IS IT WORTH DESTROYING

I was going to write about some fun and special moments I have experienced in college. However, ever since I read the UN Climate Report, my mind was not at ease. There were many times I sat down in front of my laptop to express my thoughts on climate change but for some reason, I couldn’t find the right words. Now, I am finally doing it. As an aspiring astrobiologist, I have come to admire and, most importantly, respect mother nature. What we have here on Earth is truly remarkable. Earth is the only known planet where there are around 8.7 million species thriving. Folks…that is a huge number! Not only does is this planet home to microscopic life, but it is also home to intelligent life. Now, that is pretty cool. We have the opportunity to snorkel in the largest coral reef in the world, the Great Barrier Reef. We get to kiss the person we love as we sit in a gondola that passes underneath the Bridge of Sighs in the romantic city of Venice. We hike in the Northern Rockies and witness majestic glaciers. We get to explore the diversity of the great Amazon Rain Forest that is home to ten percent of the world’s species. We relax on the beautiful white beaches of the Maldives. We are mesmerized by the sunset in Key West, Florida. We ski in the snowy slopes of the Alps. We dance in the colorful streets of Rio de Janeiro and we are awestruck by the wilderness in Alaska. These are just a few places that are considered to be the jewels of this world. However, all these locations have one thing in common: they are getting destroyed by climate change. Because of the rising ocean temperatures, the corals in the Great Barrier Reef are suffering from coral bleaching. As a result, many marine organisms who call the reef their home are displaced. Rising sea levels are on the path to engulf major cities like Venice, Rio de Janeiro, Key West and also islands like the Maldives. If the dry season for the Amazon Rainforest increases by just a little bit, we will witness the death of a magnificent forest. The warming of the planet is causing glaciers in the Northern Arctic to melt, significantly changing the ecosystems around it. The warming of the planet is also melting the snow off the Alps and also spearheading the destruction of Alaska. Scientists are already observing coastal erosion, the melting of permafrost, and also the retreat of sea ice in Alaska. If you ask me and countless other scientists, climate change is the single most dangerous threat humans are currently facing. To be completely honest, it is so frustrating to see our government do very little about this issue. For some odd reason, certain politicians believe that climate change is a hoax created by scientists and liberals. Let me get one thing straight, CLIMATE CHANGE ISN’T A HOAX and us scientists don’t have any sort of political agenda. Our job as scientists is to provide the public with scientific facts so we, as a society, can move forward. Think about it... what would we gain by lying to the public about climate change? No scientist wanted to go to work to discover that our planet is dying but the truth is, Earth is degrading. I think these politicians sometimes forget climate change isn’t just going to affect democrats or republicans. It is going to affect all of us, most importantly our future generations. Look at what happened in California recently. The majority of the state was ravaged by horrific wildfires. You might be wondering, “well what does that have to do with me?” Let me tell you how it does. The majority of the fruits and vegetables we eat daily come from California. So, when wildfires destroy the agricultural lands in California, our food source is depleted. If we continue to do nothing, our children may not get enough food. Just think about that for a second. Those climate change deniers claim that taking action will hurt us economically but studies have shown the complete opposite. According to a study done at Stanford University, scientists have calculated “if the temperatures rise 2.5 degrees Celsius, the global GDP would fall 15 percent. If the temperatures rose 3 degrees Celsius, the global GDP would fall 25 percent (this was the stat during The Great Depression). If the temperatures rise 4 degrees Celsius, the global GDP will fall more than 30 percent” The scariest part is that these numbers are permanent. Additionally, The World Employment and Social Outlook 2018 reported that 1.2 billion jobs may be lost due to climate change. The NOAA also reported that Hurricane Harvey cost around $125 billion dollars, Hurricane Maria cost $90 billion dollars, Hurricane Sandy cost $71 billion dollars, Hurricane Irma cost 50 billion dollars, and Hurricane Florence cost around &30 billion dollars. These are but a few of the costliest disasters in U.S history. My own family in India lost all of their crops, specifically coconut trees to Cyclone Gaja. Even though my family survived the horrendous disaster, their main source of income took a terrible hit. Unfortunately, these storms aren’t going to get any better in the future if we do nothing. The temperature of the ocean water, at this rate, will pave the way for stronger storms in the tropics. This should be a serious concern for all of us because the world’s major cities are situated on the coastline. According to the federal and UN climate report, devastating climate events could ravage the world as early as 2040. That year is not far away and we have one last chance to give this planet’s its fighting chance to survive. We all have to take action now. The best way to do that as a civilian is to vote. Scientists can do all the research they want but if the government doesn’t create new laws, there is no hope. I know I was supposed to write about my college life but I just had to share my thoughts with you guys. I believe that I owe it to my children, my grandchildren, and the many generations to come. You need to do that justice too for your own family and future. I can’t give up on this planet you shouldn’t too.

Citations:

1. “OFFICE FOR COASTAL MANAGEMENT.” Hurricanes, NOAA, 3 Dec. 2018, coast.noaa.gov/states/fast-facts/hurricane-costs.html.

2. Amadeo, Kimberly. “What Has Climate Change Cost Us? What's Being Done?” The Balance Small Business, The Balance, 19 Nov. 2018, www.thebalance.com/economic-impact-of-climate-change-3305682.

3. Amadeo, Kimberly. “How Florence, Harvey, Maria and Other Hurricanes Batter the Economy.” The Balance Small Business, The Balance, 23 Nov. 2018, www.thebalance.com/hurricane-damage-economic-costs-4150369.

4. Davenport, Coral. “Major Climate Report Describes a Strong Risk of Crisis as Early as 2040.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 8 Oct. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/10/07/climate/ipcc-climate-report-2040.html.