How long will it take to stop climate change, and what can we do anything to speed it up, what can any person do to stop climate change?
Research Questions:
Why does climate change happen? How do humans affect it?
Is climate change dangerous?
What are we currently doing to stop climate change?
Is there anything else that we can do to reduce climate change?
Where is climate change mostly happening?
Why does climate change happen?
There are many causes to climate change. One of them is, a ‘greenhouse effect’. All life on Earth needs the sun’s energy to survive. When sunlight passes through the atmosphere, some of it is reflected into space, and most of it onto Earth. In the atmosphere, there are some gases which traps the heat. Some of those gases, don’t respond to any changes in the temperature. So, they sort of force a part of the climate change to happen. Examples are water vapor (H2O), nitrous oxide (N2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), and methane (CH4). Unlike Earth, Mars has a very thin atmosphere, so there are no gases to make the greenhouse effect. So, there is no life. Because humans, over the past years have been burning fossil fuels, it makes more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Things that will happen are that the Earth will become warmer, when it’s warm it will evaporate more and then more precipitation, when it gets to hot it will melt ice and glaciers, so sea levels will begin to rise, and then some crops will need more water to survive.
Another reason that climate change is happening, is that it could be the sun’s energy is changing. Since most of the energy we get is from the sun. But there are things that prove that it isn’t happening. For example, since 1750, the energy from the sun remained very close to the same.
Is climate change dangerous?
Climate change is happening all around the world. Glaciers are melting, ice which was on rivers, and lakes are breaking sooner, trees are flowering sooner, and many more. Near the future, we predict that there will be more wildfires, more drought in some places, and more tropical storms. Scientists say that climate change will continue because of greenhouse gasses caused by humans. Many things are likely to happen. For example, sea levels will increase 1-4 feet by 2100. Hurricanes will be become stronger, there will be more droughts, our precipitation patterns will change, changes will continue and temperatures will rise.
What are we currently doing to stop climate change?
I can’t find anything online. People are writing how we can stop climate change, but nothing about what we’re doing. I’m sure some people are trying to stop it, but I can’t find anything.
Is there anything else that we can do to reduce climate change?
There are many ways you can help stop climate change. One is using energy more wisely. You can use better light bulbs. Unplug electronics when you’re not using them. Buy renewable stuff, don’t waste food. And lots more.
Where is climate change mostly happening?
The entire Earth is heating up.
Solution 1
What if we stop producing greenhouse gasses right now? Is it possible that it would stop climate change? Because, since the greenhouse gasses are mainly why the Earth is heating up, is it possible that if we stop using them, the Earth will stop climate change? Well, it sounded like a cool idea so I searched it up, and this is what I found. Ok, so we all know that the Earth’s temperature is changing quick, mostly because of all the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which is caused by humans burning coal, oil, and some other natural gases. Even if we managed to stop using the gases, how much carbon dioxide is already stuck in the atmosphere? If you didn’t know, when carbon dioxide is in the atmosphere, it’s like a blanket around the earth. Sea levels will rise and weather will change. Well, it sounded like a good idea, but the answer is no. Even if we stop using greenhouse gases, the carbon dioxide which is already in the atmosphere, will stay there, for thousands and thousands of years, until it goes through the formation of ‘calcium carbonate’ (limestone). So, because since humans don’t live that long (or at least yet), the only way to make it disappear is if we take it out ourselves.
If we wanted to do that, we would have to not only take away the carbon dioxide, but along with the greenhouse gases, like methane and nitrous oxide. Also, reverse deforestation and other things that affect the Earth’s ‘energy balance. There are a lot of good paragraphs of information I found, but basically what it was saying is that, “there will be no new normal, only more change.” I do not own that quote. All rights go to its original person. Anyways, I don’t think we can even stop using carbon dioxide just like that. The use for them are just increasing. Finally, my point here is that even if it’s not possible to stop climate change, we can try to slow it down. If we manage to slow it down, maybe humans, mammals, aquatic life, and plants can adapt more easily to the Earth. Even if somehow, we stop climate change now, it won’t be like the past anymore. The Earth is still warm. The only thing we can do is slow the change. If we can just eliminate the gases being used in a few years, then we can slow down the warming, and make it somehow controllable, then that could work. It would steady the changes, and let nature and all to adapt. If we can adapt to the earth more easily, then we will have less problems about climate. Final quote, “Rather than trying to recover the past, we need to be thinking about best possible futures.”
