Andrew Chase
Equinox Staff
Sea levels will rise, droughts will be more common, hurricanes will be more intense and temperatures will rise. These are just some of the consequences of climate change. Climate change due to human activity is in fact real and it is happening now.
I believe that climate change is a huge issue and too many people are not taking it seriously. If we don’t begin to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases that are being released into the atmosphere, then there will be many severe consequences. These severe consequences will not just affect you; they will affect future generations too.
I believe that the primary cause behind the rapidly accelerating global warming is the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect happens when certain gases are trapped in the atmosphere and block heat from escaping. Since these gases are blocking heat from escaping, the Earth warms up. Greenhouse gases are primarily created by the use of fossil fuels and deforestation.
The most well-known greenhouse gas is carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is a very important part of the atmosphere. When there is too much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere the planet begins to warm up.
Deforestation is also a huge player in the release of greenhouse gases in the environment. Deforestation releases a ton of greenhouse gases because when people burn down plants and trees, all the greenhouse gases that were being stored inside the plants and trees are released back into the atmosphere.
Global warming affects everyone because we all live on this planet together and we need to do as much as we can to preserve our future. Whether you live in Los Angeles or Puerto Quijarro, Bolivia or even in Keene, New Hampshire climate change affects you even if you don’t realize it. If we don’t act now then the average temperature will be hotter, the oceans will be warmer, there will be more natural disasters and there will be even more droughts.
I believe that everyone should do more to help mitigate the amount of greenhouse gas emissions that they release into the atmosphere. A few ways that a person can reduce the amount of greenhouse gases they release are using less heat and air conditioning, buying energy efficient products and using less hot water. When a person uses an air conditioner, it releases a chemical compound called hydrofluorocarbon (HFC). Hydrofluorocarbon is way more harmful to the atmosphere than carbon dioxide. Another reason why air conditioners are extremely harmful to the environment is because they consume a ton of electricity. Electricity runs on fossil fuels. If we are to continue to allow our species to thrive, then we need to act now before it is too late.
Andrew Chase can be contacted at achase@kscequinox.com
