English 2010

Climate change is a serious issue caused by burning fossil fuels, leading to global warming and drastic effects on the environment. The Arctic is warming three times faster than the global average, endangering species like polar bears and narwhals. The Willow Project, drilling for oil in Alaska, will release millions of metric tons of carbon pollution and have devastating consequences. To adapt or stop global warming, we can switch to renewable energy, carpool, recycle, and reduce food waste. Taking action is crucial to saving our planet. Hi, my name is Ellie Millen, and I'm here to educate others on the drastic effects of climate change. Climate change is a major issue that has been affecting our Earth and ecosystems for a long time. With the way we are living and treating our Earth, it isn't long until we destroy our planet. While one could argue that the climate is constantly changing and that global warming is not a real threat, humans in the 1800s sparked the levels of climate change. The main factor of this would be the burning of fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are created when we burn resources like coal, oil, and gas. These fuels are then trapped inside the atmosphere of our Earth and create what many refer to as a warming blanket. These excessive gases continue to warm our environment, throwing off the natural seasons that ecosystems have grown accustomed to. This is an example of climate change, while the overall warming of the Earth is called global warming. But why care about climate change? How big of an issue does it really cause? Climate change affects every aspect of life. Not only does climate change cause longer droughts, it creates more severe tropical storms, massive fires, and of course, the melting of the polar ice. To focus on one specific environment, I've chosen the Arctic. This is a habitat that many people are aware of and know is struggling. A site titled N-Polar, written by the Norwegian Polar Institute, shows that the Arctic is warming three times faster than the global average. The extensive warming is caused by the melting of snow, which then exposes the ice to a darker surface and increases the amount of solar energy absorbed in these areas. This is an issue that needs to be brought to light because the species that reside in the Arctic have had to face numerous challenges and many are endangered. An article titled WWF claims, the decline in sea ice thickness and extent, along with changes in the timing of the melting ice, are putting animals that are particularly ice dependent, such as narwhals, polar bears, and walrus, at risk. By the year 2100, polar bears could face starvation and reproductive failure, even in the far north of Canada. Not only are the aquatic animals at risk, but so are land mammals, such as reindeer. One of the bigger issues that these mammals face is starvation. Due to the melted snow packs refreezing it and creating an impenetrable layer of ice, the food is a lot harder for these mammals to obtain. One of the biggest threats to this environment is the Willow Project. A brief background of the Willow Project is that Biden approved the drilling of large amounts of oil in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska. Naturally, this is bad since the land is a habitat for millions of birds and caribou. The leading impact of the Willow Project is stated by the NRDC as saying, there is a rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a livable and sustainable future for all. Once passed, the 1.5 degree tipping point will precipitate a cascade of devastating events, including rising sea levels and extreme heat waves that could lead to millions of deaths worldwide by the end of the century. If completed, the Willow Project would release an additional 9.2 million metric tons of carbon pollution into the atmosphere each year, roughly equivalent to the pollution generated by two million gas-powered cars. This pollution would only equal disaster for the Arctic and its species. While we cannot reverse the decision made to complete the Willow Project, we can play a part in adapting, or hopefully stopping, global warming. We must adapt to our ever-changing climate in order to survive. To do so, we can start by planning for the changes that are going to happen in the Arctic. We can work to overcome challenges in funding, skills, and institutional support to plan for a new Arctic. However, this is not the only way we can play a part in aiding environments affected by global warming. One of the easiest things we can do is switch to renewable energy. This process will help to lessen the amount of fossil fuels burned and emitted to our atmosphere. Whether you use solar power or use energy from wind farms, these renewable sources are a great alternative to the fuels that we constantly burn. In addition to these solutions, one can opt to carpool when commuting to reduce emissions. Others find that riding a bike or walking to their destination is not only good for the environment, but enjoyable and a healthy alternative as well. Along with this solution, many people find that they enjoy reusing resources such as clothing or paper. Recycling our materials helps to lessen the amount of products created in factories. Opting to shop-sell your hand instead of giving in to fast fashion may be an alternative approach for some trying to make an impact on global warming. One last easy solution is not throwing away your excess food. When you discard food, you are wasting the resources and energy that we use to grow, produce, package, and transport it. Along with these negative side effects, when foods are sent to landfills to rot, they produce methane, which is a strong greenhouse gas. It is crucial that we are not buying more than what we will use, and in the occurrence that we have too much, we use it as compost. Solutions to climate change are often viewed as too difficult since many require mass amounts of funding. However, there are solutions such as these that are easier for young adults. Climate change is a daunting subject, and many feel as though their actions won't help to fix any of the damage we've caused. However, this is not the cause. It is so easy to take a stand to stop global warming. If we put in the effort and truly work to change our impacts, we can immensely help our environment, and hopefully save the Arctic.