When you think of climate change, you may think of summers becoming a smidge hotter or finally getting that oceanfront property you always wanted — according to our newly-elected president, Donald Trump. But it is much more than that. It is about the future demise of our planet. Earth is our only inhabitable planet, our only source of life and adventure. It is the only blue dot in the void of darkness we call home: we cannot go to Mars, Jupiter or anywhere else outside of Earth. A child is severely dependent on their mother to be nurtured, sheltered and cherished, except our mother earth is dying, and us children will perish as a result. We will have no food, no home, no love and it is our fault for making her gravely ill.
Climate change is the long-term transformation of the average weather and temperature of Earth’s climates. In 2024, the consequences of the Industrial Revolution came to haunt the world. The change in the planet was a gradual descent into mayhem. This year, the unfortunate results have been unveiled as a result of the ignorant actions caused by humans. The Sahara Desert, one of the largest and hottest deserts, experienced flooding. The idea of deserts flooding should sound ridiculous. Spain encountered one of the most terrible floods in years. Hurricane Milton, a category five, decimated Florida with Tampa mayor Jane Castor uttering the infamous chilling statement, “If you stay, you will die.” Even in Tennessee backyards, Memphians are currently experiencing the eternal wrath of summer with 70-degree weather in November. Is that just a strange coincidence now?
“Most people do not realize [the effects of climate change] — especially in the main spaces that are being affected — especially not the U.S. government because they have not shown any signs of change,” Saaliha Clark (10) said. “I am not sure we can expect them to [care] in the future.”
If humans do not immediately take action to fix the situation, this will become their new normal forever. Earth is getting warmer, and now humans must face the repercussions. Polar bears are losing their ecosystem and lives in the Arctic due to the melting polar caps. People’s homes and lives are becoming decimated by turbulent hurricanes, as they juggernaut through whole cities.
“Everything is going to go to [an] extreme … we are probably moving into a whole new era,” Noura Clark (12) said. “[It is starting] to feel uncanny and weird because the trees and leaves [are] yellow and orange, but it [feels] like summertime.”
Climate change, but more importantly global warming, is having a substantial impact on our oceans. Oceans make up about 70% of the Earth’s surface, and according to the National Ocean Service, around 97% of Earth’s water is from the ocean. Earth is enclosed in water, and there is an abundance of water frozen in the Arctic. Now, what does ice do when it heats up? It continuously melts. That is exactly what is happening to the polar ice caps. The excess emissions forming in the atmosphere are consequently making Antarctica warmer. An example showing the exigency in our warming climate is the “Doomsday Glacier,” a massive polar cap melting at an exponential rate. Also known as the Thwaites Glacier, it is the widest ice sheet in the world and can be compared in size to Florida. If completely melted, it would lead to a two foot increase in ocean levels. Two feet may not seem like a big increase, but the glacier would thwart into a domino effect of even higher ocean levels. The vast enough ocean would swallow parts of continents, leading to a whirlwind of negative effects such as displacement and death.
“It is a big issue because … many people live on the coast of different countries, so [the melting glaciers are going] to have a lot of different impacts and not just on coastal areas,” Molly Mize (11) said. “I think people need to realize that [melting glaciers are serious]. I do not think people are thinking about that enough because I did not even know about [the ‘Doomsday Glacier’] and I care about the climate.”
With the arrival of President-elect Donald Trump, many question the reliability of climate regulations. His beliefs on climate change have been projected with his pick for the lead of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Lee Zeldin, setting in an unsure, questionable future for the agency. Trump’s stance on climate change has been often deemed controversial due to him calling it a “big hoax.” He has already decided to pull out again of the Paris Climate Accords, which is a treaty created by the United Nations that went into full force on Nov. 4, 2016. Its overarching goal is to stop the average global temperature and to halt the increase to around 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial times.
“I think he will [send us in the wrong direction climate-wise] because Donald Trump care[s] more about businessmen than our actual planet,” Mize said. “He is going to help businessmen at the expense of the environment.”
The irony in this situation is that the climate clock directly correlates to Trump’s time in office: 4 years and 244 days. The climate clock is a global clock that shows the amount of time left until the global average temperature rises above 1.5 degrees Celsius. If the temperature increases on average by 1.5 degrees Celsius, it could lead to detrimental impacts such as deadly heat waves, dying marine life due to heavy absorption of carbon emissions and droughts ravenging through the already nutrient stripped soil. Is it the end of the world?
“I do think we are cooked; I do think that there is some irreversible damage that will never go back,” Noura Clark said. “We should not [be so] U.S. centered. If other countries get their act together, we should be fine.”
Wake up humans, the Earth is dying, and humans must do something about it. Sitting back recumbently and acting lackadaisical about the situation is not an option because this is humankind’s home and there is nowhere to go. Humans must work together not only as people but as children of Mother Earth. The major corporations that are partly to blame will not help. There is still hope and time, and they must work together. Act now or face the consequences later.
“This is your planet and this concerns you, so you need to have an opinion and work to do better and pressure these major corporations to also do better,” Mize said.
