Climate Change. We see it wherever we go. Heat waves, less snow, wildfires, and droughts to name a few. As time progresses, we are slowly losing ground against this unavoidable change caused by what humans have done to the Earth for the past 200 years. So how are we going to stop climate change?

First, we need to know how climate change has started. For years and years, we have used coal and fossil fuels as our only source of energy not knowing its effects on our planet. The buildup of carbon in the air is causing weathers to change drastically all around the world. To reduce the amount of carbon around us, we need to change our lifestyles first. In 2015, over 100 countries came together to try and limit the temperature increase of our planet to less than 1.5°C, but they have not set up any ambitious targets to reach this goal. To have even a hope of limiting climate change we need to cut our emissions by at least half. So, how can we do that?

There are many ways that people around the world are trying to prevent this world wide calamity that will affect our future. In Iceland, they have opened the largest facility in the world that’s sole purpose is to remove carbon from the atmosphere by pulling the carbon and shoves it into the ground.

Though this is a small step to achieving net-zero emissions, it is a step that can help us slow down climate change. In Africa, scientists are studying where chimpanzees stayed during the periods of global warming over the last 120,000 years. Approaches used in this study are vital in predicting how these changes will affect future wildlife abundance and distribution, and to ensure space and safety for a multitude of species. In a statement Fiona Maisels, from the Wildlife Conservation Society said, “To effectively conserve chimpanzees (and other species) over the centuries to come, it is essential to understand the past. Humans are changing the planet’s climate and its habitats ever more rapidly.

Approaches such as those used in this study are vital for predicting how these changes will affect future wildlife abundance and distribution, and to ensure space and safety for a multitude of species.” Ammie Kalan of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany and her colleagues have found out that chimpanzees that were living in habitats that were experiencing more seasonal fluctuations have more diverse ranges of behavior than chimpanzees who have been living in stable environments. In a statement made by Chris Barratt, the lead author of an article posted on American Journal of Primatology, has said that “Refugia are like reservoirs for replenishing neighboring areas again once the climate stabilizes, so if we lose them, we lose all of that potential biodiversity.”

Ordinary people can also have an effect on climate change by doing things that will affect their long term lives. Some ways that people can help reduce climate change are by using renewable energy like solar power and wind energy. Using energy like fossil fuels and coal to power our homes creates more emissions that are brought up into the sky unlike solar and wind energy which are taken from our surroundings and don’t have any negative effects on our economy.

Reducing your waste and composting is also a great way to help reduce the amount of greenhouse gases being created. When waste decomposes in landfills, the product of it is carbon dioxide and methane gas which are harmful to our environment. So by reducing the amount of food and organic waste that is being thrown away in landfills will reduce the amount of greenhouse gases from landfills.

Oceans are also being heavily affected by climate change. As time goes on the oceans are becoming more acidic than before since they absorb a ton of carbon dioxide that we have released over the past few centuries.

In an interview on the Connecticut Forum, Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, an expert in marine biology, said “When I think about ocean acidification the ocean has absorbed about 1/3 of the carbon dioxide that we’ve emitted by burning fossil fuels and that has changed the chemistry of the entire ocean by absorbing all that co2 which breaks down into carbonic acid and hydrogen ions. We’ve actually changed the pH of the entire ocean with effects that we’re only beginning to understand. Not only does it make it harder for corals and shellfish to make their shells because the ocean is becoming more acidic. But it does weird things because fish for example smell through seawater so they don’t smell predators in the same way and they don’t run away and it’s just changing predator-prey dynamics in the ocean. So that one really blows my mind because the ocean is over 70% of the planet and the fact that we’ve changed the pH and the chemistry of the entire thing is pretty bananas. ” Right now, sea levels are rising very fast as polar ice caps are melting and the water is getting warmer and warmer. Due to this, many species of aquatic animals will not be able to survive in these waters for much longer.

Students and teachers alike can also help slow down the increase of climate change by throwing out less food, using carbon free items, and picking up any trash and plastic that you see around on the streets, ponds, and around your neighborhood.

Once people realize the severity of what will happen to us in the near future, they will understand what actions that we as a society need to take to ensure that we can keep our environments and our planet healthy for longer.

Addler, Ben. “What Iceland’s Landmark Carbon Removal Project Means for the Fight against
Climate Change.” Yahoo! News, Yahoo!, https://news.yahoo.com/what-icelands-landmark-carbon-removal-project-means-for-the-fight-against-climate-change-201900746.html.

Cowan, Carolyn. “Scientists Look to Chimps’ Past to Gauge Their Future under Climate Change.” Mongabay Environmental News, 17 Sept. 2021, https://news.mongabay.com/2021/09/scientists-look-to-chimps-past-to-gauge-their-future-under-climate-change/.

CTFORUM. “Climate Change Impact on Oceans with Marine Biologist Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson.” YouTube, YouTube, 3 Jan. 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sR2_rPJGDjY.

Herring, David. “What Can We Do to Slow or Stop Global Warming?: NOAA Climate.gov.” What Can We Do to Slow or Stop Global Warming? | NOAA Climate.gov, 29 Oct. 2020, https://www.climate.gov/news-features/climate-qa/what-can-we-do-slow-or-stop-global-warming.