planet has so much we can’t lose.
The Amazonian forest is an essential of our ecosystem. It is The Earth’s lungs. It holds wildlife, thousands of species, a water system, CO2 cycle, etc.
The Ozone layer protects us from the stratosphere. It is indispensable and is also being slowly destroyed by human pollution.
Change can be seen today.
Mountain snow is melting rapidly. A man in his 60s, Gregoire Franchet, was asked if he has seen any changes in his lifetime: “As a child, I used to go skiing during summer in the French Alps. Today, there isn’t enough snow for us to ski on them. It’s fascinating but actually sad to see the change in a lifetime.”. Today, snow is even created and projected on ski slopes just for a sport.
Every Day Actions:
Certain habits leave an impact without us realising it. These can be easily changed.
When going to the supermarket, before leaving the house, taking reusable bags with you is one of the easiest steps to follow. According to a survey completed by the journalist, out of nine people of the age of 15, seven of them take bags with them when going grocery shopping (and two out of the seven take plastic bags sometimes, but reuse them). Some take plastic bags they reuse, others take reusable bags. But that still means that in the generation that should be the most aware, about 33% of them still ask for plastic bags every time.
When buying groceries, looking for fruits and vegetables that are in season is the second step. Looking for the ones that aren’t wrapped in plastic is also important as is checking the origin. If it comes from too far, it’s not environmentally friendly. Processed food shouldn’t be too much on the grocery list. Most of the time, it isn’t necessarily healthy or good for the environment.
Clothes are a big part of today’s pollution, fast fashion in particular. Santv says that the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of the CO2 consumption while flight and maritime transport is also 10%. To add to this, the BBC says that in 2015, 1.2 billion tons of carbon emissions were produced by the global fashion industry. Furthermore, water is largely used to create clothes, for example, it takes 2.700 liters of water to make a cotton shirt which is enough for a person to drink for 2 ½ years, says WRI. It is quite simple to give away or sell your clothes. Throwing them away shouldn’t be an option. Buying from fast fashion brands such as Zara seems a good idea, but it isn’t. Going to thrift shops is an environmentally friendly choice.
Climate change is of great importance especially for future generations. Making switches today is the only way for a change in the direction our Earth is now headed. We are the last generation that are able to have a real impact.
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