Solution 2
What most sites are saying is that we should reduce the amount of carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases used, and adapt to what is going to happen in the future. But how can we do that? Well, one of the ways is that we can reduce the ‘sources of the gases’. Like you know how we burn fossil fuels and stuff for heat, electricity, transport, gas, etc. So, if we, humans can find a way to reduce the usage of those things, it will be better for the atmosphere.
Solution 3
Another way, is that we can ‘enhance the sinks’ which gather and store these gases, also known as ‘storage tanks’. For example, oceans, forests, soil, etc. And hopefully we can find a way to just make the carbon dioxide somehow disappear. People around the world are focusing on the climate problems. They are working now to build flood defenses, heatwaves and higher temperatures, stuff to deal with floods and storms better, and improve their water storage and use. Even if we are focusing to find ways to reduce climate, we need to find ways to survive what we are living in now. Anyways, back to the other idea. We need a bigger storage space to put the carbon dioxide. Is it possible to shrink carbon dioxide, so more can fit into an ocean? I know it’s a weird idea but if we can keep the number of atoms together and just put them closer would that work? Another weird idea I just thought of is what if we can use a giant mirror like thing so the sunlight will not go to Earth, and all of it will go back into space. But we need the sun to survive so is it possible to make an artificial sun? Ok, that wasn’t the best idea. Because there will be lots of assumptions. What if we can invent something new to store carbon dioxide, and it’s very efficient?
Change won’t happen quick. It will take time. So here are a few ways that we can take to reduce climate change now. Walking, biking, using the bus, is all better than using your car. Don’t overbuy stuff. Basically, don’t waste. Reduce, reuse, recycle :D. Use less energy at home, limit your air travel. If you have to drive, try an electric car. Renewable energy is great. Also, if the world can eat less meat, that would be great too. Because to make meat, takes up a lot of land, and adds to the greenhouse gases. Try to eat more plants. Support climate change, and try encouraging others.
Reflection
What questions did you need to research to research your topic?
What new or familiar digital tools did you try to use as you worked through this project?
What was the process you used to investigate the topic?
How did you verify and cite the information you found?
How did the process of completing this challenge go? What could you have done better?
The questions I did to research my topic are “Why does climate change happen? How do humans affect it? Is climate change dangerous? What are we currently doing to stop climate change? Is there anything else that we can do to reduce climate change? Where is climate change mostly happening?” I used Google. I went on official sites, websites, blogs, all kinds of sites to try and find useful information. I prefer going on websites rather than YouTube videos, because its quicker to get information, in some cases. If it’s a page of text I can read through it quickly, but if it’s a video I can’t skip and have to watch the full thing. And I think it’s easier to create a YouTube video then a website. I first thought of a main question, other questions to help solve the main one, answered the other questions, find solutions, and then reflect on all of this. When I found information, to make sure it was reliable, I looked to see if there’s an author, when it has been last updated, if there’s any spelling/grammar errors. Then if everything looks alright and it was pretty useful information I used easybib to cite it. This challenge was really fun and enjoyable to me. I learned a lot more about what’s happening to the Earth, and what ways we can do to reduce climate change. The only thing that I would change is that I wish that we had more time to do it.
Sources
Jackson, Randal. “Climate Change Causes: A Blanket around the Earth.” Edited by Holly Shaftel and Susan Callery, NASA, NASA, 8 Aug. 2018, climate.nasa.gov/causes/.
Jackson, Randal. “Global Climate Change: Effects.” Edited by Holly Shaftel and Susan Callery, NASA, NASA, 16 July 2018, climate.nasa.gov/effects/.
Suzuki, David. “Top 10 Things You Can Do about Climate Change.” David Suzuki Foundation, BriteWeb, 3 July 2018, davidsuzuki.org/what-you-can-do/top-10-ways-can-stop-climate-change/.
Rood, Richard B. “If We Stopped Emitting Greenhouse Gases Right Now, Would We Stop Climate Change?” The Conversation, 19 Sept. 2018, theconversation.com/if-we-stopped-emitting-greenhouse-gases-right-now-would-we-stop-climate-change-78882.
Jackson , Randal. “Global Climate Change: Effects.” Edited by Holly Shaftel and Susan Callery , NASA, NASA, 16 July 2018, climate.nasa.gov/effects/.
Couldn’t cite this one but here is the link.