Essay on Climate Change Debate

Whether you believe in the theory of Creationism, or the theory of Evolution, throughout the course of history, the climate has changed. Even now, the climate continues to change with each passing year. The debate of whether or not climate change rests solely on the shoulders of the human race has continued for decades. I do not contend with the idea that humans have a hand in this continuing event, but I do contend with the blame being solely on humans, and in particular, a specific group of people. There are commonly known myths regarding climate change that fuel these ideas that we hear from Climate Change “Fanatics” as well as from those who attempt to deny the responsibility of certain groups. I aim to point out the truths that are hidden within these myths, regardless of the opinions of others, once baselines have been established.

On NASA’s Global Climate Change evidence page, on climate.nasa.gov/evidence/, data shows that over the course of roughly 6.5 thousand years, there have been relatively steady cycles of the rising and falling of the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, never going above 300 parts per million, until the 1950s, as human advancement began to become more prevalent. This is not to say that humans are the only reason for climate change, just the sudden advancement of change in the climate. The EDF (Environmental Defense Fund) has pointed out ways that humans are the main cause. The largest piece of evidence is when we burn carbon-based materials, such as gasoline in internal combustion engines, which became increasingly popular in the mid-1900s. This leads us to one of the myths brought up by the WWF (World Wildlife Fund), that plants need carbon dioxide.

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“Plants need carbon dioxide, though, so it can’t be bad.” While this is a true statement, due to the chemical processes which allow the planet to sustain life, it is also an inaccuracy due to the amount of carbon dioxide produced, compared to the number of plants that the carbon dioxide reaches. It would be similar to making enough food to feed twelve billion people when only seven billion people can eat and process it. This, combined with deforestation and, believe it or not, agriculture itself, which is the cause of deforestation, has increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the air. Again, this points to the increasing human contribution to the current climate change trend and attributes it to the difficulty of farming in this day and age.

The Union of Concerned Scientists drives this point home by saying “The combination of advancing climate change and an already-vulnerable industrial system is a “perfect storm” that threatens farmer’s livelihoods and our food supply.” This is not to say that there is no way to continue to produce food, but even “science-based farming practices” can only help farmers, so long as the practices are updated, as we progress. Some current practices, such as the heavy use of fertilizers and pesticides, make the soil more susceptible to erosion, and when combined with the trend of temperature increase, new pests. We see this most prevalently in the United States, as we drive by farms with special sprinklers, or areas that have been cleared for new crops. This is not just in the United States, though.

In Brazil, the Amazon Rainforest issue ties in very accurately, as more and more sections of the Rainforest are cut down and burned for the advancements of cities, or most commonly, for farms. The soil in the Rainforest is rich in nutrients, but is overused, which prompts for the continuous destruction of this area. While rich in nutrients, these nutrients are also short-lived as farmers grow crops, then burn the areas in preparation for the next growing season. Though North American farmers do a somewhat better job of crop rotation, the special nutrients in the Amazonian soil, which South American farmers use, aren’t so easily mimicked as the flora in the, now destroyed, the area grows only in that particular soil. Thus, the expansion of farmland causes an increase in carbon dioxide as there is now less assorted flora to transform into oxygen for us.

This loss of flora, as well as the increase in carbon dioxide, has led to the increase of the Earth’s temperature on a global scale. “But, it’s still cold, so it can’t possibly be a changing climate or this global warming we keep hearing about.” True, the temperature outside may be cold, but the expansion of human influence on the earth has caused the loss of shade that kept the earth’s temperature lower. If you were sitting under a tree, that provides a lot of shade, during a month where the temperature is average, such as in the spring, you’d notice a slight difference in temperature, but the underside of that tree is still cooler. Now, imagine if that tree were to suddenly vanish, while you were under it. While normally not bothered, or even noticing the change in temperature. There would be a difference, albeit infinitesimal, when looked at in this scenario. Now imagine this same incident occurring around the world.

More and more we see the loss of trees, not just to human interaction, but due to instances of spontaneous wildfires, such as the one in Northern California. So yes, Mother Nature does do her own part in climate change, but in the end, she recovers and renews the area, sometimes with the help of humans. This occurs all around the world, through the efforts of some of the very countries that are also responsible for this issue. A variety of YouTube content creators have set forth to assist in planting millions of new trees to replace the ones that were lost due to fires, farming, carelessness, etc. These efforts are minimal, when in the presence of areas of immense smog, such as China, or factories.

