Global warming is something that has been pushed by scientists for years. Mounting evidence backing it up: species after species going extinct, ocean acidification, the melting of the polar ice caps, and much more, yet little to nothing is being done. Action must be taken as soon as possible. The lack of action can in part be attributed to the consumerist society we live in, according to Richard Hampson, an environmental science teacher at Pennridge High School. He stated, “Large corporations push things like two-day shipping and having the best.”. The practices of large companies push climate change. We, as consumers, need to recognize this and try to reduce our contribution to consumerism. If people can start to fully realize their environmental impacts and make little changes in their lives to make a difference, then together, we can make a difference against climate change.
Many are skeptical that their lifestyle changes would make a difference in global warming. If just one person reduces their emissions, the skeptics are correct that it won’t make a difference to the massive problem at hand. That one person is a microscopic percentage of the eight billion humans that live on this Earth. In an article about “…the Non-problem of Global Warming”, climatologist Patrick J. Micheals calculated that “…if the United States eliminated all carbon emissions,… it would only reduce global warming by a negligible 0.052 degrees celsius by 2050.”.
0.052 degrees Celsius may seem like our efforts would make no difference, but that’s because that number encompasses the United States, which only makes up 4.18% of our global population. If the world cuts its carbon emissions, this number jumps significantly to 4.992 degrees Celsius, which is 40.982 degrees Fahrenheit. Completely cutting the emission of carbon throughout the world would be next to impossible. Tyler Bigam, a teacher at Pennridge High School, stated, “I would like to believe every person could make a difference…”. Change can happen if everyone does just the little things to reduce their carbon footprint. Simple things like turning off the lights when you leave a room, not heating your house so much in the winter or not cooling it so much in the summer, carpooling with others when possible, or using public transportation if accessible. All these simple changes you can make to your everyday life with minor inconvenience can change the future of the planet.
Sources:
https://www.aei.org/carpe-diem/six-factsabout-the-non-problem-of-global-warming/
