Wake The F*ck Up: A Commentary On Climate Change
The other day I went to the park. The breeze swayed through the trees and the sun danced vividly on the river. I walked around the park with only jeans and a tank top on since the temperature was in the high seventies. I noticed that there wasn’t an open spot on the grass for me to lay. People had come out of hibernation to soak up the bliss that the sun gives. Though the fresh air was refreshing and the sun replenished me today, I should not have gone to the park, as it is only the end of February.
Just like I should not have gone to the park, people in Southern California should not have broken out their shovels. Regions near Los Angeles, California have been under a severe blizzard watch, the first one since 1989. Down in the Southeast of Texas winter weather has also struck them with an ice storm which the state is not prepared for. When Punxsutawney Phil said six more weeks of winter, I think he should’ve made clarification on where it would hit. Though headlines are calling these events “historic” I believe our generation has lived through too many “historic events” that prove to be the start of chaos.
A fight that I have grown up watching and advocating for, the climate crisis is more aware to me now more than ever. I cannot think of a single year where I did not turn on the news just to hear about a weather tragedy or simply a story about recent weather patterns around the world that didn’t rack my brain. If you can’t say the same nor do you find the recent temperature change concerning, I would say you’re part of the problem. Which is something I will never understand, how can humans be okay with causing their own harm? I’ve seem to notice that the human population brushes the fact that the earth is dying to the side. I suppose they don’t understand that climate change is also impacting their health, not just our mothers. With heat being a deadly weather situation I would pay attention to the fact that the global temperature gets hotter and hotter every year. As we’ve noticed with a stronger and different hurricane each year, cities' populations have been cut in half. That much water and flooding can lead to chemical hazards and our bodies can be introduced to waterborne diseases. If that’s a concern to you I would take note that sea levels are rising. Oh, and did you really think that the smoke in air people were inhaling with wildfires did them any good? I hope that I have your attention now.
I understand that heatwaves, hurricanes, winter storms, and fires happen. I just know that they shouldn’t be happening this often. I advise everyone to look into ways you can reduce your carbon footprint, you can go to www.tradewater.us to calculate what needs to be done in your lifestyle to help. Personally, I like looking at the Earth and seeing all of her beauty, I would just really hate to watch her go down in flames.
Strike Out,
Written by: Alicia De Lise
Edited by: Jane Dodge
Graphic by: Abby Randolph
