The ISCFC is all about reducing our individual and collective contributions to climate change.
But is climate change really happening? Is it mostly caused by human activity, including our production of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases?
In the United States and elsewhere, there are people who are not convinced by the science. But the great thing about science is that we use evidence to evaluate scientific questions. So what is the evidence related to climate change?
Are you or are you not convinced by the majority of climate scientists who say that climate change is real and largely human caused? Why are you convinced/not convinced? What evidence might change your mind one way or the other?
Is Climate Change Real & Human-Caused? >
Ways to stop climate change
Throughout the globe, climate change is occurring for the worst. This catastrophic event stretching over decades causes rising temperatures, change on precipitation patterns, droughts and heat haves, and more extreme natural disasters. So what causes climate change? Is it factories, cars, individual households? It’s all of these. Climate change is caused by the buildup of greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon dioxide and methane in the Earth’s atmosphere which is caused by burning fossil fuels. Barack Obama once said “We are the first and last generation that can do anything about this situation.” So what can we do about this evolving problem and what can we do about it promptly. Committees and conferences such as COP 21 attempt to achieve a goal of reaching stricter rules about pollution from individual countries by bringing together the largest nations in the world. These committees have come to many solution which include restrictions on emissions of gasses, flying less, being energy efficient, and using renewable energy sources.
Flying less can reduce carbon em issions by a mere 3.5%. Airplanes operate on petroleum fuel, which means they make large amounts of carbon dioxide when they fly. Air travel is currently responsible for a relatively tiny part of the global carbon footprint — a mere 3.5% of total greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. But jet emissions may produce an additional warming effect, while the explosive growth in air travel makes it one of the fastest-growing sources of carbon gases in the atmosphere. And unlike automobiles, where there are alternate, energy saving products, even if they have yet to be widely adopted, there is no low-carbon way to fly, and there likely won't be for decades.
There is also a greener way to go. In addition reducing appliance usage, stopping deforestation can help the developing problem of climate change. The more living trees there are, the less change of climate there is because of a plant’s vital role in an ecosystem. Plants, thanks to their photosynthesis, can take in carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, and turn it into oxygen. Hence, the more forest, jungles, and greenery in general, the less carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere. Plants can also help cool the Earth directly through the process known as transpiration. When the surrounding area heats up, plants will often release excess water into the air from their leaves. By releasing evaporated water, plants cool themselves and the surrounding environment. “It’s like sweating. When you sweat you cool the surface of your skin,” says Wolfgang Buermann of Boston University. Over a forest canopy or a vast expanse of grassland, large amounts of transpiration can increase water vapor in the atmosphere, causing more precipitation and cloud cover in an area. The additional cloud cover often reinforces the cooling by blocking sunlight.
Climate change is an everlasting problem and it is unlikely that it will be completely solved, but with the help of you and your friends, and speaking out, we can make a substantial difference in our Earth’s future.