The Earth is strong, but it is not strong enough to take in the damage of climate change. Over the past 100 years, humans have caused a lot of damage resulting in disastrous climate change. It has become a looming problem throughout the world. Climate change is caused when a gas called carbon dioxide is released into the air by items such as coal, fossils, solid waste, etc. Deforestation and vehicular pollution can also play a major role in altering the climate by increasing the concentration of CO2. Climate change MUST stop else, in the years to come we may have to face very grave consequences!
Pollution
Human activities have damaged the Earth already. Land pollution in my opinion is the worst type of pollution. It affects not only us but the entire land species. Animals like elephants, hyenas, zebras, tigers, etc can all go extinct because of the way pollution is affecting climate. Then there is marine pollution. With things like algal blooms, garbage patches, altering ocean currents, etc the oceans are contributing largely to changed climatic patterns. This is proving futile not only for marine species but for everyone on this planet. There are even more types of pollution that are direct contributors to climate change but the list is too long to count.
Deforestation
Deforestation is another huge factor in worsening climate change. Trees release oxygen which can balance greenhouse gases just in the right amount but when we cut down the trees, more greenhouse gases are released into the air. These greenhouse gases trap the sun’s heat and therefore heat the planet. It is alarming to note that global warming can cause the ice to melt and ocean levels may rise to almost one meter in the coming sixty years.
Thawing
Fossil Digging and permafrost thawing are further contributors to the release of greenhouse gases into the air. The remains of animals and plants that have been fossilized do not cause harm when they are deep underground. But when they are thawed due to increasing temperatures, the carbons from inside them get released into the air and into the atmosphere. This is creating havoc in the Arctic region which is heating up at twice the speed than the rest of the Earth.
Millions of creatures can die from climate change, and the present generations can suffer from erratic weather patterns and uncertain climates in the years to come. Although we think that the problem is too BIG to find a solution but that is not the case.
Little Daily Efforts
In order to slow down climate change, we all will have to make little efforts on a regular basis. Save energy at home, turn off lights that you don’t need or have a “No technology day” once a month. Using cars all the time releases a lot of CO2, so, walk, cycle or take a bus. Plant trees and have a happy kitchen garden where you grow what you need. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle products in your home. Saving plastic items from ending in landfills can also slow down climate change hence use whatever you can before finally throwing it away. It is no more a question of what we can afford financially. We must think about what the Earth can afford to digest.
Let us all take small steps to stop climate change before it becomes a big problem.
Writer : Jiyah Nair
Grade : 5 (Year 2022)
Place : Sydney, Australia
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