We all love polar bears. Right? I mean, just look at these little guys frisking around in the snow.
Don't they make you want to just take them home with you so you can cuddle with them? Hopefully you know better than to do that, because they will destroy your home. However, while you can live reassured that your house is relatively sturdy and safe lest you take a pair of polar bears home with you, the same cannot be said for the home of these poor bears. Every year, more and more of their homes are being destroyed for one main reason: climate change.
So what is climate change, really?
This is not a trick question, so don't overthink it; it is exactly what it sounds like. Climate change is the change in weather patterns that occur over an extended period of time, which can range anywhere from decades to millions of years. The current trend of the climate is an increase in the temperatures on a global scale, which can give rise to many more problems. And I think we all can agree that the last thing anyone wants are more problems.
According to NASA, the global temperature has increased 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit since 1880. So what, you might be thinking. Floridians experience a 30 degree weather change in a mere day; why does it matter that the global temperature rose 1.4 degrees over the course of 136 years? Well, this number is just an average. The rise in temperature over land, which includes the Arctic and Antarctica, is much greater than the rise in temperature over the ocean. And we all know what happens to ice when it melts. Specifically, we have been losing 287 billion metric tons of land ice per year, and the sea level has been rising 3.4 mm per year as a result of this. So yes, it is a big deal and anyone who tells you otherwise is wrong. In fact, the years from 2000 to 2010 have been the warmest decade, and 2015 came in as a big winner for the hottest year ever recorded. It's too bad we can't get an Oscar for that.
What causes global warming?
This is where the controversy begins. All scientists agree that the data suggests that global warming is indeed occurring, and most of these scientists believe that the climate change is due to human activities. However, there are a handful of scientists that believe that this warming of the planet is a natural occurrence. While the planet does go through heating and cooling phases naturally, humans are certainly not helping the planet. Carbon dioxide emissions, which contribute to the trapping of heat in the atmosphere, have been consistently increasing over the years and once again, we are winning in that the carbon dioxide emissions have been the greatest they've ever been in 650,000 years. Not a game that you necessarily want to win.
So no matter what you want to believe, the evidence exists. There's no denying that climate change exists, and measures need to be taken to prevent this. It's human nature to procrastinate on things. In fact, I'm sure you're procrastinating right now by reading this. However, just because there is no apparent immediate threat due to climate change does not mean that it's not an issue. According to the EPA, for a global temperature increase of two degrees, the consequences include 5-15 percent decrease in crop yields, 3-10 percent increase in precipitation, and anywhere between 200 percent to 400 percent increase in areas burned by wildfires in the western region of the U.S. Procrastination is usually never a good idea and you always end up regretting it later. Don't hide it; you've been up at 4 a.m. studying and you hated it. We shouldn't procrastinate on saving the planet either, especially if humans want to continue to live on it.
So what can you do about it?
Well, you can sit around at home and be lazy all day long. Literally. Many carbon dioxide emissions come from cars and airplanes, so if you're not traveling anywhere, you're not contributing!
Plus, Earth has Santa, and no one wants to see Santa's home get destroyed after all he's done for us. So let's all help Santa and the polar bears (and penguins) protect their homes.
Sunday night update: If Leo can wait over 20 years to win an Oscar and still dedicate his speech to climate change, you better believe that this problem is real and that you can also make some sacrifices for this planet!
