The issue of climate change has been a topic of interest for a long time in the eye of the public. It has been viewed in a multitude of ways from the belief that it is a tremendous issue that will impact the entire planet unless something is done, to the belief that it is mere myth. There are many angles and approaches to the issue of climate change that have to be addressed. In this blog I aim to disregard the stigmas and two sided polarization created by the media and politics, and rather look only at data and studies in order to get to the heart of this civilly minded issue and open discussion.
How can we be certain that climate change is even a prevalent issue? Looking at the raw data from NASA shows that carbon dioxide levels are the highest they have been in 650,000 years, 
nine of the ten warmest summers recorded have been documented since 2000, and the land ice loss each year has doubled in a short time from 1996 to 2005. These trends seem to be continuing and draw the question of what is causing them.
The main claim that is being made for this data is that it is somehow the result of human interaction with the environment. Humans have obviously had a large impact on the earth in various ways, such as enacting large expansive cities and exploiting the environment for our own gain. Is it possible that in our attempt to simplify and improve our lives, we somehow are hurting the earth in the process? Recent research and studies have been conducted in order to answer this question and have pointed towards the result that humans are one of the leading causes of the increasing change in climate.
1985
Have the average temperature of the earth merely increased a couple degrees, or are there other implications? Although the data about climate change doesn’t seem monumental, it can have an exponential effect on our planet as a whole. Even small changes can destroy ecosystems and alter the very landscape of areas. This change can clearly be seen in maps creating that display the temperature anomaly from thirty years ago compared to today. Experts estimate that the temperature increase will only increase over time if the current rate remains constant.
2015
We can clearly see from studies and research that something is happening and it could have drastic implications for us in the future. It has sparked the green revolution, alternative resources, and numerous other calls to action in order to fix the problems that we have started.
Our actions, and almost more importantly our inactions, display an image of the values and priorities that we share as a society. There are many people who actively fight climate change in every small way they can, yet there are others who believe that what they do will not have any significant impact on the world around them. Why is it that there is this disparity between people regarding a very prominent civic issue? I intend to explore this throughout this blog in a means to understand society’s outlook upon this issue as a whole.
In this blog I will analyze the evolution of the views and actions towards climate change in order to better understand how we got to our current position, while addressing our current efforts and models. We will look at various movements and efforts that attempt to better the condition of climate change while looking at their more far reaching implications about what we care about most.
If we as humans can’t currently find it in ourselves to think in long term, then what will eventually spark our desire to stop living as we do in our current lives? What will be the breaking point that completely shifts our way of thinking and viewpoint into one that sees climate change as a concrete and serious issue? If we don’t act now, it may require fear evoking event to open the eyes of the entire public. How many natural disasters at the hand of human tampering with the climate will it take for all people to see the magnitude of the issue at hand?
Of course, saying that we need to fix an issue and dealing with the issue are two very different things, which is why climate change is such a controversial issue. There are always many sides and aspects to consider in a civic issue such as this, which we will continue to explore throughout the course of this blog.
http://e360.yale.edu/feature/how_can_we_make_people_care_about_climate_change/2892/
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/WorldOfChange/decadaltemp.php
http://climate.nasa.gov
https://climatechange.mit.edu/climate-change-research-resources
Tyler,
AHHH! Another climate change blog!? It’s my lucky day, aha. I’m definitely interested in what you cover versus Caitlin. It would be even more interesting if you and Caitlin had the same general topic one day to be able to compare how you both looked at it and what facts you both bring to the table. It’s quite amazing how our world is willing to consistently take from this planet without giving back, and what we do give back is not enough. We’re killing this planet quicker than it should be. Sure, global warming is part of a pattern in history but we’re accelerating it to a point beyond dangerous. We’re making this situation disastrous. Even if we survive all the horrible things that we do to this planet other species may not. Humans are solely responsible for too many species of animals and this quickened global warming will only make that number of extinctions rise. Now is the time to change things and discuss what we can do. I can’t wait to see what you have in store for us.
Hello Tyler!
I can’t wait to read more about this topic. I’ve gotten into plenty of arguments with plenty of people about global warming, the human impact on global warming, and the impact global warming can have on ecosystems worldwide. I like that you’re cutting through other people’s opinions on the issues and going straight for the facts, and I wish more people had that attitude. Two of the favorite arguments in the arsenal of those who deny our impact on the warming of the earth is that the temperature has only risen a few degrees in the past few decade, and that the earth regularly goes through heating and cooling cycles. While these both may be true at face value, they miss the point. Human activity undoubtedly is accelerating this next heating cycle of the earth, and anything we can do to slow it down we should be doing. Additionally, while we versatile humans can withstand a few extra degrees, like you stated in your post, more delicate ecosystems will be destroyed by even this minimal temperature change.
Looking forward to the rest of your posts and learning more about climate change!
Hey Tyler!
Great job introducing your topic! We are both doing blogs on climate change, so I’m interested to see how our blog topics will overlap. I plan to do mine more on sustainability, and the things normal people can do to help, while you seem to focusing on climate change as a whole.
I like that you don’t plan to focus on the medias views on any of this. I’ve noticed that global warming tends to become more of a political issue then a societal or worldwide issue, and is often pushed to the side as something that is not as pressing. However, we both know that this is an inaccuracy. By just focusing on the facts, you go straight to the heart of the issues and will prove your points very well.
I am also interested to hear about how you believe humans have impacted the earth by trying to make our lives easier. This is something I plan to talk about a lot in my blog, so it will be interesting to hear your opinions on it as well.
Overall, great job on this post, I look forward to reading this!