Written by Zoe Manoukian
Most of us have known for a while now that our climate is not heading in the best direction. Now more than ever, we may be feeling this way in light of the UN’s recent report, forecasting irreparable damages to our climate in 12 years if we do not start making drastic changes now. These changes are predicted to occur if our behaviors continue and result in a net temperature increase of 1.5 degrees celsius, and may manifest in an increase of flooding, drought, forest fires, tornadoes, and hurricanes, among other catastrophes. It is devastating to think of the state that our world may become in just a matter of years, especially when considering that there are strides we could be taking to prevent this that we are rejecting. There is some hope though, and there are strides we can start making. If we purely invoke panic and fear, our communities may feel a sense of overwhelming and helplessness that is harmful to the cause. But, by taking a pragmatic and informative approach to this issue, our communities may begin to feel more confident in knowing what to do, and thus may believe that they are capable of reaping change. So, here is what to do! Taking shorter showers, carpooling, and “reduce, reuse, and recycle”ing are all great practices that individuals can pursue. But, these are not enough. We need to demand discussion regarding the environment among believers and nonbelievers of manmade climate change alike, financially support environmental organizations, and support legislation that addresses climate change through our votes. This is neither an issue that we can ignore, nor an issue that we can challenge through individual means. We need to work loudly, and we need to work collectively.
