The biggest major problem that the environment faces today is unarguably climate change, or global warming. Climate change is when the general climate of the earth changes. We can see this happening all throughout the world; some examples include average temperatures rising, the amounts of rain increasing or decreasing at an unhealthy rate, and much more. In this report, we are going to look at the causes, effects, and potential solutions to hopefully solve this issue. 

Climate change happens when harmful greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere at a rate that is too high for the trees on the earth to absorb. Humans contribute to being the cause of climate change without knowing; every time you light a campfire, drive a car, watch the TV, or even turn on the lights, you are contributing to the cause. However, what really causes harmful greenhouse gases to release into the atmosphere at an alarming rate is the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, and the production of cow meat. People are burning fossil fuels in massive amounts; this causes carbon dioxide to release into the atmosphere, which is the main cause of climate change done by humans. Deforestation destroys the very trees that are absorbing the carbon dioxide. The frequent production of cow meat causes substantial amounts of methane emissions, caused from the cattle’s release in flatulence. 

The devastatingly many effects of climate change are evidently present all throughout the earth. One major effect of climate change is the increase in droughts and heat waves. The amount of soil moisture is expected to reduce, which will directly affect the amount of heat waves. In the US, one in twenty year extreme heat days are expected to occur every two or three years by the end of this century. Another effect of climate change is the increase in the strength of hurricanes. In fact, the frequency, intensity, and duration of hurricanes have only increased since 1980. Perhaps the most well-known effect of climate change is the decrease of ice in the Arctic. By 2050, the Arctic Ocean is expected to have no more ice. 

So, what are some things we can do as normal citizens to help solve this issue of climate change? Although we are technically contributing to climate change by using electricity, it is impossible to live our lives without using any electricity at all. Instead, we should try our best to minimize our electricity use. This can be done by turning off the lights or the sink when we’re not using them. Other things we can do is switch to an electric car, or plant trees if we can. However, the things that are gonna make a big difference is choosing a career path towards this issue, and/or supporting leaders who recognize and continue to contribute to solving this conflict!

1: https://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/k-4/stories/nasa-knows/what-is-climate-change-k4.html

2: https://climate.nasa.gov/effects/#:~:text=Increased%20heat%2C%20drought%20and%20insect,coastal%20areas%20are%20additional%20concerns.

3:

https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/climate-change/causes.html