The Future of Climate Change
Article By Lila Poore / Art By Jillian Hartshorne
Across the Earth, environments and ecosystems have faced extremities consisting of wildfires, droughts, floods, and heat waves. The raw materials that make up the Earth are rapidly approaching danger, and the fault falls upon the shoulders of the ignorant and mute. The rise of global warming began in the late1800s, before the industrial revolution began. Global temperature continues to rise as “revolutionary” devices develop and produce threats which were funded by the pockets of the wealthy. However, this is no straightforward situation we find ourselves in. Instead, we have woven ourselves into a web that requires complex solutions and ideals to remedy this situation. Otherwise, our Earth will continue to endure irreversible damage.
One of the most concerning issues that could stem from climate change is drought. As temperatures increase, evaporation of water occurs. The evaporation of water itself is problematic, but it also causes other conflicts such as loss of soil and ultimately crops. However, the issues don’t end there. With drought comes wildfires and dust storms. Such storms can result in respiratory infections and illnesses such as pneumonia. On the other hand, large floods can occur and displace many communities in coastal areas, as well as completely destroy ecosystems.
The extinction of animals and destruction of the environment is also a concern that continues to deepen as the Earth warms. Changes in the environment such as wildfires, floods, or droughts, to name a few, negatively affects the living creatures and their habitats. As one example, around 40% of all polar bears have already died because of temperature shifts in their environment. Polar bears use ice in the sea to hunt for their food, however, that ice has begun to melt faster, making hunting a more difficult task. As this continues, more and more animals begin to die off, and the issue of extinction of many of these creatures presents itself.
Developing communities and populations face many challenges as global warming increases. They'll face widespread food insecurity due to scarce resources, widespread disease and health issues, and natural disasters. It is more difficult for rising communities to rebuild after such disasters, as costs of infrastructure becomes an obstacle. Adapting to harsh weather changes can be hard to navigate, and will only become more difficult as temperatures increase.
Climate change poses as one of the hugest threats we face as weather conditions wipe out ecosystems and essential crops, cause floods and droughts, and cause widespread disease. Action must be taken, for the environment is owed nothing less than every effort we may provide. It is a matter that concerns everyone, as we are all actively being affected by global warming, though changes might not be continuously obvious. Now is the time to act, otherwise, we along with future generations must suffer the consequences.
