Climate change is a long-term change in weather patterns caused by human activity like burning fossil fuels. According to NASA, there is evidence of climate change through increasing carbon dioxide levels, rising global temperatures, decreasing ice levels, and sea level rise. From 1880 to 2019, global temperatures and sea levels have steadily increased while ice levels have decreased. To address climate change, individuals and governments need to take action through activities like reducing waste and pollution, using renewable energy, and transitioning to more sustainable practices.

1. CLIMATE CHANGE
The Most Critical Social Issue of the 21st Century
Tytiana McWhorter

2. WHAT IS
CLIMATE
CHANGE?
Climate change is a long-term change in the normal
weather patterns that define Earth’s climates (local,
regional, and global).
Climate change is not the same as global warming.
Global warming is the long-term heating of the Earth’s
climate system due to the increase of greenhouse gases in
the Earth’s atmosphere.
Both of these phenomena are due to human activity.
Mainly fossil fuel burning.

3. HOW DO WE KNOW THE CLIMATE IS
CHANGING?
According to NASA there are five vital signs
that prove climate change:
1. Increase in Carbon Dioxide levels in the
atmosphere.
2. Rise in the Global Temperature
3. Decrease of ice in the Arctic Sea
4. Decrease of mass of Ice Sheets in
Antarctica and Greenland
5. Rise in the Sea Level

4. INCREASE IN
CARBON DIOXIDE
From the chart, you can see how the
amount of CO2 (carbon dioxide) in the
atmosphere has increased significantly
over the years.
This chart only measures the amount of
CO2 in Hawaii, not considering average
seasonal cycles in that area.
CO2 is released in the atmosphere
from deforestation, burning fossil fuels,
respiration, and volcanic eruptions.
The burning of fossil fuels contributes
most to the amount of CO2 in the
atmosphere.
As of August 2019, there is 412 PPM
(parts per million) of CO2 in the
atmosphere.

5. RISE IN GLOBAL
TEMPERATURES
This chart represents the global
temperatures from 1880 to 2019.
Temperatures seemed to reach
historical heights starting around
the 1990’s.
Since then, there has been some
fluctuation, but for the most part
temperatures are steady rising.
2016 is the warmest year on record.
The last global temperature was
recorded in 2018 and it was 0.8°C
which is 33.4°F.
Earth in its natural state is 0°F.

6. RISE IN SEA
LEVELS
Sea level rise is caused by the
melting of ice caps and glaciers and
the expansion of sea water as the
Earth warms.
From the graph you can see the
gradual increase of the sea level
over the years.
The sea level rises 3.3 millimeters a
year.
The last measurement of the sea
level was taken in May of 2019 and
states that the sea level is 94
millimeters.
4 millimeters higher than the last
measurement.

7. SOLVING THE
PROBLEM
Climate change and plans to reverse it is a huge topic among
democratic presidential hopefuls. Most of their plans work on a
bigger, national scale. We’re talking banning plastic straws, shifting
the economy to carbon-neutral energy, zero emission transportation,
and punishing big businesses that abuse/break the law.
While all of those sound promising, we can’t rely on the government
to make the change for all of us. We also can’t sit around and
continue our behaviors because we play a part in climate change as
well.
The government does need to step in, but so do we. We all play a
part in saving the planet.

8. HOW CAN I
HELP?
There’s tons of things we can do to make a
difference, big or small, in the environment.
It can be as simple as not littering, recycling,
avoiding using plastic straws at restaurants, and
carpooling or using public transportation.
More cost efficient and difficult tasks would be
taking on a zero-waste lifestyle, taking on a vegan
or vegetarian diet, and using solar or wind energy
to fuel your homes.

9. CONCLUSION
No one is exactly clear on how long we have
before the Earth can’t be saved, but it’s
estimated that we have 16 months to make
drastic changes to the environment to reverse
climate change.
Aside from that, it’s said that if no changes are
made in 12 years, it’d be pointless to even try.
Regardless of the estimations, science doesn’t
lie. The Earth is changing and not in a good
way. We need to make a step in the right
direction, no matter how big or small.
Every action counts.