In Greenland and Antarctica, NASA has proven that Greenland has lost an average of 286 billion tons of ice per year between 1993 and 2016. Antarctica had lost about 127 billion tons per year during the same time period. Mass ice loss in Antarctica has tripled in the last decade. All of the ice loss is caused by climate change. 

Scientists have proven that global temperature on the planet has  risen around 1.62 Fahrenheit since the late 19th century, according to NASA. This is caused by the increased amounts of carbon dioxide and human-made emissions into the atmosphere, and it is a sign that global warming/climate change is a major problem that is occurring right now. 

Greenhouse gases are a part of climate change. The definition of the Greenhouse effect is a natural process that warms the Earth’s surface. According to the Australian Government of the Department of Agriculture,  the factors of greenhouse gases are burning fossil fuels (coal and oil), agriculture and land clearing are increasing the concentration of greenhouse gases. The greenhouse gas traps the heat in the Earth’s atmosphere causing its temperature to rise and humans burn fossil fuels that go in the air and it’s a factor to climate change. 

Climate change increases ocean temperatures that have been rising and they cause intense and extreme weather events. The higher temperatures are causing marine life to move from their homes to find a better, more suitable habitat to live in. It’s bleaching our coral reefs that help protect our coasts from waves, storms, and floods. Coral reefs form barriers that protect our shorelines that prevent loss of life, property damage, and erosion. What do we do in return? We mine corals, we pollute them, we fish using cyanide and blast them with dynamite.  Back in 2016, the largest coral bleaching event was recorded. In 2017, the three back-to-back deadly hurricanes such as Harvey, Irma, and Maria contributed to warm waters worsening the storms. Coral reefs could have helped lessen the damage. 

But, there are ways we can slow down climate change. Some solutions include the transition to clean energy sources. The CCAP suggests that Solar energy, wind energy, and hydropower could replace some of the fossil fuels we burn. Another solution is to recycle more. Recycling minimizes the waste going to landfills.

Climate change is real, it’s occurring right now and we humans need to do something about it if we want to continue living on this beautiful planet. 

Learn more about the steps you can take to help the environment by visiting Center for Clean Air Policy (CCAP), an environmental company that works for the end of climate change.