By Ashley V.
When the BP oil drilling rig Deepwater Horizon exploded, killing 11 people and creating the largest oil spill in history, gushing 4 million barrels of oil, what did we do?1
We worked tirelessly to stop the spill, to prevent the crude oil from choking our waters, from killing our wildlife, our ecosystems, and our livelihoods. How is the climate crisis any different?
We spew 152 million tons of humanmade pollution into our atmosphere every 24 hours, acting as if our atmosphere was an open sewer2. These pollutants include carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, to name a few and these gases are excellent at trapping heat. In fact, our atmosphere is already composed of some of these gases as they trap radiation from the sun, helping keep our planet warm from the cold temperatures of outer space.
The problem lies in the fact that we are openly adding more of these heat-trapping gases – also known as greenhouse gases – into our atmosphere, causing the Earth to heat up. As we blatantly release these gases into the atmosphere, it has led to increased temperatures worldwide. 19 of the 20 hottest years on record have occurred since 2001, the hottest of all being the last five years2.
“Even small changes in the global average temperature can cause major and dangerous shifts in climate and weather. Just consider the difference between 0 and 1 degrees Celsius (or 32 and 33 degrees Fahrenheit) – that one degree means the difference between ice and water.”
CLimate Reality Project
As global temperatures increase, it leads to many issues, such as increases in evaporation, which leads to increases in precipitation, flooding, and stronger storms. This increase in evaporation also leads to more water being drawn out of our soils, creating deeper droughts. Temperature increases naturally lead to increased wildfires, increased food and water shortages, disease spread, and so much more.
Now I know this sounds scary, trust me, I understand. But that is one of the reasons we started this blog to educate people on this issue so we can stand together and work towards a more sustainable future. The more we prepare, plan, and mitigate climate change, the less ourselves, our kids, and grandkids will be impacted.
So, I ask you, how is the Deepwater Horizon oil spill any different? Both have had detrimental effects on the environment, our economy, and so many lives. Just because these gases float away into our atmosphere where we cannot see them, doesn’t mean they are any less harmful. The World Health Organization estimates that 150,000 people die each year from climate change impacts3. Why are we not working harder to reduce pollution and become more sustainable? Many solutions can help without sacrificing the convenience of the life we live in now. This blog will discuss how small changes in our midwestern lifestyle can help to fight climate change.
Actionable Tip:
Please share this blog post on social media or send it to a friend. One of my favorite climate scientists, Katherine Hayhoe, says the number one thing we can do to help fight climate change is to talk about it. Please help us spread the word and start talking about it today with friends, family, and neighbors.
Resources:
1- https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/deepwater-horizon-bp-gulf-mexico-oil-spill
Sustainable Saplings 