On March 28, people in more than 4,000 cities in 88 countries turned off their lights in honor of Earth Hour.
Earth Hour is a campaign that began in Australia in 2007 to bring awareness to global climate issues. In spite of increased efforts during the past couple of decades, many still think of global warming as an exaggerated myth and some go as far as to call it “alarmism.”
Climate change is caused by an unnatural increase in green house gases and although the greenhouse effect is needed (without it the average temperature of the Earth would be zero degrees Fahrenheit), moderation is key.
The National Geographic Web site points out that, “Through the burning of fossil fuels and other greenhouse gas emissions, humans are enhancing the greenhouse effect and are warming the Earth.” Because of this, the average temperature of the Earth has increased by about .74 degrees Celsius, according to the latest report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Though skeptics exist, there has been a lot of scientific evidence supporting the claims. During the past couple of decades, thousands of years old ice shelves the size of cities have been weakening and melting around the world, with the most extreme examples in the Arctic.
According to an April 6 article entitled “Arctic Ice Got Smaller, Thinner, Younger this Winter,” a “study used computer modeling and ice-level decline data to predict that most of the Arctic’s summer ice could be gone in 30 years.” The ice loss will directly affect sea levels, the freshwater count and the temperatures of our oceans.
All these examples illustrate the dire effects of climate change and although it may appear like an irreversible situation, there are ways to stop further damage. Bringing awareness to the urgency of the situation is important to educate the world. Many countries have become aware of their fossil fuel burning and have reduced emissions. Many agencies are also researching more energy-efficient practices to further aid in the reduction greenhouse gas emissions.
Our own government, under our new proactive president, has vowed to assist in the worldwide cause. There have been rumors that our government has been investigating and exploring the field of geoengineering, through which greenhouse gases would be reduced.
Geoengineering technologies would include artificial volcanoes, artificial trees to suck carbon dioxide out of the air and even possibly shooting pollution particles into the upper atmosphere to reflect the sun’s rays. Though these concepts and ideas are still in development, I applaud the Obama administration for understanding the urgency of the situation.
Gregory Rudnick, professor of astronomy, said climate change was “probably one of, if not the biggest, problems facing the world today. It is important to explore all possibilities and options. If nothing else, this discussion is important for creating awareness.”
Education, awareness and compliance could possibly prevent any further damage to Earth. And though it is important to have these discussions, it is also important to realize the gravity of the situation and the fact that people are being affected by it right now.
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