“Human activities are driving up the Earth’s temperature and fundamentally changing the world around us.”

Climate Change, also called global warming, is a result of Greenhouse Gases (GHG) building up in our atmosphere. Just like a greenhouse, all the GHGs make up a barrier which lets the sun’s light in but prevents heat from escaping. The more GHG in the atmosphere, the stronger the Greenhouse effect and the warmer the planet. 

Human activities have increased the amount of GHGs by more than 1/3rd since the industrial revolution. This rapid increase of GHGs, caused by burning fossil fuels, has warmed the planet at an alarming rate. Over the past 50 years, the average global temperature has increased at the fastest rate in recorded history. All but one of the 16 hottest years in NASA’s 134-year history have occurred in 2000, with the 5 hottest years being 2015-2019. 

Climate change is affecting our planet, our food, and our health. We are already seeing observable effects on the environment including melting ice sheets, rising sea levels, warmer temperatures, and more extreme weather. The weather changes in particular create challenges for global food supply. And while our planet and our food are important to human health, climate change also has more direct effects on the health of individuals. Warmer temperatures cause an increase in smog, which results in a significant increase in the instances of Asthma, heart disease, and lung cancer.  

While the rapid rate of climate change is caused by humans, humans are also the ones that can combat it. In the United States, the burning of fossil fuels to make electricity is the largest source of GHGs. If we work to replace fossil fuels with renewable resources, like solar and wind, and we act immediately, we might be able to prevent the worst effects of climate change.