A Climate Apocalypse

By Haylee Hutterer

Our planet is slowly dying. 

Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Harvey. South Asia floods. Droughts in East Africa and heat waves in India and Pakistan. Wildfires in North america and Australia. Natural disasters affect all countries and the people and animals within them. But as these events become more severe and more frequent, we have to face the reality that climate change is real. It’s killing our planet and eventually there will be nothing left. 

The Earth’s climate has been changing throughout history. Most of these slight changes are caused by minuscule changes in the Earth’s orbit. But climate change today is identified as an abrupt increase in the Earth’s temperature. The temperatures of our planet have risen an estimated 1.2 to 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit in just the last century. Ten out of the last thirteen years have been the warmest years in recorded history. But 97% of climate scientists agree that these changes are not caused by the changes in Earth’s orbit, but by human activity. 

Since the industrial revolution, we have come a long way. Humans have built planes, cars, developed extraordinary technology, and used the natural resources around us to our advantage. While this has led to some wonderful inventions and advancements, we have increased our use of natural resources and, in turn, released a lot of greenhouse gasses. An excess of these gasses is extremely dangerous to our planet. These gasses (produced by the burning of fossil fuels) trap heat from the sun causing temperatures to rise and the planet to change. 

The most substantial victim of climate change is our oceans. Oceans not only regulate temperatures but also supply 50% of the Earth’s oxygen. Climate change has caused the temperature of the oceans to rise more than .3 degrees Fahrenheit since 1969 which has devastating consequences for life at sea. One of those consequences is ocean acidification which is a direct effect of increased dissolved CO2. A higher acid content means calcifying ocean species like shallow-water coral, in turn, putting the entire ocean food web at risk as well as the one billion people who rely on the ocean as their main source of food. Climate change has also caused sea levels to rise. In just the last century, sea levels have risen 6.7 inches but the rate of the last decade has nearly doubled. The main contributor to the rising sea levels is the melting of ice sheets and glaciers. Since 1994, each year on average, the Earth has lost four hundred billion tons from its glaciers. 

Increased extreme weather events, like floods, hurricanes, and deadly heat waves, are more apparent to humans because of their immediate impact and spread in the media. But these aren’t the only consequences of climate change. Just because it doesn’t affect you directly, doesn’t mean it isn’t happening.  

Climate change is not a “theory” it is a fact. Although we are part of the cause, we can also be part of the solution. If we don’t take action the life on our planet will be greatly affected. 

Our planet can thrive.