Pecha Kucha

Climate change is a pressing issue caused by human activities. The main causes are greenhouse gases, land use and deforestation, and industrial emissions. The effects include rising temperatures, severe storms, flooding, droughts, wildfires, melting glaciers, and loss of food production. Deforestation, especially in the Amazon rainforest, is a major concern. The world is suffering from hotter temperatures, loss of species, droughts leading to wildfires, reduced food production, and damage to the ocean. We need to take responsibility and find ways to limit human causes to protect our planet. Climate change. An ongoing topic that is one of the most discussed issues of our time and undoubtedly one of the most alarming and frightening occurrences that has and still continues to completely alter the planet. But the saddest part of it all is that us humans are responsible for it. NASA defines climate change as long-term change in the average weather patterns that have come to define Earth's local, regional, and global climates. Effects of climate change include rising temperature, more severe storms, flooding, increased drought, which leads to wildfires and lack of food production, melting glaciers, the list goes on. But before I talk about the effects of climate change, let's discuss the causes. There are two types of causes, human causes and natural causes. Natural causes such as changes in the Earth's orbit and rotation, variations in solar activity, volcanic activity, and more all contribute to climate change. However, human causes have substantially contributed to climate change, far outweighing natural causes. The top three human contributors to climate change are greenhouse gases, land use and forestry, and industry. Greenhouse gases are gases in Earth's atmosphere that trap heat. More commonly known as the greenhouse effect, the main gases that are responsible for this are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and water vapor. The Industrial Revolution is the point where greenhouse gases started to become a problem. Since then, the amount of carbon dioxide that may contribute to greenhouse gases has increased by 50% in the atmosphere. Methane, nitrous oxide, and water vapor also contribute to the greenhouse effect and are mainly produced by fossil fuels, electricity, agriculture, and transportation. As if the atmosphere did not already have enough carbon dioxide in it, land use and destruction of forests is making it worse. As we know, we breathe out carbon dioxide. The trees then take that carbon dioxide in and produce oxygen. This is something that the forestry industry does not seem to be too concerned about because they are clearing so much land to sell lumber and to create space for buildings. One notable cause for concern is the deforestation of the Amazon rainforest because it affects so much more than us. The Amazon rainforest spans 2.7 million square miles across Brazil and contains approximately 390 billion trees. The Amazon produces oxygen for not only the 47 million people that live there, but also the animals. The rainforest is home to 50% of all living plants and animals on Earth, and there are still new plant and animal species that are being discovered each year. However, this will not be the case for long if deforestation continues. The world's rainforests are disappearing at a rate of 6,000 acres every hour, and if we continue like this, we and the animals will only be worse off. Since the forest industry is cutting down trees for logging to create space for buildings, that brings me to the third human cause that contributes to climate change, industry. This cause emits extremely large amounts of fossil fuels into the air. The main gas that they produce is carbon dioxide, which only continues to get trapped in the atmosphere and cause more damage to Earth. Greenhouse gases, land use and forestry, and industry are the three biggest human contributors to climate change and to leave the planet to look like this. The atmosphere already contains an incredibly high amount of fossil fuels, so if we continue the rate at which deforestation is occurring, that carbon dioxide has even less of a chance to be taken in by trees and other plants. Although we need industries to help us live and to help make advancements in the world, we need to first identify ways to limit the human causes of climate change. Until then, the world will only become more fragile. So, now that I have reviewed the human and natural causes of climate change, let's get into how the world is affected by it. The world is suffering because of humans. This is our only home, and we are not taking accountability for our actions, and there is only a certain amount of time left for us to help. As I mentioned earlier, there are countless effects of climate change. Some of the most significant effects are hotter temperatures and loss of species. The biggest contributor to rising temperatures is the greenhouse effect. As it continues to get hotter, so does the global surface temperature. As the Earth absorbs the excessive heat from the atmosphere, the planet then suffers from increased drought, which can lead to wildfires and less food production, and melting glaciers accompanied by a warming, rising ocean. Not only is increased drought depleting our water sources, but it drastically increases the risk of wildfires. Here is yet another source of carbon dioxide emission, along with other greenhouse gases and toxic pollutants. So, on top of deforestation, we have more of our forests being destroyed by wildfires. Increased drought is also responsible for reduced food production in many different parts of the world. Since the Earth continues to get hotter every year, crops and livestock are going to need more of it. However, water has completely dried up in some places, and the quality has decreased in others. Even the ocean is not a great source, as rising temperatures have caused it to become more acidic. And speaking of the ocean, it is only becoming more and more damaged. Water expands as it gets warmer, and the ocean is what soaks up most of the heat from global warming. Along with that, glaciers all around the world are melting as well, only making the ocean level rise even more than it already is. Glaciers in the ocean are home to many different animals. If we keep destroying their home, how will they survive? Where could they even go? Many of these species are already endangered, and it is only a matter of time before they go extinct. One image that stuck with me that makes me very passionate about climate change is this one.