Shorter winters, hotter summers and drier seasons. These are just some of the effects the world has been feeling since climate change became an issue in the 1970s. As the winter season comes upon us, these effects will become more obvious. While a lot of corporations want you to believe that it is on the average citizen to make a change, the large scale of this issue argues otherwise.
AP environmental science teacher Polly Cunningham considers this reality every day.
“I think the average person is able to, obviously do some research, educate themselves,” Cunningham said. “But really the most powerful thing is who they vote, who makes policies, because honestly, it’s big corporations and companies that are globally most impactful.”
Midwestern citizens expect cold, snow and ice every winter, yet these expectations may not be sustainable in the future. While the impacts of climate change have only been felt by smaller island nations, this will not be the case in the future.
“In reality, spring and fall are going to be, like, much shorter. So, we’re going to kind of go from like really cold to a little brief, intermittent time, and now we’re in summer,” Cunningham said. “So, we’re going to have kind of like longer periods of hotter weather, drier weather, with longer periods with like cooler temperatures and less precipitation.”
These effects are not just felt by adults, but also students like junior Anna Pierce who is aware of these environmental issues. As the months get colder, students are starting to feel the weight of their futures even more.
“As a student, I try to do what I can to combat climate change in my everyday life,” Pierce said. “For example, something simple that I do is carpool. I do this every single day with my friends, and we all work together to try to lower our carbon emissions.”
Yet if humans want white Christmases to continue, more action is needed. Instead of relying on the carpooling efforts of 16-year-olds, we need to come together as a society and fight for their future.
“The main concern I have for our future in regards to climate change, is that we will be unable to all reflect and realize the large impact that this is going to have on our environment,” Pierce said. “To a lot of people right now, they are unable to understand climate change because they struggle to see it in their everyday lives. But if we as a society continue the way we are, it is going to become very prevalent in our everyday lives and at that point, the effects will be irreversible.”
If you want to change the future for the better and prevent its destruction, take those smaller actions and apply them to the world around you. Educate yourself, but most importantly, be an active member of your local government. Register to vote, call your elected officials and never forget that your voice matters.