Climate change has been an issue for many years, but the recent findings could mean that global warming is happening at a faster rate than ever thought before. Scientists warn that if something doesn’t change soon, the damage to the environment will be irreversible.

Climate change is a change in global temperature or regional climate patterns. It’s attributed largely to the increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide produced by the use of fossil fuels. Humans are producing carbon dioxide at a faster rate than the environment can handle, and due to this, we’ve reached an increase in wildfires, warming in the arctic, increasing sea levels and more. Sea levels have already increased by 8 inches since the 1900’s, and by midcentury, it’s likely the arctic will lose all sea ice by late summer. On the other hand, the extreme heat will cause droughts in the Midwest, and the California wildfires will double by 2050. The heat will significantly affect the economy as well because farmers will lose crops and dairy, and fishermen will be impacted as well because sealife is dying rapidly. One trillion dollars in coastal real estate could be lost due to the flooding. Lastly, energy systems could start being taxed, and blackouts and power failures could cost billions. Global warming is also threatening our health, there will be more mosquioto and tickborne diseases, asthma and allergies will worsen, and there will be more foodborne and waterborne diseases resulting in more premature deaths.

Not everyone believes in climate change, including Donald Trump. He tweeted that, “The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive,” and, “If we’re clean, but every other place on earth is dirty, that’s not so good, so I want clean air, I want clean water, very important.” The president refused to sign on to a joint statement on climate change at the G20 summit in Argentina. Signing the statement means that you’re dedicated to help continue to tackle climate change, while promoting sustainable development and economic growth. Although there are different opinions on climate change, some are concerned that having a president with those beliefs will make it difficult for the United States to change anything, considering he’s the one in a position of leadership. For example, Ben Delagarza, a senior at Hall High School, and Nicole Arroyo, a junior at Hall High School, both have concerns about the future of the environment. Ben says, “It’s real and something should be done about it. Our government isn’t taking the necessary precautions to prevent it from increasing.” Nicole Arroyo says, “Climate change is real, polar bears are dying, and our government is becoming trashier than it already is.”

Although climate change is overwhelming, and changing it seems impossible, there are simple actions we can take to help make an impact. For example, one of the main causes to plastic waste are plastic straws. According to the National Geographic, about 500 million straws are used every day in just the U.S. alone, and a majority of them end up polluting the beaches. To prevent this, many establishments, such as, McDonald’s and Starbucks, plan on banning plastic straws in the near future. Not only are they unnecessary, but they can easily be replaced by using paper straws or reusable straws. Other simple actions we can take include, online shopping to reduce car emissions and energy use, using a reusable water bottle, and reducing food waste. Sometimes people don’t realize how much trash they produce and how much food goes to waste, so it is recommended to keep a journal for a week to see a pattern in trash production. Environmental issues are caused by many factors, and it’s going to take major changes to help the alarming weather and climate patterns, but we all have to put in effort to make a change.

We tend not to put much thought into issues that don’t directly affect us in the moment, but if we keep ignoring the problem, we will pay the devastating consequences in just a few years. This is our world, and we have a responsibility to take care of it. Do your part before it’s too late.