Climate Change

How Did We Get Here?

For the past 200 years, many nations have experienced exponentially increasing levels of wealth at unprecedented rates thanks to the burning of fossil fuels. As oil, coal and natural gas made their way into every strata of human life, from our agricultural systems, to our transportation sector, their harmful side effects are becoming increasingly clear. In the mid 1970s, scientists began noticing a growing warming trend in our atmosphere which surprisingly coincided with the concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere. Since then, more and more scientists have joined the ranks of people calling for a phasing out of the use of fossil fuels. Even though their message was a pretty clear one, (“Find and adopt alternatives, or say goodbye to a stable climate”) their call failed to get heard, mostly due to the staunch opposition of coal and oil front groups attempting to squeeze all the profits they could get from these harmful natural resources. After thirty years since the first climate change alarm rang, people are finally starting to pay attention, but change isn’t happening fast enough. Most scientists believe that if we don’t cut greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2050 all the problems associated with climate change, from increasing droughts, expansion of tropical diseases, increasing floods, (deleted water wars) and much more will become unstoppable.

Where We Are Now

  • As you are reading this, people of the islands of Tuvalu are emigrating to New Zealand because their island is shrinking faster than predicted, communities in the Andes in South America are seeing less than normal glacial melting which has provided them with fresh drinking water for generations, former residents of New Orleans are still living in temporary housing units, and people throughout the world, from Chechnya to Nigeria, Iraq to Burma, are fighting to reclaim their lands from the voracious hands of oil and mineral extraction companies.
  • The United States yet has to sign any international or federal policy on climate change, including the Kyoto Protocol.
  • States are taking the lead, with 29 states adopting Renewable Portfolio Standards, and many involved in regional carbon trading and greenhouse gas emission reduction agreements.
  • Oil companies are making record profits, while people throughout the United States are facing a recession and paying record prices at the pump.
  • There are over 150 new coal power plants planned to be built in the United States. A single one of these would emit more carbon dioxide than what would be reduced from California’s ‘controversial’ tailpipe emission standards.
  • Asthma, autism and lung disease rates are rapidly increasing and closely tied to the burning of fossil fuels, especially coal which is responsible for most of the anthropogenic mercury in our environment.

Why students have an important role to play

  • You and upcoming generations are the ones that will bare the brunt of climate change impacts, while the people that contributed most to causing the problems will most likely not.
  • Climate change is an immensely multidisciplinary issue. Wars are fought over oil and rapidly decreasing water supplies, strategies that reduce energy use often result in increased performance at schools, and fossil-fuel-free agriculture doesn’t contribute to the decline of fisheries. Everything from establishing a more stable world to increasing the effectiveness of our schools is inextricably tied to finding and implementing solutions to climate change.
  • Students have the opportunity to have a powerful voice in shaping US policy towards climate change. The youth electorate is no longer dismissed as apathetic or unimportant—politicians realize the significance of young voters and listen to their concerns.

Get Involved: Be instrumental in emissions reduction in your school, community, state and nation!

Here are some ideas. If you need training, funding, or any help implementing any of these campaigns, email us.

  • Campus Climate Challenge: Demand that your university sign on the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment and take effective steps to reduce its emissions. Ask for Green Jobs training programs, learn about and execute energy audits and train your peers about becoming more sustainable in their life.
  • Join the movement: Our elected representatives and corporations won’t change their ways until the people unite and demand a more sustainable society. Join or start movements like We Can Solve It, Focus the Nation, and 1sky that are working to unite for change. Look out for action alerts from Al Gore’s new project ‘We can solve it!’
  • Educate yourself: There is too much disinformation out there, from the Americans for Balanced Energy Choices lauding ‘Clean Coal’, to the hype about running our cars on food products. The most important thing you can do is stay informed, sign up for the Daily Grist, read blogs like Climate Progress, and attend local Green Drinks events.

Tell us your story

Has your life been affected by an unusual weather event? Is someone in your family or close circle of friends suffering from ailments caused by air pollution? Do you feel the impacts of our fossil fuel addiction in your community? Are you organizing against the climate change on your campus?

Share your stories on our website. Check out our contributor page for tips on how to pitch your story or write about it by starting a Campus Progress blog. Also, if you’re putting on events or campaigns in your community, we want to help tell your story on campus and in the media. Contact us for help with press and media outreach, and we might even feature you in the student profile section of our activist newsletter!

Resources