For most individuals, the idea of global climate change, otherwise known as global warming, is a concept that they are familiar with. The idea that by admitting greenhouse gases into the air, such as CO, we, as humans, have effectively increased the earth’s average temperature is one that is generally accepted among the public and scientists alike. However, for some reason there are people out there that do not believe in the cold (hot) truth. Whether it is lack of education, ignorance, or simply turning a blind eye towards the facts because they are frightening; I have a few words for these people.
I cannot make you see; I cannot make you care. You will see what you chose to, but I implore you to open your mind to the science and facts behind global climate change. The truth is that we are all up against something too great for any one person to tackle. What if the solution to this global crisis is locked in the mind of a person who wishes not to see? I won’t be the individual responsible for that. For this reason, I ask you to keep reading.
You may think that the earth is too huge for a single species to impact it so greatly. I think you are selling us short. Let me introduce you to a concept that you may not be familiar with, called Biologically Mediated Mineralogy. You may not believe that one organism (humans) could dramatically change the entire world. However, billions of years ago it was a much smaller organism that effectively made the planet into the one we know today. Photosynthetic organisms such as algae, began to produce oxygen as a byproduct to making sugars for themselves. Long story short, they produced enough oxygen to create over 4,000 new minerals, and fill our atmosphere with oxygen. If I tiny algae with no brain and no tools can impact the earth that greatly, then surely organisms such as humans can make a difference (Hazen, 2010). If you don’t believe what we are capable of take a look at these photos of Grinnell Glacier in Glacier National Park, Montana. The glacier today is just a mere remnant of its former self.
Now, at this point you are probably feeling the urge to call me a “damn hippie,” or a “scheming left-winged radical,” but let me say that being aware and interested in a healthful earth has no boundaries between political parties or different types of people.
To address a commonly used excuse: No, climate change is NOT a part of the earth’s natural heating in cooling cycle. This is clearly shown in something known as the Keeling Curve. This curve shows annual trends in CO levels, as well as over a fifty-year span. The annual spikes are caused from the botanical growing season in which many of the earth’s plants help to extract CO2 from the atmosphere. Unfortunately, they are no match for deforestation and the human output of greenhouse gases (Harris, 2011).
With all the evidence pointing towards human’s being crappy hosts of this amazing planet, it is hard to understand how or why people can’t understand our impact. Believe what you chose to believe, but don’t stand in the way of innovators who are going to save the world for you, your kids and all future generations.
