Climate Change: What's it Mean to Us?

As teenagers in high school, climate change seems like it should be the last thing to worry about. It doesn’t personally relate to us, our lives aren’t being changed by it, so how important is it compared to the other issues in today’s society? We seem to have an altered perspective of this issue until it directly affects us. Recently, climate change has become a new reality for the people of Des Moines. Dragging out wet carpet from a basement, having your home destroyed, and losing all your personal possessions are things that seem like it could never happen to you until it does. 18-year-old Haylie Wasem had to evacuate her home in West Des Moines because of excessive flooding. 19-year-old Elizabeth Bluhm of Des Moines said that the floodwaters were only two feet away from her home.

In Iowa, climate change is something we’ve had to learn to adapt to, even though we might not even realize it. The total amount of precipitation in the Des Moines area has drastically increased within the past five years, the average temperature has increased, and the amount of flooding has caused new records. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, extreme weather is “likely to become more frequent or more intense with human induced climate change.” So, what does this mean to us as students? In short terms, it means our world is changing, and we’re the generation left to watch it deteriorate. Looking at it from a broader perspective allows us to see the complexity of this epidemic. A study conducted by National Geographic found that 1.2 trillion pounds of untreated sewage, stormwater, and industrial waste are dumped into US waters each year. The water we get in our water fountains and sinks, both at school and at home, may run the risk of being exposed to these deadly contaminants. The study also found that the carbon dioxide concentration is the highest that it has been in over 3 million years. The air we breathe is filled with deadly pollutants, from sewage to CO₂.

Countries, states, communities, and even students in high school can all help to take a progressive step towards a cleaner planet. While it may seem that the damage we’ve caused to our planet is irreversible, there are ways we can improve the current state we’ve been in for the last 30 years. It won’t quite be ‘bouncing back’ to normal, but more of a gradual, progressive process of improvement, which scientists and climate experts recognize. There are little things and big things that we can do as a community, and things we can do as individuals. As Aliya Haq, deputy director of the Natural Resource Defense Center’s Clean Power Program says, “Change only happens when individuals take action.”

As a community we can…

Advocate for community gardens- Creating city wide gardens can help to lower the temperature and reduce the amount of errands to grocery stores outside of town, because fruits in vegetables will be right next door!

Use light colored roofing and pavement- Dark colors absorb more heat, while lighter colors reflect the light. Zachary Shahan, an author CleanTechnica, reported that on the hottest day of the year in New York, a light-colored roof was 41°-42° cooler than a black roof. By choosing light colored roofs, there would be less demand for air conditioning, and on-site temperature would decrease.

Follow “Original Green” construction practices- “Original Green” plans allow for natural processes to aid in urban development. Plant trees in places that need shade during the summer, and plant gardens in areas of the community that are easily accessible by the general public. These practices are not only beneficial to a community, but are also good for the environment.

As a family you can…

Unplug electronics- The total amount of unused electronics plugged into outlets in the United States right now would require energy from around 50 large power plants. To save energy, unplug your belongings when you’re not using them, and turn your computers and phones to low power mode when you know you won’t be on them for long periods of time.

Reduce the amount of wasted water- By reducing the amount of water your family uses, you are actually reducing the amount of carbon pollution. The United States Environmental Protection Agency predicts that if 1 out of every 100 homes in the US used water efficient fixtures instead of non-energy conserving traditional fixtures, 80,000 tons of global warming pollution would be avoided.

Reduce the amount of meat you eat- If one person didn’t consume meat for an entire year, around 3,300 trees in the Amazon Rainforest would be saved from being cut down. While the amount seems small, that is still 3,300 more trees providing healthy air for us to breathe. Switching to a diet that limits meat consumption also provides benefits to your health.

You can…

Use metal/reusable straws- While this solution seems typical, it is also very beneficial. A study conducted by National Geographic found that 500 million straws are used everyday in the United States alone, and an estimated 8.3 billion straws end up on the world’s beaches.

Carpool- It is estimated that a typical passenger vehicle emits around 4.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year. By choosing to carpool, you can help reduce the amount of CO₂ released into the atmosphere.

Advocate- We always have the right to speak our minds and tell the government what we believe should be happening right now. Advocating for certain bills to be passed, acts to be created, and action to be taken is what allows for progress in this issue.

Advocacy is key for nation wide change. Even though Iowa seems small and insignificant compared to the rest of the world, there is still action to be taken, and it starts with you.