Discussions about climate change are not new. According to a study done in 2010, 97% of scientists agree that climate change not only exists but is occurring as we speak. THIS IS A CRAZY PERCENTAGE. For nearly 100% of the scientists on this earth to agree about something, well, that should indicate that it is MOST LIKELY true.
Why do I include these percentages, you ask? Who cares what the scientists agree on? If you think about it if 97% of the Earth's scientific population plus the environmentally conscious citizens of earth believe in global warming and its devastating effects, why isn't more being done to slow the effects of climate change?
This is an interesting time for climate change. It seems persons my age, early and late 20's, have started taking more of an interest in the effect of our actions on our planet. But simply understanding why climate change is occurring and putting a sticker on your laptop that says "Save Our Planet" is not enough. So how do we save the planet you ask? Truthfully, we can't. But we can prolong its life and its resources. We have to stop putting convenience over the health of our environment. The problem here isn't simply that the world is uneducated when it comes to climate change or that there are not enough people interested in preserving the planet, it's the fact that as humans living in the 21st century, we put comfort above all else — even the health of the planet supporting us.
It is rarely frowned upon to change your schedule and miss class or work or another important event because a family member is very sick. It is convenient to drive the four hours home to see your grandmother? Or to leave class because your sister is having her baby? Of course not. The thing is unless you are forbidden, convenience plays no part in your decision to go. It's completely inconvenient, but you wouldn't miss it for the world. While the Earth is not a member of your family, it is very sick. And instead of taking time out of our daily lives to assist our source of sustainment, instead of sacrificing a small amount of our convenience, we choose to let it die.
There are so many small things that we as individuals can accomplish if we only take the time. I assure you this isn't new to you. We hear it everywhere: "Use reusable bags" and "Remember to recycle!" and "Walk or use public transportation." So why don't we all use reusable bags? They're cheap and easy to find. They last for a long time. They come in a variety of sizes and colors. So what's the downside? It's SLIGHTLY inconvenient for us. Instead of walking into the grocery store empty-handed, you have to carry small, lightweight bags. Instead of spending five minutes trying to open a plastic bag at Walmart, you spend five seconds opening the cloth bag you brought along. Then when you get home and unload everything, you can't just throw the bags away. You have to put them away.
While that's just one example, there are one-hundred others. We are a people so concerned with our own comfort and convenience that we fail to understand how our attitude affects the world we live in. The fact of the matter is, putting our convenience over the health of the environment not only harms the environment but the billions of other people on this planet. Instead of shying away from eco-friendly practices because they are not as convenient, find small things you can do to help the environment, commit to doing them, and sacrifice a small amount of comfort to benefit the world — literally.
