Recent climate changes, also known as global warming, indicate that average increases in temperature around the world are happening because of the carbon dioxide that’s increasingly emitted into the atmosphere. No matter where you live, climate change is going to affect you directly. Therefore, it should concern you no matter who you are. Because there are potentially dire consequences as a result of climate change, we need to begin to discuss this problem and take action now before it’s too late, and so that others can follow our example. These changes have to be made now so that future and even more catastrophic changes don’t happen.

Research shows that heat is trapped in the atmosphere from this emission of carbon dioxide. Extra heat is also produced from deforestation. All of these things indirectly come from use and over consumption of fossil fuels and natural resources, which means this continual “excess heat” is going to be building up and causing even more climate change than a sorry happening. Even though it’s already begun, doing a few simple things can control this climate change.

Climate changes will change the rate of growth for plants and flowers, affect the population sizes of plants and animals, deteriorate glaciers, raise ocean levels, and continue to change weather patterns. Human activity is causing the increase in temperature, and human activity can slow the rate of climate change.

If this is allowed to continue, animal and plant species will dwindle and eventually may become extinct. And lest you think this will not affect you as a human, think again. Because every living thing depends on everything else, we alter our food chains and destroy species. Animals themselves already don’t have food to eat such that they’re becoming extinct, and our own food source will be in danger as a result.

Weather patterns will only become more intense, even though we have already begun to see this activity, thus resulting in even more deaths and destruction. Economies, too, will be negatively affected by climate change. Intense storms, for example, could destroy plant food sources like coffee beans or wheat, which in turn is of course going to increase food prices at the grocery store. Besides economic changes to the negative, death itself will also increase among people because of catastrophic weather like tsunami occurrences, major storms, and more hurricane activity.

Carbon dioxide is increasingly becoming a problem because as industries pollute, more carbon dioxide is put into the air. Cars, too, contribute to this; to that end, regulations are being put in place or tightened to try to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emissions allowed in these instances. Climate change can be slowed or even reversed if carbon dioxide emissions would decrease by just 3% every year.

However, everyone can help to slow global warming. Some simple things you can do include planting a tree, recycling, weatherizing your house so that it’s more efficient (and so that you use less energy and therefore cut down on carbon dioxide emissions), replacing old appliances with more efficient ones, and so on. You can also eliminate plastic, carpool to work, take the bus, etc. And of course, you will need to teach your children how to reduce energy consumption and pollution in this way as well. Children need to learn the importance of the environment to us and our continued survival so that they and their children can continue to enjoy their lives.

At present, climate change is becoming an increasing problem that is only going to get worse as time goes on unless something is done. What we decide to do today will either positively or negatively impact our future. If we reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and begin to reduce our carbon dioxide emissions, we can begin to return the Earth to its natural balance of oxygen and help reduce the “blanket” of carbon dioxide currently covering the planet like a blanket, not letting it “breathe.” We can start small today by making personal changes like those described above, so that our planet will be around for future generations. These climate changes have already impacted our present, but they need not necessarily impact our future negatively. We can all do our own part in reducing and perhaps even eventually reversing the damage that has already been done. However, we must work fast, because time is of the essence and is not something we have in abundance. The time to act is now.

About the author: Jerry Dyess has been specializing in the Texas Energy market segment for the past 7 years. He has published many articles on Texas Power prices.