Hell’s Kitchen
This summer, some of the hottest temperatures in modern times have been reached in areas all over the world. 1As a result of this, oceans all across the planet are growing warmer, speeding up the process of ice glaciers melting. Hotter temperatures are at the root of almost all climate issues including include ocean acidification, deforestation, altering routines in ecosystems, and extinction of animals. An increase in the world’s overall temperature is dangerous to humans, too. By endlessly polluting, we are the real cause of all of these issues and are harming not just wildlife, but ourselves, too.
I remember last summer I was reading posts and articles about how some days surpassed the hottest temperatures in history in that particular area. Every year, we are hearing the same stories and noticing the same changes in weather, just more extreme. By pushing climate change aside and focusing on other issues, those problems will only get worse. Climate change needs to be a priority because it is hurting every kind of life on Earth. It also feeds into other issues such as poverty and world hunger. With the uptick in floods and droughts, growing crops can be difficult, causing a shortage of food and water. And without food and water, one cannot build a life for themselves, and it is difficult to pull yourself out of poverty and hunger like this.
Heat waves are the first thing that comes to mind when I think of global warming, and it is because it is the most dangerous form of climate change. It is the form that is the direct consequence of our pollution. By putting heat into the air, that heat is going to stay there and continue to warm the earth. It won’t simply disappear like we seem to think. So many more problems stem off from heat waves. By polluting we should know that we are not just simply warming the world, but putting people into poverty, contaminating ecosystems, putting areas underwater, and forcing certain species to go extinct. When I see a documentary on nature, almost every show will mention climate change and heat waves. When global warming is such a large part of our world that it is mentioned in nature shows, you know that something is wrong and it’s time to stop denying.
The obvious solution to ending heat waves is to stop warming the air. It is difficult to just cut our use of carbon dioxide completely, but we can cut down on it. Additionally, we can stop buying products that are harmful to the environment such as plastic bottles and Styrofoam. There are things we can do too, like planting trees. Although it is a typical response to climate change, it really is effective and the more trees, the better! Just one tree absorbs around 48 pounds or carbon dioxide a year. 2There have been many progressions in the fight against pollution, but there is still a long, long way to go. Areas all over the world are warming up too fast and the clock is ticking.
Image: redcharlie. “Cracked brown soil” Unsplash, 11 February 2019, https://unsplash.com/photos/HxxmKwvUbgI