How many times have you seen a climate change article, ad, or video in the media? It is so emphasized in our current society, that everyone’s brains have become desensitized to the issue due to its over-usage. We have simply accepted it as a part of our life, without acknowledging the urgent reality of it. However, we must acknowledge the facts and the severe consequences it will bring into our lives.
Scientists researching in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), have found that the average global temperature is almost 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit higher than it was in the pre-industrial era. Once this threshold is reached, the ramifications of climate change are permanent and can no longer be undone. We are getting closer to this cutoff, and it will take fewer years than many may think to reach it.
These are not just numbers and statistics on a screen; they are our reality. It is imperative that we act now. Otherwise, it will be too late. The World Economic Forum cautions that the tipping point to climate change becoming irreversible will come anywhere between 2027 and 2042 — only four years from now.
On September 17th, 2023, a climate change protest took place from 56th Street and Broadway to 50th Street and First Avenue in Manhattan. The march lasted for the whole day, with more than 75,000 attendees. They were all fighting against climate change, and emphasizing how critical it is that people start directing their attention to it.
Bronx Science student Sarah Rubinstein ’27, who attended the march on the 17th said, “There’s no way to get everyone to do it [participate in stopping climate change].” She does not think a “protest or an article will really do anything, since for some people it just won’t change things.” Not everyone will support the pushback on climate change; however, most of us need to, or our world will face the subsequent repercussions.
Rubenstein continued, asserting that, “People are trying their best to change things, but it is not people in charge.” Our recent presidents have not been focusing on climate, with many of them prioritizing the economy, politics, and their personal gain. Yet, they fail to recognize that none of this will matter when climate change eradicates our environment.
One particular instance of this was a project approved by the Biden administration on March 13th, 2023, called The Willow Project. The project is an oil drilling project located in the North Slope of Alaska. Over 4.6 million people protested against its approval, yet their opinions were all disregarded by the president’s administration. The Willow Project will severely worsen climate change and carbon emissions, causing some to call it a “carbon bomb.” The full project is estimated to release 280 million metric tons. Since the approval, the project has been altered to reduce its emissions; however it will still have a detrimental impact on our environment.
This is why these movements are truly so important — especially ones led by students. The climate protest was a rare opportunity for students to participate in a rally surrounded by their friends, which provides not only a fun setting, but a safe one. Teenagers all over the world are participating in rallies such as the one held on the 17th, serving as the driving force behind the climate change movement, and hence working to save the earth.
You may be wondering, if the issue is so pressing, what can we do about it? Helping out in even the smallest ways truly does make a difference as everyone’s actions eventually sum up. It is important to realize your actions genuinely have an impact; changing just one habit will help the entirety of the world. Actively recycling paper and plastic, leaving water running as little as possible, and turning off the lights when they are not necessary, are all methods of contributing.
Climate change affects everyone. Have you wondered why New York was almost 80 degrees outside on several days in October 2023, despite the fact that it should have been chilly? Climate change. If you are a teen reading this article and still do not care for climate change, you should. Climate change does not spare anyone – it will and has harmed everyone on this planet. No matter how little you may think it will affect you, it is essential that you take action.
Climate change burdens us all, and the assessment that the MTA recently released shows this. The report depicts how subway infrastructure is not designed to withstand the changes and disasters brought by climate change. Over the last ten years, severe weather events have withered down and devastated these structures which are now in dire need of repair. More and more money has been invested into these structures to sustain them for the general public, ultimately taking away from money that should be allocated towards fighting the root of climate change. If climate change continues to worsen at its current rate, we may have no public transportation anymore. Imagine your life with no subways, no public buses; the havoc this would cause would be tremendous and absolutely destructive.
Subsequently, Rubenstein noted in her interview how “some people aren’t planning to have kids, solely because these children will not be able to live for long, with how quickly our earth is dying out.” Climate change has not only brought extreme consequences in the present, but may doom our future.
In fact, the earth has already been encountering severe consequences due to global warming. The United States Environmental Protection Agency has conducted various studies conveying how many places have faced intense rain, floods, droughts, as well as more frequent heat waves at the hands of climate change. These changes in the environment have directly led to a negative impact on human health. As children are being raised, they are more vulnerable to heat hazards and poor air quality. Think of living in an environment where the air is so polluted, that the sky is orange every day as it was for a couple of days in June 2023. On the other end of the age spectrum, the elderly can no longer compensate for the effects of hazards such as air pollution, on their bodies.
If you would like to participate in future climate change marches – which is strongly encouraged – you can find out more information at the Bronx Science Climate Change Instagram page. Marches are organized various times throughout the year, but if you feel passionate about the subject , then I encourage you to advocate for another march to be scheduled sooner. You can make a change.
Climate change is one of the only issues our entire world is facing. Everybody is being affected by it, no matter who they are. There is not a guarantee for another planet, that we can “escape to” if conditions get worse on earth. People can not rely on this faulty idea, and we need to prevent this issue, or it will truly be the end of the world as we currently know it. As terrible as it sounds, it is true; and even one small action made by you, such as attending a march, can change the course of our world.
Climate change is one of the only issues our entire world is facing. Everybody is being affected by it, no matter who they are.