The week of March 10 was one of the warmest weeks Fairfield County has seen in months. While the week was towards the end of winter, temperatures reached highs of 70 degrees Fahrenheit; quite uncommon for a typically frigid season. Normally, a nice, warm day within the cold, frigid winter is something to look forward to. However, when weeks go by with moderate to nice temperatures and significantly more rain than snow, concerns rise very quickly. The warmer days may be enjoyable, but there is an underlying dread that it’s a harbinger of climate change.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, this year’s January and February have been the hottest they have ever been on record in North and South America, and have globally been warmer than in any other January or February. However, this is not a new issue as 2023 was the warmest year ever recorded in modern history, with it being 1.4 degrees Celsius higher than in the pre-industrial era. During the 2015 Climate Accords, 194 countries agreed to not cross over a threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius warmer than before the industrial era, or there could be significant damage to our planet.
The warming of our planet not only has severe ramifications for animal populations, but for all of humanity. Things such as food supply may be negatively impacted by the warming of our planet, potentially leading to hunger and famine. The heat can bring droughts in drier and already warmer parts of the globe, leaving millions without water supply.
Most of these issues can be attributed to the burning of fossil fuels. Coal, oil and gas contribute to 75% of greenhouse gas emissions and almost 90% of all carbon dioxide emissions, according to the United Nations.
While I enjoy warmer weather, there is a time and place for it, that being summer. From what I have seen, the quick and unsteady temperature changes during winter have also caused a lot of sickness around Staples, as many of my peers and teachers have been out for significant amounts of time. I, for one, got pretty sick due to the changes in temperature and allergies from the pollen that bloomed quicker than ever this year. We are seeing the effects of climate change rapidly right in front of us and yet, not much is being done.
In order to combat the climate crisis, we cannot rely simply on governments and world leaders. While they do in fact control the overall way the nation burns energy, we cannot rely on them for everything – we need to do our part. There are many effective ways to do our part, such as turning your lights out when you leave the house, buying secondhand clothes instead of relying on fast fashion, putting solar in your home and much more. In order to save us all, we all need to do our own parts to help save our planet.
