ARE you familiar with climate change? I believe everyone is already familiar with climate change. It is the sudden changes in Earth’s climate which causes some events that can cause destruction to human properties and can even cause deaths of humans. Because of the changes in the climate, temperature, and weather patterns, it has brought several changes to our planet Earth.
Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperature and weather patterns. These shifts may be natural, such as through variations in the solar cycle. But since the 1800s, human activities have been the main driver of climate change, primarily due to burning fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas. Burning fossil fuels generates greenhouse gas emissions that act like a blanket wrapped around the Earth, trapping the sun’s heat and raising temperatures. Examples of greenhouse gas emissions that are causing climate change include carbon dioxide and methane. These come from using gasoline for driving a car or coal for heating a building, for example. Clearing land and forests can also release carbon dioxide. Landfills for garbage are a major source of methane emissions. The energy industry, transport, buildings, agriculture, and land use are among the main emitters of several gases that can cause climate change. ( What is Climate Change?- the United Nations, November 11, 2022 ).
Several human activities are considered to be the main causes of the occurrence of climate change. Humans are doing several activities that are causing global climate change. For example, improperly disposing of their trash. They just simply throw their garbage anywhere without minding the long-term effects of what they are doing. They are not also doing the proper waste segregation at home, in school, in their office, and anywhere else. They just dumped their waste anywhere including in different bodies of water, especially rivers and seas. The garbage that they disposed of in these bodies of water will also be mistakenly eaten by sea creatures or animals like the different kinds of fish which will be eaten also by humans. It is really dangerous to human health.
Another human activity that can cause climate change is the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas. These fossil fuels can generate greenhouse gas that is acting like a blanket that can trap the heat of the sun, thus making the temperature of planet Earth very high, thus making planet Earth torrid. Transportation of different kinds made by humans can also contribute to the emission of greenhouse gases that can cause the occurrence of climate change.
Clearing of forests can also contribute to climate change. It is because it will be releasing carbon dioxide which is also a harmful kind of gas to human beings. Carbon dioxide can also cause ozone depletion, making the ozone layer to be depleted thus the heat coming from the sun can now easily enter Earth’s atmosphere. This can also make planet Earth very hot. If humans make the forests denuded or clear, it can also contribute to the rise of the Earth’s temperature. It is simply because there are no more trees or forests that can help humans by giving them shade, fresh air, or oxygen that humans need.
Improper garbage disposal, burning of fossil fuels, and clearing of lands and forests are just some human activities that can cause climate change to happen. If there is climate change, there will be a sudden rise in Earth’s temperature and a sudden change in Earth’s weather patterns. Climate change can cause some dangers to human beings. It can cause the occurrence of severe drought, strong typhoons, and torrent rainfall resulting in floods and landslides. These scenarios may destroy human property and may even claim the lives of animals and human beings.
Just recently, our country has experienced calamities or disasters which were happening because of climate change. Strong typhoons, floods, and landslides were happening in different parts of our country. These typhoons, floods, and landslides were destroying properties and even claimed the lives of human beings. People living in those affected areas were suffering because of those calamities.
It is not too late for us to do something regarding climate change. Each one of us can do something to stop or prevent climate change to happen. Everyone must properly dispose of his or her garbage, must avoid burning fossil fuels, must avoid clearing forests, or must avoid illegal cutting of trees because these can contribute to the occurrence of climate change. In other words, everyone must love and take good care of nature and our planet Earth. Let us always remember that nature can help us in a lot of things. So, let us take good care of our nature. Lastly, let us remember that nature can exist without humans, but humans cannot exist and survive without nature.
