What comes to your mind when you heard about climate change? Everyone agrees that the situation is deteriorating. The glaciers are melting raises the earth's temperature, residents in several regions of the world are struggling because of that, and animals and plants are facing extinction.
The current climate change is becoming increasingly unpredictable, global warming has become a threat to humanity. Human activities that cause climate change, such as the use of fossil fuels and industrial activities, are important but often overlooked.
Climate change has been predicted since the 1970s when the earth's temperature rose 1.5 degrees Celsius year after year. According to NOAA's 2021 Annual Climate Report, combined land and ocean temperatures have risen by 0.14 degrees Fahrenheit per decade on average since 1880; however, the average rate of rise since 1981 has more than doubled that rate. To comprehend this subject, we must first investigate the causes of climate change.
There are two major causes of climate change: natural climate trends caused by the solar cycle or natural greenhouse gases, and human activities. According to Suraj Mal et al., methane (CH4) is the most dangerous of the greenhouse gases due to massive deposits of methane hydrate in the oceans and the higher global warming potential compared to carbon dioxide (CO2). And today, human activities such as the use of fossil fuels and the clearing of forests, contribute an estimated 11 billion metric tons of carbon to the atmosphere each year.
Then, how is climate change affecting the natural environment and human life? Naturally, this change will have an impact on both nature and humans. Changes in extreme weather in several regions indicate that climate change is having an impact on global food production and security. Although these changes are not felt in all regions, the climate crisis will spread if no action is taken to address it.
Climate change, according to the official website of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, has an impact on warmer temperatures, which may harm the health of the elderly and children; decreasing air quality, which may hurt human health; water availability; and decreasing water quality.
Emergency conditions in several parts of the world, such as the European Union's energy crisis caused by the Russia-Ukraine conflict, hot temperatures and hunger in Africa, and massive industrial activity in America, China, and other countries, are exacerbating the effects of climate change. As a result, if this is not controlled, human life will be endangered.
Controlling and managing climate change is the responsibility of all humans, from national policymakers to businessmen and private individuals, as well as international organizations. According to Greenpeace.com, to solve this problem, we can put pressure on governments and businesses to stop using fossil fuels and instead optimize the use of renewable energy. In addition, entrepreneurs or businesses can create environmentally friendly electric vehicles.
Actions to reduce the impact of climate change must always be taken by ourselves, such as encouraging a vegan diet, efficiently using electricity or transportation energy, and, of course, implementing small steps to reduce the use of single-use plastics in daily life.
