The Indisputable Need for Change
The future is a frightening and alarming thought! What will you turn out to be later in
life? Will you make the most of your natural abilities or will you carelessly fritter them
away? On a similar but global scale, what will be the future of all life on Earth? Will we
take the final opportunity to save our amazing planet, or will we continue to slaughter
what is left of it?
Green fields, scorched by the sun, have turned forever brown. Food has become scarce
and drinking water rationed. International industries are crumbling to pieces. Wildfires
rage more than ever. Pollution is increasing. Diseases are spreading. Climate change is
now a major topic that is taught in schools globally. As climate change progressively
worsens, temperatures begin to drastically increase. For example, according to an
ongoing NASA experiment, the average global temperature has increased by at least 1.1
degrees Celsius since 1880. Initially this might not seem so dramatic but think about all
the alarming consequences that this increase has had on the world so far, such as the US
National Park only being left with 26 out of its 150 glaciers. As a result of these
astonishing temperature rises, scientists are predicting that all glaciers across the world
will disappear within just a few decades resulting in our society and environment facing
unprecedented challenges. Some less optimistic individuals believe that it is already too
late for Earth, but I am writing this to show that I believe that there is still hope that we
can save this beautiful planet and even restore it for future generations.
As temperatures continue to rise, we as humankind have yet to take sufficient action on
this horrendous situation that is making our world suffer so terribly. The global climate
change crisis is caused by numerous physical and human elements. An example of
natural activities is the melting permafrost. This releases large quantities of a
greenhouse gas known as methane which causes global temperatures to rise even
further. Other physical sources of climate change are Milankovitch cycles. These refer to
changes in the Earth’s tilt whereby a greater tilt means warmer summers and colder
winters while a lesser tilt results in the opposite effect. Milankovitch cycles are also the
way the planet wobbles on its axis. This can change the timing of seasons and affect how
extreme the range in temperature is between high and low. The Earth’s orbital path
around the Sun also varies in shape. Global temperatures increase and decrease
depending on how close the Earth is to the Sun.
Although the above physical elements are a major contributing factor in climate change,
human beings are undoubtedly responsible for thoughtlessly obliterating our global
habitat. For example, every single person around the world uses an astonishing amount
of paper. In fact, the world produces 409 million metric tons of paper every year! This
shocking number must come from somewhere. Deforestation is the removal of trees from
an area of land. These trees are then converted for non-forest uses, such as paper
production. During the process of cutting down trees, carbon dioxide is released as it is
naturally stored within them which contributes to the rising temperatures. However, the
largest contributor to climate change is the burning of fossil fuels. A dramatic
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illustration of this is that 84% of the world’s energy comes from burning these
disappearing resources. When these fossil fuels are set ablaze, staggering amounts of
carbon dioxide are discharged into the Earth’s atmosphere which block in the sun’s rays
increasing the planet’s overall temperature.
Let’s now think about how these causes of climate change are impacting our planet right
now. One of the most severe and concerning consequences of the rising temperature is
the melting permafrost which causes sea levels to increase dramatically. From 1880 to
2014 the sea level has risen a staggering 23 centimetres, and this continues to rise at a
rate of about 3 millimetres per year! This escalating sea level means that there is a
higher chance of flooding in certain areas as storm surges push further inland than they
once did. In the long term, this will result in financial disasters for smaller, poorer
countries which will lead to higher poverty rates. Increasing sea levels also leads to the
habitats of creatures such as polar bears and emperor penguins being demolished,
threatening the survival of these species. Another worrying result of this rising climate is
the increasing rate of wildfires. Recently parts of the globe have been suffering from
raging wildfires. In Great Britain during 2022, we had 745 wildfires which are around 500
more of these uncontrollable events than we had during 2021! An increase in weather
patterns is yet another consequence of climate change. This occurs when the weather
stays the same for days or weeks at a time. While it may sound remarkable to us in
Scotland to be able to have hot weather endlessly, sustained periods of droughts in
countries such as Ethiopia can be their worst nightmare. Constant hot weather can lead
to crop failures which will eventually generate issues with food supply resulting in
famine. Increased weather patterns can also result in the opposite effect as they can
heighten the frequency of tropical storms, creating regular floods which could eventually
lead to the eradication of life on Earth!
To protect the future of humanity and all lifeforms on this magnificent planet, we must
find solutions to bring an end to climate change. It is imperative that we encourage
more people to use fuel efficient transport such as electric vehicles. People should also
be encouraged to use public transport or bicycles as this reduces the number of vehicles
on the roads. This would result in a decrease in exhaust nitrous oxide emissions which is
crucial for the future as it massively reduces fossil fuel usage. In 2020, nitrous oxide
emissions accounted for about 27% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, making it the
largest American contributor to global warming. A further way to solve the global crisis
is to educate people to switch off lights, power sockets, phone chargers and all
electrical equipment when not in use. These small savings in electricity are worth £4.4
billion per year to Britain alone! Another method that can be utilised to halt climate
change is for developing countries to reduce deforestation and increase afforestation.
This decreases the amount of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere thanks to the trees
storing the gas and instead giving out more oxygen as a by-product.
In conclusion, whichever way we consider the issue of climate change, there is one
undeniable fact – the world’s clock is ticking, and we are swiftly heading beyond the
danger zone! If we are truly determined to stop and even reverse the horrors of climate
change that are affecting our planet right now, we need to act collectively with
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immediate effect. With the growing mountain of evidence from scientists and
governments around the world, this should be enough to make every global citizen
realise that the world is on the verge of drastic and catastrophic irreversible change. It’s
time for us all to take a stand and enlighten ourselves to acknowledge the harmful role
we are all playing in the destruction of our surroundings. It's only through knowledge and
the proactive will to change that a solution to our world’s otherwise disastrous future
can be found. At this critical time, we must all play a vital role in helping to stop
climate change in its tracks and thereby building a better world for ourselves and our
future generations to come.
Word Count: 1296
Bibliography:
earthobservatory.nasa.gov/world-of-change/global-temperatures
Climate change and global warming - Climate change - AQA - GCSE Geography Revision -
AQA - BBC Bitesize
www.paperonweb.com/A1006.htm
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-62542606
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