Since the Industrial Revolution, scientists have been noticing trends of increasing global temperature. According to theguardian, the global temperature is predicted to increase by 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) over the next 30 years. This could be incredibly devastating to the Earth, because it would contribute to a rise in sea levels (which are already over six inches higher than they have been in the past and in the past decade have risen at a rate quicker than they did throughout the preceding century), ocean acidification (which has increased by about 30% since the industrial revolution), extreme weather (which has already been increasing since 1950), droughts, and heatwaves.

What I find especially terrifying are the ways in which global warming might affect our lives in the near future as well as the lives of our children and grandchildren. A rise in sea levels at the rate that is currently predicted by scientists—this prediction being that sea levels will rise up to 32 inches higher by the year of 2100—would mean that the coasts of most countries would be completely submerged in water. This would mean that there would be less land for us to live on, making the world’s overpopulation an even bigger problem than it already is. The disappearance of a significant portion of several countries underwater will also likely lead to a lower amount of resources, which would be catastrophic when paired with severe overpopulation.

What kind of implications would this have upon our society? Would our lives become a futile fight for resources that only the wealthiest individuals have access to? Would even more of our population be forced to live in poverty? Would the government make the decision to execute the elderly in order to provide more living space and resources to younger generations? Would we resort to genocide?

These are the terrifying possibilities that exist due to global warming, yet people still have the audacity to either ignore or refute it’s existence (which has been supported by copious scientists, might I add). This future is not inevitable; we have the ability to prevent it from occurring, but it will take the widespread discontinuation of the use of fossil fuels in order to prevent any more greenhouse gases from being emitted into the atmosphere, which is currently filled with more carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide than it has been in the past 800,000 years. This goal would more likely be achieved if society were able to unite under a leadership that encourages such a revolution, but even without such circumstances, the human population has the ability to demand that we begin protecting our Earth. All we have to do is make sure our voices are heard.