Let the Scientists Be Heard

Earth is in trouble. Our home, the planet on which we live, is being destroyed by pollution and other forms of human-caused damage. We only have a few years to make a difference before it is too late—and that's not an exaggeration.

The science is clear. Earth is a living, breathing organism—a miraculous one at that. But for the past few centuries, we've been polluting it to an extreme degree. We've been destroying the environment and making it uninhabitable and unhealthy for billions of people. Scientists are saying that if we don't change our ways immediately, we're going to ruin Earth beyond repair in just 3-5 years.

At this point, you've probably heard about the effects human activity is having on the planet. It goes without saying that climate change is real, it's happening now, and it's largely a result of human activity. People are afraid of the truth because it's hard, but now it's time to face reality: this is a very serious problem, and they're happening right now.

Climate change is a scary monster. It's wreaking havoc all over the world, and it's only getting worse as we continue to release greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere. The scariest thing about climate change is that we have no idea how long we have before it's too late to reverse its effects. Five years? Ten years? Fifty years? We don't know. And that uncertainty terrifies us. What if we wait too long? What if, in ten years, the damage is so bad that even our most dramatic efforts aren't enough to save us?

But because of the protest of the scientists all around the world, we now know how close to the edge we really are. If we don't reduce our carbon emissions significantly within 3-5 years, scientists say it will be too late to slow down global warming. We know this information can seem overwhelming and hopeless. But there's good news too: We can still fix it—not tomorrow, but right now.

We're truly scared for our future and for the future of our planet. But at the same time, we should believe in humanity's ability to adapt, change, and evolve.

Think about your day-to-day activities—what little changes could you make right now? Maybe instead of driving to work every day, you walk or bike some days. Or when you're shopping for groceries, maybe you buy produce that's locally grown instead of shipped from across the country—or even across the world. Through simple actions like recycling, installing solar panels, and driving more fuel-efficient cars, we can start to reverse our impact on the earth.

The first step is awareness. What you do after that is up to you! There is still time to reverse the damage done by our reliance on fossil fuels, but we must act quickly. In order to make a difference, we need your help. Spread this message far and wide; let everyone you know that the time for change is now.

Let me be clear: if we don't change our ways, the planet will die. And knowing this, I've been consistently stunned by how many people I see who seem to care more about economics than our own survival!

And while it sucks that it's come to this, I've also found that I have a powerful tool at my disposal: the scientists. They are on our side! And they're willing to say what needs to be said in order to get us all moving in the right direction.

We need them—and they need us!—to make sure their voices are heard above all the noise and distractions that seem so much more compelling than the future of our planet.

If you're reading this, you probably care about the environment. If you care about your children, your grandchildren, and future generations, please take the time to understand where we are right now. It's not too late! You can be part of the solution. You can still build a better world for everybody to live in. All you have to do is make small changes in your life right now so that earth can breathe again.

All photos including the lead image are from Unsplash.

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