The Growing Threat of Climate Change: Impact on Society and Urgent Solutions

Rising Waters, Lost Homes

Climate change has been affecting society, especially nowadays. Humans have been affected by climate change in recent years, and many things have happened to communities and society. New things are happening, and hopefully, the new generations can help solve and stop climate change. People have been affected by changes in the weather and have been worrying more about their health. Many home and army bases are being destroyed.

Changes in weather have been a huge part of society’s worries; changes are drastic and so severe that some states and places in the world can’t handle them. Some places along the northern and midwestern regions show that spring may be arriving sooner; hot weather is happening more and more often. UCSUSA states, “Dangerously hot weather is occurring more frequently than it did 60 years ago.” The heat may be increasing by dangerous amounts that may result in catastrophic events for many places, especially the Arctic area. In places such as California, wildfires are occurring more often, too. As a result of having many wildfires, the air quality lessens. If wildfires keep on happening, the air will be contaminated with harmful chemicals. These chemicals can lead to sickness and more contamination; these hugely affect people, and kids with asthma could be in grave danger.

Homes are also being destroyed as a result of climate change. The main thing is flooding and fires. Flooding has caused many places to be evacuated, and homes have to be left behind to be destroyed. Forest fires have also burned down not only homes but entire communities. Many people and families have been left homeless, and they have to start over again. Families have to leave their homes behind because sometimes the conditions may be too brutal to return to. Global Change says that “…communities that live by the water, sea level rise, combined with coastal storm increase the risk of erosion and storm surges.” Places near waters

Where they are a danger to communities and are no longer safe to live in. people have lost their lives because of flooding, and some have moved out of where they used to live.

Health & Defense Risks

Health concerns are being cared about more; wildfires make the air quality worse, which can create sicknesses. If there is more heat in places or “summer time,” that creates plants to reproduce, and while that happens, pollen is being spread, which may extend allergy season to a certain extent, which can then endanger the lives of certain people. Also, in some places, temperatures are dropping rapidly; for example, in the city of Chicago, on January 30, 2019, the temperature dropped to more than twenty degrees below zero. Most places had to be shut down because of the severe weather, and many homeless people were given shelter, but the ones that weren’t most likely got sick from either hypothermia, frostbite, or phenomena. There hasn’t been a temperature drop that low since “January 20, 1985…the record was fifteen to sixteen below zero,” says CBS Chicago. The record was clearly beaten, but it shows how climate change is getting stronger and stronger.

Finally, Army bases are at risk; if the sea level keeps on rising at a certain rate, most bases of the U.S. Army will flood. If bases are flooded, military workers will be forced to evacuate because of the hazardous conditions. So, if bases are abandoned, then there are areas left unprotected, which are pinpoint areas for enemies. If the dangerous flooding does not stop soon, various military bases will be left unattended, which creates a threat to the U.S.

In conclusion, the dangers of climate change are increasing more rapidly each day. Human civilization is the greatest factor being affected by the dangers of climate change. No one is safe from climate change until we stop and think about what we can do to help our earth. We must do what we can to help protect ourselves and others. From weather to health concerns and homes to military bases, people all over the world are being affected by one big thing called Climate change.

References:

1. UCSUSA. Global warming increases the frequency of dangerously hot days. Union of Concerned Scientists.
2. Global Change. Sea level rise impacts on coastal communities.
3. CBS Chicago. (2019, January 31). Chicago’s historic cold snap breaks record for the coldest temperature ever recorded.