The world is constantly changing. Some argue that it is for the best, but environmentalists say otherwise. Many people, such as United States President Elect Donald Trump, do not believe in climate change.  Trump believes that “the concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive.” Similarly, former U.S. Rep. Newt Gingrich agrees that “we don’t have conclusive proof of global warming. And I don’t think we have conclusive proof that humans are at the center of it.” However, there is one thing that people against climate change can’t ignore: the facts. InsideClimate News states, “the average global concentration of CO2 increased to 399 parts per million in 2015, a record jump of almost 3 ppm from the year before.” This shows that the amount of greenhouse gases in the earth’s atmosphere has been accelerating at an alarming rate within recent years. Although many people acknowledge these facts, they neglect to see the connection between increased greenhouse gas emissions and an increase in temperature and sea level.  Raymond Tam ‘17  is upset by this “I simply cannot wrap my head around the fact that a large percent
age of the human population does not believe in climate change.”

Anti-environmentalists such as Trump and Gingrich argue that CO2 is a naturally occurring gas in the earth’s atmosphere and that there is nothing to worry about. This is because when CO2 is released into the atmosphere, plants take it in to preform photosynthesis, therefore removing it from the atmosphere; problem solved. This is true, but plants can only take in so much. According to Bob Berwyn from InsideClimate News, “CO2 atmospheric accumulation is due to fossil-fuel burning cars and factories, and the constant removal of forests, decreasing the amount of carbon dioxide-needing organisms.” Therefore, not only is the amount of time it takes to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere increasing, but so is the amount of CO2 itself.

As the amount of carbon dioxide has increased in recent years, so have temperatures. This is no coincidence.  According to NASA, “most of the warming has occurred within the past 35 years as well, with 15 of the 16 warmest years on record occurring since 2001.”   Carbon dioxide acts like  a blanket in that it lets heat in and keeps it in. When the blanket gets too thick, it can become problematic- this is what is happening right now. The increasing thickness simultaneously increases the amount of heat that is being held in. This increases the temperature of the earth. The increase in temperature does not simply mean milder winters and hotter summers. Bri Nykaza ‘19 finds this alarming “I’m constantly reading and hearing about how the ice caps are melting, and that lots of arctic animals like penguins and polar bears will lose their homes.” Therefore, not only will increased temperatures lead to habitat destruction, but it could also lead to an increased severity of rainstorms, droughts, and monsoons as well.  Ashley Bravo ‘18 thinks that humans have to act now. “We are beginning to see the affects of climate change already. ”
Not only was it sixty degrees in late November, but a huge snow storm hit shortly after; this is just the

beginning. This is a major issue that needs to be addressed before it is too late.” Many scientists believe that decreasing the use of  fossil-fuel burning machines is a step in the right direction. However, whether or not the public responds to this urgent situation remains to be unseen due varying politicians opinions.

References

Paul. “The Impact of Climate Change on Natural Disasters.” NASA. NASA, n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2016.

News, Bob Berwyn InsideClimate, David Hasemyer, Bob Berwyn, Zahra Hirji, Katherine Bagley, Andrea Thompson Climate Central, Lisa Song, Neela Banerjee, David Hasemyer, and Sabrina Shankman. “Far From Turning a Corner, Global CO2 Emissions Still Accelerating.” InsideClimate News. InsideClimate News, 19 May 2016. Web. 10 Dec. 2016.