environment

Hot Planet/ Cool Athletes

aweltin 7 Comments

While researching information for my blog post, I came across a program created by The North Face called “Hot Planet / Cool Athletes”. They also paired up with sponsors Cliff Bar and MEC to educate middle and high schools about the truth of climate change. They use the influence of pro athletes to energize the youth about the future of our planet if we continue at the same rate we are at. These athletes, many of whom are professional snowboarders and skiers, provide a different perspective of the reality of climate change that they have experienced first hand.

I think this is a great idea to connect with the youth. For many students hearing from a teacher about the effect the human race is having on the world is often not enough to influence and fully educate them. This program brings in professionals who have first hand experience with the changing of snow levels in mountains all across the world in just the last decade. The Hot Planet Cool Athletes program has reached over 27,000 students since it was founded in 2011 by speaking and inspiring the youth in classes and assemblies.

I think that the education of climate change needs to go farther than the classroom. The youth of today is the generation that really needs to step up and change the way that humans live and pollute. With an increasing focus on climate change in schools, the information may become repetitive or still not have a personal impact with students, especially those who live in an urban environment. Field trips should be mandatory that physically display the effects that humans have on the environment. Once the evidence is displayed to students first hand, then maybe the next generation will be motivated and eager to change the world.

The consequences of our actions are here…

jhammond 2 Comments

Global warming has always been a topic that I have felt passionately about. Ever since I was able to recognize that the environment was changing, and not for the better, I have felt strongly about the changing climate, as well as the reasons behind it. In recent years, I would say that I have stayed fairly “in the loop” with climate change topics, including the preventative measures on both the small and large scale. In addition to this, I have also followed some scientists predictions on what could and will happen if we as human beings stay on the same course we are on now with regards to CO2 emissions and air pollution. However, it wasn’t until viewing the Global Weirding is Here website that I truly understood the massive, global, and near future effects that climate change will have on the environment, animals, and even humans.

One of the most shocking initial facts that struck me upon viewing the Global Weirding is Here timeline was that climate change has already affected people across the world on a very large scale. Issues such as increased heavy rainfall in the United States and a rising sea level across the world have already been occurring right in-front of our eyes. Although those issues alone seem fairly large in scale, that is nothing compared to what will come if we don’t do anything. Based on the “Do Nothing” scenario where we as humans continue what we are currently doing we should expect to see rising water and surface temperatures, an increased risk of wildfires, severe drought across the world and mass extinctions of species; all in our lifetimes. The last part, “all in our lifetime” is something that is truly shocking and eye-opening. It is something that should be a wake-up call for all people, regardless of age, regardless of whether this will occur in your lifetime, your children’s lifetime, or even your grandchildren’s lifetime. This stuff is happening and it’s happening fast. It should be our responsibility as humans being to make a difference on this Earth that will benefit people for many years to come.

It’s shocking to think that something such as global warming, which is usually talked about in the future tense (“if we don’t do this, then this will happen”), is already occurring.  Contine reading →