My Opinion on Climate Change (10)

So why am I so interested in all of this? Why am I so inclined to write a blog about this topic?

Growing up I had no knowledge that the world around me was being threatened. That all changed when I began taking agriculture courses. I quickly learned and accepted that our world has been threatened by climate change and that it was a bigger issue than agriculture. I have written and talked about climate change in many of the courses that I have taken while in college and those experiences have essentially sparked the fire that made me want to become an agricultural communicator. The research that I have done on this wide topic has forever changed my viewpoint on the world, I no longer see the world as this endless supply of resources. I see it as finite and calling out for our help. I'm writing this not because I have to, but because I truly want to help save the world by informing people about this issue that is all around us.



I'm just one person, but together we can save the world.

Thank you for reading my blogs about global warming! If you want me to continue blogging, feel free to comment (or give constructive criticism) and share with your friends!

Opinions of Others on Climate Change (9)

Everyone who reads this or knows me knows what I think about climate change and I have been curious to see what others think of the issue.

When I asked friends, family and the people I work with about what they think of climate change, I got a whole array of answers.

Many do not believe it because it still snows in the winter and is cold some days. Many think its a hoax because of the media talking about it, or they believe Trump and his "fake news" response to the issue. I have also heard that people think it to be a recurring cycle of the Earth so it won't destroy life.

Some of the people I talked to had no side on the matter because they have heard both sides and did not feel a need to pick a side. Many were just confused about the science behind it and why it is happening now.

Many people are firm believers in climate change for the same reasons that I talk about. Others because they noticed that the summers were becoming hotter and hotter, and the winters milder. I also met people who have done the research and believe because the facts are there.

I am curious to see what my readers think of this issue, where you stood before reading this and if it changed your mind at all? Feel free to comment or send a message.

Next post will be my own personal blog about what caused me to write this and my opinions on the issue.

How we can help (8)

The fight against climate change does not have to be only a government and large-scale operation. As individuals, we can do simple things to lessen our carbon footprint to fight climate change.

1. Find Alternate Paths


Reducing your carbon footprint can start with your commute. If you drive to work/school every day in your own car by yourself, you are not being as efficient as you can be. You can start by taking your bike to work or to a park & ride where you can catch a bus. Mass transit exists to move people around efficiently, but it also exists to limit carbon emissions.

2. Does it have to be 70 degrees?


Every day we leave our climate controlled homes and take our climate controlled cars to our workplaces which is (you guessed it) climate controlled. As someone with winter experience, I am well aware of the importance of heaters when it is -35 degrees outside, but when the weather is not at the extremes, we can take this opportunity to live closer to the climates by having it be slightly warmer in the summer and slightly colder in the winter. These small changes actually drastically impact our carbon usage because we require less energy for climate control.

3. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (duh)


We've all heard it a million times, reduce reuse recycle, those infamous words... but those methods actually help. When we opt for paper bags or reusable bags we are limiting our dependence on plastic production which is a major greenhouse gas emission. When we effectively recycle our bottles, no new bottles need to be made. When we change our daily practices to reduce our carbon usage we are helping the planet survive!

4. Invest, Invest, Invest


If you are a person with spare cash, consider investing in renewable energy to help it gain momentum, support, and popularity. This way you can be directly contributing in the fight to lessen our dependence on fossil fuels. Also, consider buying electric cars to conventional, they are much better for the environment, and who wouldn't want to drive a Tesla?

Those are four ways that you can join the fight against climate change! Next post will be a blog about popular answers from people about climate change.

Difficulties in the fight (7)

In the US, the main opposition to the fight against climate change is very easy to spot. Because they are the government and the fossil fuel producers.



The fact that the government is one of the main opposers to this fight is very interesting. President Trump has been doing everything in his power to create an ally for climate change in the US. This started when he pulled the US from the Paris Climate Agreement, even though the US is one of the top producers of carbon dioxide in the world. Trump is weakening regulations put in place on carbon emissions, companies, and fossil fuel producers. Trump switched the EPA's goal from protecting the environment to protecting polluters and has even removed all evidence of climate change from the EPA website.



President Trump also has been favoring the production of fossil fuels over the increase in renewable energy, which is dangerous for the environment because frakking, mining and the means of collection of these fossil fuels are as harmful as the emissions they produce.

Now that we understand the struggle between the fighters and the opposers, the next post will give us some ways to help in the fight despite all of the opposition.

Samso Denmark: an example for the world (6)

Samso is a small island in Denmark that has made big impacts that have caught the attention of the whole world. The one thing that sets it apart from the rest of the world is that it is completely renewable!




The island has taken a renewable initiative in the most practical way. Because of the closeness of the supply, energy is cheaper and easier to acquire. Many inhabitants have installed personal solar farms and wind turbines. There are wind farms both onshore and offshore, farms producing their own heat from the practice, and biomass burning plants.

The people of Samso have transformed the island in the best way possible, by becoming energy efficient. They have also attracted the people of the world who are interested in using Samso as an example in creating their own energy efficient countries or cities. That is why Samso is now a center for learning with the Samso Energy Academy that is committed to teaching all about the benefits of renewable energy.

In the next post, I will talk about the roadblocks the fight against climate change has faced.

Global Action (5)

What is being done by the world to address the issue of global warming?
The simple answer: many things!
Here are a few...

The Paris Climate Agreement


In 2015, all of the nations of the world came together and signed an agreement to limit the global temperature increase to combat global warming. These changes include more regulation on carbon producing businesses, less reliance on fossil fuel energy, and implementing more environmentally friendly policies. This agreement has proven to be a momentous success with many countries already meeting their long-term goals.

Renewable Energy


Renewable Energy is on the rise! If more energy comes from renewable energy than fossil fuels, then the world will be on its way to eradicating carbon emissions. These new energy options are becoming cheaper and cheaper to the point where they will be cheaper to produce than fossil fuels. These renewable energies include solar, wind, hydroelectric, geothermal, and biomass/biofuel.

Sustainable Agriculture Practices


With the increase in agricultural technology, producers are now able to make their practices more sustainable than ever with productive but environmentally friendly techniques. It is the hope of producers that they will be able to produce more sustainably in order to limit their input of methane and carbon dioxide into the air.

These are some of the major global action steps that I found most notable. The next post will show an example of how a small island became a world leader in the fight for renewable energy and against climate change.

The Sources of the Problem (4)

Carbon Dioxide is the main enemy of the people. Carbon Dioxide is one of the primary greenhouse gases along with methane, that causes the Greenhouse Effect to wreak havoc upon the Earth's climate.

Now, what are the sources of these greenhouse gases? Let's explore a few.

Industry & Production


Ever since the dawn of the Industrial Age and the Industrial Revolution, the output of carbon dioxide has been increasing greatly. Even though we have since taken strides to eliminate the smoggy cities of industry, our usage of fossil fuels and industry have still allowed for the carbon dioxide input that fuels climate change.

Warfare


Even though relatively small, it is still worth mentioning that warfare produces a ton of carbon dioxide. Warfare has always been a producer of carbon dioxide with the use of artillery in the times before the gun and has since increased tenfold with the use of the gun and more means of destruction. The 2 world wars contributed greatly to the carbon input and the development of new weapons as time went on continued this cycle of carbon production through various wars and conflicts.

Agriculture:


Methane is even more potent than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas, and one of the largest producers of methane is agriculture, especially in the cattle industry. Even though methane is one of the most harmful greenhouse gases, it brings up an important and ethical question, if we want to remove methane from agriculture, how will we feed the world?

The next segment of our journey takes us to the global action that is occurring to combat climate change.