Climate Change is something individuals ignore every day but is quickly becoming a major worldwide issue, and time is running out. Although some people and politicians believe climate change to be a myth, it is a very real issue among us today, and according to NASA, humans are 95 percent responsible for it.
It’s been discovered that Greenhouse gases have a direct connection to climate change. They are gases that trap the sun’s heat in the earth’s atmosphere causing the earth’s temperature to increase, which can create some major problems. So what are these problems, and how can we fix it?
A major contributor to these greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide emissions, which comes from multiple sources including the human consumption of electricity, transportation, building manufacturing, and deforestation. High carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere can cause the ocean to warm, glaciers to melt, species to go extinct, sea levels to rise, and extreme natural disasters.
Bucks students explained what would be a good step for the world to take towards more sustainable energy. Rachel Rand, a 18 year old business major from Newtown, said, “Well wind energy is pretty good, and solar power. I think moving towards those will benefit the earth a lot.”
Rand also mentioned how big oil companies are large contributors to carbon dioxide emissions. Transportation, being almost unavoidable in modern day society, is a big issue as well. Neset Aydin, a 32 year old undeclared major from Philadelphia, also talked about what steps the world can be taking towards a more green future. Aydin said, “Less gas cars, more electric cars, less diesel usage, less poultry and livestock.”
Aydin brings up the issue of animal agriculture which many people don’t realize is harmful to the environment. Animal agriculture is the second biggest contributor of releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere only behind transportation. Animal agriculture is also the leading cause of deforestation, water and air pollution, and animal extinction.
This happens because miles of the Amazon Rainforest are logged down every day in order to create land for cattle to graze. This not only is a major cause of deforestation, but the wild animals that live in the rainforest are killed as well, causing thousands of species to go extinct. Animal agriculture also releases an excess amount of methane into the atmosphere, which is also a greenhouse gas.
Of course, it’s difficult as a college student to make any big changes to the world, but there are definitely steps that can be taken in everyday life to better the environment. Nick Kusters, a 21 year old business administration major from Langhorne, said, “I try to be mindful and conscious of it. Not necessarily going out of my way to do extra things, but I just all and all try to not be a scummy individual. I’m not throwing trash around, and I recycle when I can. I’m just trying to live within my means without excessively wasting things.”
Kusters isn’t the only student who makes efforts personally to protect the environment. Sylvia Salas, a 19 year old psychology major from Levittown, talked about how although she does small things to help, she doesn’t really know what else she can be doing within her financial means. Salas said, “I can’t drive a hybrid car or an electric car because I’m broke. If I could I would buy that car. Some things are a little bit beyond my control.”
Although Bucks students aren’t personally capable of making a huge difference to the world’s environmental state, they seem to be aware and educated on the issue of climate change. They are doing what they can to make their own difference in the world.