“The effects of human activities on Earth’s climate to date are irreversible on the timescale of humans alive today, every little bit of avoided future temperature increases results in less warming that would otherwise persist for essentially forever,” according to a spokesperson at NASA. Other scientists have reported that climate change is already irreversible, and the future of the entire world is at stake and will never be the same as it is now. The lives of our children and grandchildren will be vastly different to the life we have led due to the effects of climate change.
This is not a very cheerful opening paragraph, is it? However, the reality needs to be reported on. When reporting on climate change, it is incredibly important to not just discuss the bad things, and how the world is ending, and push the blame on older generations. The imperative thing is to report on what can be done to help resolve or slow down the effects of it. Some of the main causes of climate change are the world’s dependence on fossil fuels, energy consumption, deforestation, and so much more. That, however, is basic knowledge and the majority of people know this; we need to find solutions that any civilian can help with. Everyday people like you and me have little to no control over humanity’s reliance on fossil fuels, sustainability in industries or the cutting down of oxygen sources (the Amazon Rainforest, Congo Basin, or Valdivian Temperate rainforest, for example). That is the responsibility of corporations and governments, your responsibility is to vote for government officials that do right by future generations, who will be forced to live in the dying world that was created over the past decades.
How can you help? There are so many easy things that we as a general population can do to minimize our carbon footprint and add as little as possible to the decline of the world. Being vegetarian/ vegan, using public transport instead of driving everywhere, using renewable bottles/ Tupperware/ etc., using less water, reuse, reduce and recycle, turning off lights, composting, decreasing overconsumption and so much more. Not only changing simple things in your life, but also advocating for the future of the earth and getting your friends, family, and loved ones to implement some of these changes in their lives as well. If the entire world comes together to attempt to reduce our carbon footprint as much as possible, the future may not look so bleak.
If you are a student at Rex Putnam high school, think about joining the earth club, or if your local high school does not have an earth club, maybe start one to help make your home high school more sustainable. President of Putnam’s Earth Club, Clare O´Dell bluntly says that the earth is important to her “because the earth is dying. So many people have been hearing about crazy wildfires, ice storms in Texas, new heat records being broken every other summer, and skinny polar bears (to the point that) people are just numb to it all.” It is understandably exhausting to continuously only hear bad news and it is compelling to not even read the news at all. Nonetheless, it is your responsibility as a human being to stay informed and up to date on the essential news stories around the world. Rex Putnam’s earth club is currently involved in one of their major projects: composting. About 38% of all food in America is wasted. The United States Environmental Protection Agency estimates that, in 2019, “66 million tons of wasted food was generated (…) and most of this waste (about 60%) was sent to landfills.” Rotting food in landfills produces methane, which is one of the major greenhouse gasses that contributes to global warming. “It may feel insignificant to throw an apple core into a compost bin, instead of the garbage, but in the long run it really adds up.” explains O´Dell. She is part of a program called Our Future, which is a network of high school students focused on climate action across the state. Here is the link to their website: https://www.ourfutureoregon.org/ So, if you are a student at Rex Putnam high school, please throw your compostable trash into the composting bin and do your part of making Putnam an eco-certified school, which is Jennifer Wilson’s goal, who is the teacher lending some oversight over the club. Earth club takes place in room B11 between 3:20 and 4:30 every Tuesday so please, come and join!
New health data shows that unabated climate change will cause 3.4 million deaths per year by the end of the century. That is a death toll of the entirety of Berlin (capital of Germany), every single year. This number will presumably rise as climate change and global warming continue to affect every person on this planet. Climate change directly affects you, your children, grandchildren and every person who will be born. Climate change directly affects Oregonians and the people of Portland. By 2050, people of Portland are projected to experience an average of about 23 days a year over 90.9°Fahrenheit (32.7°Celsius). Please do your job as a human being and reduce your carbon footprint to protect yourself, and future generations.