Recently, rapper Lil Dicky released his new music video for his single called "Earth," which features 30+ artists, ranging from Justin Bieber to Ariana Grande to Snoop Dogg, and there were also appearances by Kevin Hart and Leonardo DiCaprio. Lil Dicky came out with this song to address the problem of climate change and global warming. This sparked major conversations on social media, causing it to skyrocket to #2 trending on Twitter in less than 12 hours. After watching this video, it really scared and I realized how in danger we really are. You should definitely check out the video, maybe it will make you make an immediate change like I did.
Lil Dicky - Earth (Official Music Video)
Scientists say we have less than a decade left on this Earth to take immediate action or else we are all doomed. The world's ozone layer is deteriorating, the overall temperatures of the planet are rising, the polar ice caps are almost gone, and we as humans are mostly to blame. We cut down so many trees every day, 27 soccer fields of trees a minute to be exact, which is reducing our oxygen supply immensely. The oceans are overflowing with plastic and other trash because we dump our trash just about anywhere. If you don't believe me, take a look for yourself.
Many of the times, we overlook the simple thought of throwing out things that could be recycled or using a plastic, single-use cup instead of taking an extra $3 to spend on buying a reusable cup. We shouldn't though, because if each person thinks like this, that means that billions of people have the same habits of littering and not reducing, reusing, or recycling. Thus, causes the cycle of dumping into our oceans, the destroying of our reefs and ocean life, and leads to more buildup. Most plastics are not biodegradable, and many are often consumed by ocean life, when floating in the water.
When the Earth's temperature rises, because of us polluting the air with aerosols and greenhouse gases, the ozone layer in the stratosphere depletes, which causes the UV rays to come through at a higher concentration which then causes the world's glaciers to melt. This, then, causes the sea levels to rise and will set off natural disasters like avalanches, hurricanes, tsunamis, and more. According to scientists, the Arctic is supposed to have their first ice-free summer by 2040. In my opinion, this is terrifying. I love this planet, and I don't want our Earth to die because of humans being stupid.
But there's good news! If we all start making some serious changes, we can save the Earth!
Here are some ways you can help:
Transition to 100% renewable energy
Transitioning to renewable energy won't be an easy task, nor will it be done overnight, but making small steps can lead to a big change in a few years. Some ways you can transition to renewable energy is by buying LED lights, installing a solar panel on your house, and by only using lights when needed and making sure to turn them off. These are just a few things you can do to help with preserving energy.
Sign petitions and donate to funds that advocate for rapid preservation of nature
More organizations are being established in order to save and preserve lands where endangered species are. There are so many people and organizations that are actively working to fix this problem and to save these precious animals from going extinct, because of humans. These programs provide funding to preserving wildlife, preserving the land that the wildlife lives on, and also protects laws against the killing of these animals.
Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle
Although this famous saying has been around for as long as anyone can remember, no one actually does it. By reducing our number of plastic usage every day, it could make a huge impact. Instead of using plastic bags for food storage, use reusable plates or bowls and cover them with biodegradable covers or wraps. By reusing our plastic bottles, it causes less of a buildup of single-use plastics in the oceans. Things that are single-use like straws and plastic cups often end up in landfills and oceans and do not disintegrate, because they are made from a combination of dozens of different plastics. Plastic straws take 10 minutes to make, 20 minutes to use, and they stay on the Earth forever because they do not decompose.
Eat a plant-based diet
1/3 of greenhouse gas emissions are responsible for climate change. By reducing our consumption of meats and animal products, we are reducing the rate of which greenhouse gases are being emitted into the atmosphere, therefore causing air pollution. We can still get the majority of our nutrients through plant-based diets that we would in a normal meat-eater diet. Even if a vegan or vegetarian is deficient in certain vitamins or minerals, there are hundreds of different vitamin supplements that are sold over the counter at local drug stores.
If it's close enough, walk! If it's more of a trek, take a bike or roller-blade!
Burning fossil fuels and gases is one of the most common greenhouse gases that are polluting our air.
If you're old enough, vote!
Vote for someone who supports and promises that they will work to save the environment and make the country greener. There are many options for representatives and candidates that want to help preserve Earth as much as possible and will sign bills and make sure laws get passed in order to help fix the environment. If you plan on voting, it is as simple as just researching a little on each candidate and what their opinions are on the environment.
There are many more ways to get involved, but we all need to take serious action, so we all have a beautiful, amazing planet for many more centuries to come, so our future generations do not have to deal with the mess that we can fix today. Together, we can turn this around, and we can save the planet, literally. The one time you use a reusable cup instead of a plastic one, the quick five-minute shower you take instead of your typical 20-minute one, the extra energy you save by turning off the lights and TV makes a difference. No action is too small—if everyone did something small, it would end up being a huge change.
