Fact not Fiction: Global warming is an issue we must admit in order to repair
If you didn’t believe in climate change before, 2017 was the year to start.
It included one of the most active hurricane seasons in recorded history. According to NASA, this October was the second warmest on record in the more than 130 years of weather record keeping. Here in Mount Pleasant, residents experienced the worst flooding since the 1980s.
Climate change is real. These are not isolated weather incidents. Each year, more and more evidence supports that our world is changing. Several pages of our paper today are dedicated to exploring these changes in global temperature, severe weather, Great Lakes pollution and Michigan’s changing ecosystem.
Facts should form the basis of our opinions when it comes to important conversations on climate change and global warming. We are providing you with facts from academics who study this science. We hope our coverage inspires you to explore these topics even closer.
This is not a debate, however. We refuse to let baseless opinions be equivalent counter-arguments to established science and research.
While it would be difficult for one average person to make an impact on climate change, it will take a group effort to help stymie the ongoing efforts of global warming.
We understand it’s not easy for college students to radically change their lifestyles, considering their time constraints and budgets.
Several low cost and easy changes could be made to a person’s life to account for their personal carbon-dioxide emissions.
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), a nonprofit international environmental advocacy group, recommends the following for people looking to make a difference on a budget:
Buy energy-efficient bulbs. While it might cost you a few extra cents now, energy-efficient bulbs help to use roughly 80 percent less energy than regular fluorescent bulbs.
Take the bus. If you live close to or on campus, don’t drive your car. Get up a few minutes early and take the bus to your midday class. Not only will this help to marginally cut down on carbon emissions, it’ll save you the headache of trying to find a parking space.
As a newspaper, we deal in facts — not fiction. Scientists are releasing more research every day explaining not just the impact of climate change, but detailing the physical consequences global warming is having on Earth. Likewise, too many special interest groups and political hacks are actively trying to confuse the issue with misinformation and false-equivalency arguments.
The truth has become impossible to ignore: Climate change is real and must be addressed.
Don’t leave this planet in worse shape then you found it. We can be one of the first generations to utilize the knowledge we have about global warming and make a difference.
The change starts with us.
Let’s change the world.