There is a video of a man, in Hong Kong, who took an industrial vacuum cleaner and walked through the streets vacuuming the air. When he emptied the canister for the vacuum, what came out was a massive clump of “dust” made from just the air in the areas he was just in. While many would say “That’s because it’s China. They’re actually the biggest problem when it comes to Climate Change and Global Warming.” Not entirely true. This is a myth addressed by Conservation International, which shows that China, while dirty, is “investing heavily in renewable energy and spurring innovations in solar power.” Some believe that even though this is a big problem, that it’s too late to do anything about it.

Have we really crossed that threshold? Have we really passed the “point of no return”? I don’t believe so, and neither do many others, whether or not they voice their beliefs. As I previously stated, there are YouTube content creators who openly promote the cause of planting trees. To add to this effort are those who put forth their own efforts, sometimes in ways that are less obvious than others. For many, my own family included, it is by making the home more energy efficient, be it by replacing appliances, lightbulbs, or even by having solar panels installed on the roofs of homes. Though this may help to alleviate the effects, in my opinion, one of the most widespread issues that come of this is the effects on health.

Even in the most temperate of climates, you can see the signs of climate change in the people that live there. In areas of North America, the heat in the summer has increased many times over, and for a sufferer of Multiple Sclerosis, such as myself, this can bring about some serious problems. For asthma sufferers, it’s no better; it’s possibly worse for them as allergens such as pollen are at a higher level. “Just stay inside” is something I’ve heard people say, and these people aren’t affected nearly as badly as myself, or my wife. There is no real escape, aside from spending more and more money in order to alleviate the effects of heat, allergens, and the like.

The World Health Organization tells us that “The health effects are also expected to be more severe for elderly people and people with infirmities or pre-existing medical conditions.” This still puts the responsibility of all humans to combat the effects that we helped to increase on this planet. Those in developing countries, farming areas, and even those in developed areas are still at risk when it comes to these effects. While those of us in more developed countries are doing what we can in our own areas, we forget that we are not the only ones who are contributing, nor are we living in the only areas that need these efforts to take place. The areas may be smaller in comparison but, in effect, are just as important to lowering the overall surface temperature of the earth. Until we see our own part in the issue, there will still be weather effects aside from an increase in temperature.

Humans, not one single group, are in fact responsible for the rising trend for Climate Change, or rather, the industrialization and urbanization of land by, and for, humans, is responsible for the trend. If we were to lose our dependence upon the conveniences of today, we could reverse the changes that have come about due to this change. We can speak out against climate change, hold meetings, rallies, and conferences, stand on political platforms, and even pin the blame on a particular group of people, but all of this is in vain if we cannot understand that we are mostly responsible for these changes to the environment. One of the most recent examples is Greta Thunberg’s speech to the UN. The most popular part of her speech is her “How dare you?” statement, which was repeated numerous times.

While her stance is admirable, she placed the blame solely on those around her, while quite possibly forgetting that she, and her own family, is also guilty of the same infractions that she posed against members of the United Nations. This is not to say that she was wrong in bringing up the topic, which has been cast to the back burner, but her own contribution to Climate Change itself is one that should not be passed over. Everything from the clothes on her back, to the electricity in her home, are potential wrenches that can be thrown into her “How dare you?” platform. In the Bible, Christ is said to have told a group of people who were testing him in regard to a woman who was caught in adultery, whom the law said to stone “He who is without sin, let him first cast a stone at her.”

Can we really place the blame on a single group of people? Can we truly say that humans are not responsible for any of the changes in the climate? No, we cannot do this. There is no single group that is responsible, we are all responsible, whether directly or indirectly, for Climate Change. The same can be said about who can revert the changes that have occurred in the past few decades. The easiest way that we can do this is to gain a better appreciation for nature by simply spending more time in it. Go camping with family, go fishing and learn to prepare the fish; go hunting and learn to dress the meat; learn simple husbandry through small gardens at home. During World Wars I and II, Americans had “Victory Gardens” that assisted both the country and their own families. They did not have the reliance on factories and others around them when it came to feeding their own families. While the climate changed around them, they took advantage of the land they had and utilized each and every square inch, helping those who needed it. If they knew what we know today, they would see the extra damage we have been doing in the name of progress.