Climate Change

Climate change isn’t just a ‘so what?’ topic. The burning of fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gases can cause more of a detrimental effect than most people seem to realize. Since the industrial revolution in 1760, the amount of carbon in the air has majorly increased. At the start of the revolution, the Carbon Dioxide levels in our atmosphere were at about 270 parts per million (ppm), and now they have reached a staggering 405.5 ppm. While it does seem difficult, we will need to reduce the carbon levels back down to 350 ppm to eschew from the effects of climate change.

Climate change is globally evident and is a great deal, but it is immensely ignored. Even though we are clearly being presented with key causes of climate change, and provided with evidence that shows it truly does exist, it’s still disregarded. Scientist are now trying to invent multiple tools and devices to help, but if we don’t take action soon, it will be too late.

Climate change is more than just hotter weather. It can cause droughts and prolonged periods of heat, resulting in decreased air quality and wildfires, which California and surrounding areas are already battling against. It can also cause quite the opposite for some regions. Heavy downpour and flooding can result in diminishing water quality. We have seen a concerning amount of heavy storm and hurricanes lately, like Hurricane Sandy, and it isn’t, just because.  

Part of climate change is actually just the Earth getting warmer, but it isn’t that simple. Because there is an extreme amount of carbon dioxide accumulated in our atmosphere, the heat from the sun’s rays are being absorbed by the surface and lower parts of the atmosphere. Although it is supposed to absorb some of the rays, the carbon allows it to store excessive amounts instead of reflecting it away from us. In general, this is warming our planet and causing many changes.

Firstly, ice is melting, and its melting rapidly. Since 1912, the famed snow of the Kilimanjaro has melted nearly 85% already and is highly expected to disappear before 2033. Kilimanjaro attracts many tourists to Tanzania, and if it’s glaciers and ice-fields are shrinking, the amount of tourists may too. This could archly affect Tanzania’s economy. In addition, larger tropical ice fields of the Andes Mountains are quickly fading away as well. Ohio State’s Lonnie Thompson states that within decades, tens of millions will deprived of drinking water in result to the melting of the ice.

Along with melting ice comes rising sea levels. Even just a 1 inch raise in sea level, could result in an 8 foot horizontal retire of shorelines. If the warming continues to increase, the west Atlantic alone has enough ice to raise sea levels by 20 feet. In the Netherlands nearly half of it’s landmass is already below or at sea level. Many big cities like New York, Shanghai, Tokyo, and Jakarta, where the centre is near the coast, are now at risk. If we lose some of our major cities where a large portion of that countries population lives, where do all those people go? Overpopulation is already an issue, but with disappearing cities it may become overwhelming.

There are many things we can do to help reduce climate change, but will people make an effort? Instead of burning tons of fossil fuels, we could instead turn to sources that don’t negatively affect our planet like wind and solar energy, Biomass, hydropower, geothermal, and hydrogen. I know that scientist are designing products like fans that take carbon out of the air, but even the slightest thing like recycling could make a difference. Something I learned was that if we collected all of the plastic out of the oceans, we would never have to make plastic again. This would significantly reduce the amount of carbon we put in the air. I think there are many things we can do, but people just need to step up and do something. One person can’t completely fix climate change, but many people can if they make an effort. As of now Earth is all we have, so we should try our best to keep it clean, not destroy it.  

GL profile

Growing up Gary Lindsay, often referred to as GL, was pretty average. He had average grades, average interests, and average dreams. Unlike most kids though, GL was able to work through the challenges that came across and decided to aim high. His passions he had since he was young, still followed him into his adult life. They may not relate to his career, a language arts teacher, but they did decide his life style.

When GL was in 5th grade, him and his family moved out to a very tight-knit community, Mason City, Iowa. He found it quite hard because he wasn’t able to make very many friends since everyone already had their clicks and friend groups before he came. Although GL was faced with a difficult circumstance, he never let it stop him from doing what he wanted.

In high school you could say that Gary was an average student, he played sports, instruments, and had his own separate hobbies as well. Although GL was a starter on the football team, football had never been his first choice. Basketball was actually the sport that he originally wanted to focus on. GL tried out for his school basketball team all four years but was never accepted, even though he was better than some of the players on the team. The kids who did get accepted already knew the coaches because they had been playing club and out of season basketball for the school since they were young. Because GL didn’t have the same advantage as the others, it might not seem fair, but he actually wasn’t upset. Some of the players on the team were his friends, and he would feel bad to take away someone's place. GL didn’t get onto the school basketball team, but he didn’t let him stop him from following his passions. So instead he decided to join a recreational basketball team, which he ended up playing with until he was in his mid-fifties.

Adding on to the sports part of his life, music was a big part too. Growing up GL was always involved in music. By the time he was in college he had already learned to play almost every brass instrument. Currently, Gary is president of a male acapella group, Harmony Hawks, where he sings bass. He also sings at his church. He enjoys listening to songs that re written and sang by the same person, which shows us a bigger part of GL’s positive mindset.

Although he tried his best to have a good mindset, he often doubted his career choice. He was enjoying his life as a LA teacher, he did struggle to make ends meet. Because he didn’t earn a lot money for teaching, he was struggling a little bit financially. In the end he stuck with it because he believed it is what God wanted him to do. In the end, Gary is happy with what his life is. He spends it well, and he spends it with passion.