Climate Change

By: Itzel Paulin

    Have you ever felt odd about the weather? Such as hotter summers or more intense rainstorms, or just a drastic change in the weather? Well, all these abnormal weather changes are a result of climate change. While the earth's climate has naturally shifted over the years by itself, the change we see now is different from that, it is different due to the fact that human activities have actually been influencing the change. What is climate change you may ask, well climate change is seeing a shift in the typical weather from a particular area over a certain period of time. This is a result of an increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. These gases get in our atmosphere by burning fossil fuels, our vehicles releasing gas, industrial plants, etc. Everyone partakes in releasing fumes into the atmosphere somehow, someway every single day and at least once a day. It is unavoidable at this point. Such gases are being released in masses. Consequently, our planet is being warmed up causing the earth to become warmer. Because this is all happening on the earth in which we live, we should be deeply concerned as to what is happening to our earth. If we do not do anything about it now, perhaps we won't be able to even slightly reverse the damage that has already been done, or do something about it. It is critical because other than impacting the earth itself, it also impacts one's health, global economies, our food, and water. Many say that something is already being done in order to protect the earth, such as using water for electricity, switching to electric cars, replacing plastic bags, but that is not the case, it seems like nothing is being done for climate change.

To begin, climate change is something that has been scientifically proven. According to NASA, scientists monitor our earth using satellites, which provides us with clear evidence that climate change is actually happening, making it impossible to deny. More importantly, climate change is directly affecting human life. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration claims, “ Climate change affects the environment in many different ways, including rising temperatures, sea level rise, drought, flooding, and more. These events affect things that we depend upon and value, like water, energy, transportation, wildlife, agriculture, ecosystems, and human health. As the temperature rises, more water evaporates from rivers and soil, which can lead to water shortages and dry land that is difficult for farming. This is something that is not to be taken lightly because without crops there is less food. Also, pollution from gases released into the air can harm human health over time. Climate change does not just affect humans, it affects animals too. It can destroy our ecosystems which then would force animals from their habitats. For instance, in the Arctic many melting glaciers are leaving polar bears with no homes due to the massive environmental change, this change affects us too because it is flooding our rivers.

While many see that humanity has played a large role in causing climate change, there are others who do not, or just do not care about it enough to do something. Unfortunately, there are some scientists or professionals that disagree on the topic of climate change, according to Gardner, “ A letter signed by over 50 leading members of the American Meteorological Society warned about the policies promoted by environmental pressure groups. “The policy initiatives derive from highly uncertain scientific theories. They are based on the unsupported assumption that catastrophic global warming follows from the burning of fossil fuel and requires immediate action. We do not agree.”...” Some scientists do not see what is occurring throughout our atmosphere due to the gases being released, therefore they look over any solution that would possibly help us fight against climate change. If not that, they just simply do not go out of the way to advocate for climate change for those who are truly worried. This is all one big issue because as a society, those who do see the effects on our earth, and want to actually do something about it, won't make a big change if protocols or perhaps laws are not placed. Because those who do not believe in climate change can easily ruin any progress done by those who are fighting against it. In order to get those who do not believe in climate change to see what is actually happening, they would need reassurance from scientists and the government to actually take climate change seriously. The World Health Organization also comments, “Between 2030 and 2050, climate change is expected to cause approximately 250 000 additional deaths per year from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhoea and heat stress alone.” If they already have a sure estimate for the future then that means almost nothing is expected to change that will help our earth. But, for anyone reading this, it could serve as a warning. If our earth is not helped soon in every way possible we will all feel the consequences.

Though, some may argue that climate change is not a bad thing. This means that they believe the weather is changing but to an extent. For instance, according to Spencer from the Heritage foundation, “As a climate scientist, I agree that our greenhouse gas emissions produce some warming. But is this necessarily a bad thing? Ten times as many people die from cold weather than from hot weather. Agricultural yields of corn, soybeans, wheat, and rice continue to break records nearly every year.” Climate change should be the least thing we as a society should be worried about. There are larger issues that are being overlooked and climate change should not be an issue we should be focusing on, unlike anything else it might even be a good thing. If our planet is warming up rather than becoming colder, that means we would be seeing less cases of any cold. Typically, colds get passed around more during the colder seasons due to everyone staying indoors, which means more people are going to have more physical contact. If our planet becomes warmer this will allow others to go out, lessening the chances of colds spreading or just anything that spreads through physical contact. Also, if there are more crops that means there is more food and more agriculture work available. If our earth warming up has allowed crops to flourish as of now, over time if winter becomes shorter or perhaps even goes away it could lead to successful crops all year long that supplies us with more food. This would also lead to an increase in work regarding agriculture, if there is an increase in work then there will be an increase in jobs as well! This will benefit all parties, which would be families, farmers, and markets. Spencer also notes, “A Pew Research Center survey found that over 50% of Americans who experienced severe weather in the previous 12 months believe that climate change played a role.” So, many people who are arguing against climate change perhaps are just confusing it with severe weather. Severe weather is a natural phenomenon that is not caused by any gases, it is just the way the earth functions.

Climate change is proven to be real and a serious issue, but some people still argue that it is not real! Those who believe it is not real instead chose to believe that climate change is more of a hot topic amongst the public, some even believe it to be political. For instance, Thomas- Walters explains that climate activism strongly influences media coverage and public opinion, which often suggests that the issue may lean more towards attention rather than facts. Those who believe that climate change exists oftentimes organize protests, petitions that would perhaps push the government to take action. With all this happening, those who do not believe in climate change may resent the fact that public change exists. With many protests taking place across the world, some have caused ‘protesting’ to gain a negative reputation. As a result, this can influence the public’s opinion, leading people to view protests in a more negative way. Some just do not want to be associated with certain groups, in this case, those who believe in climate change.

All in all, climate change is seriously impacting our earth and it is affecting it negatively but as of now, it seems like not much is being done regarding climate change. Some even argue that climate change is a good thing, but it is not. For now, all we can do is pressure lawmakers and the government, but there needs to be a change soon!


CITATIONS

Thomas-Walters, Laura, et al. “The Impacts of Climate Activism.” Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, vol. 63, 2025, article 101498, https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/the-impacts-of-climate-activism/.


Spencer, Roy. “Climate Change: The Science Doesn’t Support the Heated Rhetoric.” The Heritage Foundation, 16 Oct. 2024, www.heritage.org/climate/commentary/climate-change-the-science-doesnt-support-the-heated-rhetoric

World Health Organization. “Climate Change.” World Health Organization, https://www.who.int/health-topics/climate-change. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026


National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “Climate Change Impacts.” NOAA, www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/climate/climate-change-impacts. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration. “Climate Change.” NASA Science, 3 Feb. 2026, science.nasa.gov/climate-change. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.