The Clock is Ticking: How can the Youth Save the Earth

Written by: Che Lodico, Julia Pal

Published: July 23, 2022

What is the Issue?

Out of all the daily issues each faces in this world, one may seem menacing. It is the issue of global warming, the gradual heating of the Earth's climate system. Global warming was first observed in the pre-industrial era or between 1850-1900. Because of this occurrence, the mountain glaciers and the polar ice caps are rapidly melting. Meanwhile, the lakes around the world are warming more quickly than their surroundings. The hot temperatures also decrease the survival rates of several animals due to less food, unsuccessful reproduction, and interference with the environment. Global warming affects humans too. As predicted by the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), global warming will intensify our health conditions as the rising temperature can increase the mosquito populations and escalate the risk of infectious diseases, make individuals suffering from heart problems more vulnerable, worsen lung conditions, and also impair food security.

What is the Cause of Global Warming?

On the 6th of April 2022, NASA scientists chained themselves to the doors of a Chase Bank office, protesting the bank's significant investment in fossil fuels and advocating for minimized carbon emissions. Carbon emissions are greenhouse gasses that trap heat in the atmosphere, causing global warming; this makes them the main cause of the issue. Each country has various amounts of greenhouse gas emissions, and the top 5 include China, the United States, India, Russia, and Japan. The second-largest contributor emits greenhouse gasses from agriculture (11%), transportation (27%), commercial and residential activities (13%), industry (24%), and electricity (25%).

How can the Youth Help?

The United Nations defines "youth" as anyone between the ages of 15 and 24. By this definition, 1.2 billion people make up the youth (16% of the global population) as of the 2015 data. There are numerous misconceptions or stereotypes about the youth's demeanor, but there are ones who choose to be aware, collaborate, and take action in saving our planet.

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Sources:

NASA Scientists were Arrested during a Climate Change Protest - Climate Change - Geneseo Wiki. (2022).Geneseo.edu website: https://wiki.geneseo.edu/display/CC/2022/04/24/NASA+Scientists+were+Arrested+during+a+Climate+Change+Protest#:~:text=On%20April%206th%2C%20over%20a,well%20as%20occupied%20government%20buildings ‌

Pappas, S., & Bradford, A. (2022, February 3). What are the effects of global warming? livescience.com website: https://www.livescience.com/37057-global-warming-effects.html ‌

vanessa-admin. (2020). Mobilizing young people to save the planet. Earthhour.org website: https://latest.earthhour.org/blog/mobilizing-young-people-save-planet ‌

Nations, U. (2015). Youth | United Nations. United Nations website: https://www.un.org/en/global-issues/youth ‌

Nations, U. (2020). The Health Effects of Global Warming: Developing Countries Are the Most Vulnerable | United Nations. Retrieved July 22, 2022, from United Nations website: https://www.un.org/en/chronicle/article/health-effects-global-warming-developing-countries-are-most-vulnerable#:~:text=Hot%20temperatures%20increase%20the%20ozone,can%20lead%20to%20resource%20conflicts

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