Op/Ed: Climate Change

In American politics, we consistently are told that climate change is a debatable topic. Let us get one thing straight: climate change is a fact, not an opinion.

According to National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), 2016 was the warmest year on record. NASA also has reported that 97 percent of climate scientists agree not only that the Earth is becoming warmer, but human activity is heating things up.

NASA also claims that the long term effects of climate change if our current trends continue is more droughts, hurricanes, wildfires, flooding, among a bunch of other detrimental natural disasters.

Despite this, many of our politicians refuse that climate change is an issue. Sometimes a politician will agree that climate change is happening, but they do not credit any of the change in temperature to human activity.

Since it has been proven that human activity is making Earth’s climate situation worse, the National Resources Defense Council highlights ways in which individuals can reduce their carbon footprint.

Turning off the tap while you brush your teeth, taking shorter showers, biking and walking, switching to LED bulbs, and using energy-efficient appliances, among other things, all help reduce one’s carbon footprint.

Taking action also results in one spending less money.

As Neil deGrasse Tyson highlights, “The good thing about science is that it’s true whether or not you believe in it.” In our turbulent political climate, we need to change how we address climate change.