Don’t believe the headline. Don’t believe the talking heads on television. Don’t even believe your parents. Beliefs shouldn’t have a part in this debate.
Climate change isn’t a matter of belief – it’s a matter of science. Science based on knowledge, observation, experimentation and research. Belief isn’t required – what is required is understanding.
Climate change is a looming threat – so threating in fact it brought world leaders away from massive regional problems to talk about an issue that could affect everyone.
Presidents, scientists, activists and movie stars met this week at the U.N. headquarters in New York to discuss and take an active stance on climate change. The summit was designed to encourage the 120 member states to sign up to an extensive new global climate agreement at talks in Paris next year.
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon as he closed the summit said, “Never before have so many leaders gathered to commit to action on climate change.”
A U.N. report earlier this year said the effects of global warming are likely to be “severe, pervasive and irreversible”, which could lead to rising sea levels, greater flood risks, changes to crop yields and scores of more problems.
While world leaders have pledged support in figuring out how to help solve the issue, here in the U.S. support is lacking.
The U.S. continually ranks highest among the western world in climate change disbelief. According to a Gallup poll one in four Americans are skeptical of the climate issue.
Obama announced at the summit new actions to help strengthen global resilience to climate change and further partnerships in curbing carbon pollution.
These approaches appear to be a step in the right direction for the U.S. to join with the world to combat a common problem.
For many in the conservative Bible belt, climate change is a hot topic. Many tie regional majority political leanings with religious rhetoric to often debunk climate change as liberal propaganda. This often results in a complete disbelief and flat out disregard to any and all scientific research into the subject.
The research is out there and from a wide variety of sources. A quick Google search of climate change research will result in hundreds of pages of scholarly sources on the matter. Universities to NASA to foreign governmental bodies have studied and continue to study climate change. The informational is out there and easily available.
How we as humans inhabit the earth and the effects from our inhabitation is not a liberal issue. It’s not a conservative issue. It’s not a Republican verse Democrat issue; it’s a human issue. Climate change is an issue that will affect all 7 billion people on this Earth.
The changes of climate are undoubtedly tied to human involvement, a consequence of our modern societal progression. Our means of living and operating a modern society has had environmental effects and we must acknowledge those effects and figure out how to abate them.
Many European countries and even major U.S. municipalities are taking an active approach to understanding and making a difference. Many are passing stricter environmental regulations, offering better recycling problems and just encouraging a greener way of life.
Please don’t regurgitate what you hear from televised talking heads or from what someone says, but delve into the information yourself. Form your own opinions from the research and facts. Educate yourself.
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