Climate Change Awareness

 

One of the largest growing social issue affecting my community and people all over the world is climate change. Climate change is not a recent issue, it had been going on for years and if something isn't done, our environment and Earth as we know today will seize to exist. We have recently been seeing that large fires have been blazing all over California and being more intensely spread because of the hurricane level winds. These recent fires hit home more for me because several family members that I have in Orange County have had to evacuate their homes until the fires and toxic air quality dies down. Climate change has caused severe increases in temperature in the United States over the last couple years.  According the journal article, Heat Waves and Climate Change: What the Science Tells Us about Extreme Heat Events, by Union of Concerned Scientists, this drastic heat wave had devastating consequences resulting in 123 deaths occurring in 2012 (1). We can clearly see that this climate change issue is not just affecting the environment and the creatures inhabiting it, but also the human race. Better awareness and way to combat this issue has to be brought forward, that's why I decided to discuss it. I think it is important to bring it up because most of the rapid changes we see in climate change is because of human influence. As stated by the Union of Concerned Scientists, this idea of man made climate change has been proven, "several studies of the 2012 US heat wave found that human-caused climate change increased the risk of such an event occurring: climate change likely increased the risk of the spring heat that year 12-fold, while the extreme heat observed in July 2012 was four times more likely because of human activity than it would have been in the pre-industrial era." (4) I've seen first hand how the consequences of climate change has had on people around me. Whether it may be a high heat wave, fires, hurricane level winds or drought, all people affected know one thing for sure, that we are in danger. We all know that the heat radiating during a  hot summer day can be pretty brutal, especially when the air is humid, but if the human body is exposed to high heat without the body having an opportunity to level its temperature, it can have deadly consequences. This cause of a high heat wave and temperatures can be proven as it is discussed in the journal article, Heat Waves and Climate Change: The Effects of Worsening Heat on People, Communities, and Infrastructure by the Union of Concerned Scientists, "When exposed to high temperatures, the human body sweats to release heat. ·when exposed to high humidity as well, that sweat does not evaporate as quickly and the body's ability to cool itself is compromised. Heat stress can result and, if not addressed, can lead to heat­ related illnesses like heat exhaustion and heat stroke" (2). The affects climate change can have hazardous results not just on the maintenance and sustainability of the Earth, but the human race as well. 

This topic mattered to me because of the deadly affects it can have on all living things on this Earth if something is not done, to eradicate it or at least lessen the impact. I think it's important to understand the gravity of the situation so that others can see how crucial it is to pay attention to what's going on around us. I was always taught to look out for others and I guess that's what I've always done and I tend to do this before looking out for myself, but if putting myself last is what I have to do to ensure the safety and well being of others, then ill do it no questions asked. I just love this Earth we call home because it has fed us, helped us develop and survive, and just allowed us to grow as people that I can't just sit back and watch it all go to flames. The environment is important to me because it is what helps us survive and just keep our surroundings beautiful to look at when we are having a bad day. I just feel like we need to give back to a planet that has given us so much care and show the same care and compassion back. While saving the Earth, we will also one assuring the life of many people that might be affected by the already occurring affects of climate change.  

My understanding of civic engagement has changed thanks to this assignment inn that now I'm more diligent and understanding the huge impact us coming together with our community is to achieving a change happen around us. We have to really take into account the event and what the effects mean to the health or livelihood of a person so that the resolutions and activism we chase are actually affective. I think that the feedback that I would receive back from this blog I created would be positive because like we have seen all around us in the last couple of days, the younger generation is really making a difference with their activism so the people would be hopeful that this research will actually make a difference in the community. Possibly being their way of reaching out too maker a change happen, through me, so that the desired audience can see that all people are behind each other in order to make our environment a better place to not just live in, but also to continue to raise families for years to come. I'm glad I was a part of this because now I feel more empowered to actually try to carry out a change I hope to see happen like climate change and other issues we are dealing with today. 

References

Union of Concerned Scientists. Heat Waves and Climate Change: What the Science Tells Us about Extreme Heat Events. Union of Concerned Scientists, 2018, www.jstor.org/stable/resrep24149. Accessed 10 Nov. 2020.

Union of Concerned Scientists. Heat Waves and Climate Change: The Effects of Worsening Heat on People, Communities, and Infrastructure. Union of Concerned Scientists, 2018, www.jstor.org/stable/resrep24150. Accessed 10 Nov. 2020.