What Does It Mean To Say That Climate Change Does Not Exist

In recent years, a shroud of uncertainty has fallen over the concept of climate change and human involvement in it. Rather than being taken as fact, some have elected to dispute its validity or dismiss its significance. Climate change is the most important issue today, and is evidenced by undisputable scientific research. Government officials under the Republican Party and their supporters are the most common doubters of climate change today. They will often either argue that climate change does not exist, or argue that the changing climate is natural, and would have happened with or without the existence of humans. There is scientific evidence to disprove this, but these skeptics turn a blind eye. According to NASA, 95% of climate scientists agree that humans are the main cause of global warming, due to our expansion of the “greenhouse effect”, a process in which the earth becomes like a greenhouse: gases in the atmosphere trap heat and radiation close to Earth, slowly warming the environment. The average surface temperature has risen about 2° Fahrenheit since the late
19th century, primarily driven by human-made emissions. Evidence of this exists in even more aspects: global sea level has risen eight inches in the last century, and Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets have decreased in mass, both losing over 150 cubic kilometers of ice every year. Even in writing this essay I seem to concede a point: that climate change is controversial. Climate change is based in pure fact, and is in no way disputable. Those “opposing” climate change (generally republicans) cling to old-fashioned beliefs and false knowledge, relying on the support of those as blind as them. They have no argument or proof invalidating the existence of climate change. An easy way to observe climate change is through measuring glaciers.
Almost everywhere around the world, glaciers are retreating, such as in the Alps, Himalayas, Andes, Rockies, Alaska, and Africa. Image comparison over the years reveals a startling truth: our world has undergone significant negative change, and it is not slowing down. The speed of glacial retreat is increasing, and soon there will be little ice at all. Another accurate measure of climate change relating to ice is the decline of Arctic Sea ice. Over the last several decades, Arctic Sea ice has decreased in both its expanse and thickness, resulting in the rise of global sea level. Humans, again, are the primary cause, due to our reckless behavior and lack of regard for our world. Ice in the Arctic Sea provides an environment for a variety of species, most of which are now endangered or extinct due to melting ice
caps. Opposition of measures to prevent climate change often involved an argument that we have time; Earth has survived for millions of years and a few years of pollution will not have an immediate effect. The problem is in the fact that our planet takes a while to respond to human behaviors. Carbon dioxide, the predominant heat-trapping gas, remains in our atmosphere for hundreds of years – meaning that any human-made emissions will have a delay between when they are released and when their effects are visible. According to NASA Climate Scientists, even if our world completely stopped releasing “greenhouse gases” this second, average global temperature would still be expected to rise 10.8° Fahrenheit over the years. Now is the time for change, not later. Solutions to this climate change crisis generally follow a two-step plan: mitigation and adaptation. The first step involves reducing human-made emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The second is learning to live with and survive the already inevitable changes. Easy ways to contribute individually are by recycling and driving fuel-efficient cars, though it will take global cooperation to truly halt climate change. Climate change is the most important global problem, and needs immediate attention if we wish to save our planet and its inhabitants. Many people acknowledge climate change’s existence, but government cooperation is required to make any significant progress. We have one world, and one world only, it is time we take care of it.