For over two centuries, climate change has been an issue that is widely talked about, however, little to no change has been made to stop the increase of this humanitarian crisis. Big factories and most companies run on fossil fuels, which are an affordable and convenient form of energy, but unfortunately, fossil fuels pose an extreme risk to our earth.
Fossil fuel emissions account for more than seventy-five percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. This is not only detrimental to the environment but to all living things. Greenhouse gasses, when released, cause heat from sun rays to become trapped in our atmosphere, acting as a blanket (United Nations). This increases overall temperatures around the globe and can cause abnormal changes to the climate, making areas much hotter. It can also cause some areas to become much colder (United Nations).
The United Nations is an intergovernmental organization that is dedicated to combating global issues and keeping peace throughout all nations (Britannica). Annually, the UN hosts the Climate Control Convention to help tackle this extremely impactful problem on a global scale. This year, the 2023 United Nations Climate Control Convention was held at Expo City Trade Center, Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). They discussed how to implement and adapt to using other sources of energy, rather than the extremely dangerous fossil fuels (United Nations).
By the end of the convention, the organization was able to come up with an agreement on how to proceed with these greenhouse gasses. This would signify the beginning of the end of the fossil fuel era (United Nations). They decided to cut the amount of greenhouse gas emissions allowed. This would help slow down the rate of climate change, but would come with a financial burden for those companies now having to find alternatives for energy (United Nations). Regardless of the financial impact, this was a smart and impactful decision.
Sophomore Emily Dyer says, “Climate change is one of the world’s largest problems and we as humans have the power to change it. Cutting down fossil fuels would help the world step closer to solving the problem of climate change.” Many individuals agree with Emily because of the severity of future consequences if big corporate companies don’t change their ways now.
Ramapo English teacher, Ms. Davanzo states the importance of discussing the matter of climate change as a united force. “The United Nations seems like the ideal group to seek and enact solutions for the escalating climate crisis, as it incorporates input from a number of diverse nations, all of whom will be impacted by the effects of climate change on our planet. There are alternatives to fossil fuels, and since corporations have the financial and personal resources needed to investigate and implement these alternatives, I think, for the good of the planet, it’s not only a good decision, but an essential one.”
The goal of the Climate Convention is to assess the progress that has been made and create new marking points to help achieve the goals outlined in the Paris Agreement of 2015 (United Nations).
According to the United Nations, “Negotiators from nearly 200 countries – in the world’s first ‘global stocktake’ of the Paris Agreement – agreed to ratchet up climate action before the end of the decade, with the overarching aim of keeping global temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.” This new achievable goal seems to be the outline and milestone countries are following to meet their objectives for next year.
Climate change is a severely damaging issue that can lead to animal extinction, droughts, and extreme weather changes causing temperatures to be abnormally cold or warm. Although governments and big corporations seem to be the decision-makers on how we proceed with climate change, you too can make a difference by changing your habits that impact greenhouse gas emissions on a smaller scale.
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