EarthPlex - Climate Platform for Teens

Response to Ozone Depletion vs Response to Global Warming By Mahia Rahman, age 16 First I urge you to compare these two sets of graphs In 1987 ozone levels dropped by 50%, and by the 1990s, scientists warned that by 2050 the ozone layer would collapse entirely. Considering the horrific consequences of ozone depletion, activists, scientists, and lawmakers worldwide proposed solutions. That same year, The United States and other big countries signed the Montreal Protocol, an international environmental treaty aimed at phasing out the production and consumption of substances that deplete the ozone layer by putting forth rules, guidelines, and preventative measures countries should take to slow ozone depletion. In the following years, every single country in the world signed the Montreal Protocol. Every country that signed the Montreal Protocol began phasing out the production and consumption of Ozone-depleting substances (ODSs) like hydrofluorocarbons and Halons. Soon after the Montre...

How the Top 1% Are Making Global Warming Worse By Maya, age 15 Every day we are bombarded with articles about climate change, global warming, and the climate crisis. The truth is climate change is a major issue that threatens our future existence on this planet. While the insinuation, that as a result of our past behaviour, we may not live long enough to see a future isn’t pleasant, it is true and we must acknowledge first if we are to ever reverse our actions in time. We, normal people, are repeatedly told how to decrease our own individual carbon footprints, and while individual habits have formed part of the problem, it is mainly corporate giants and the ultra-rich that are currently the biggest players in the pollution of our planet.  Between 2030 and 2050, a total of 250,000 additional deaths are expected to occur because of climate change, and most of these deaths will happen in developing countries that don’t have the facilities nor the resources to deal with the effects of ...

 Why Global Warming Will Never Demolish By Seungjun Jung, age 19 Record-breaking temperatures flash across screens while sea levels creep up shores and catastrophic natural disasters sweep across continents, all of which seem to exacerbate each year. Global warming has time and time been condemned as the killer of Mother Earth, the news of which has only recently jolted the international community out of its oblivion, intentional or otherwise. According to the UN Secretary-General António Guterres, to achieve net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050,  the world will “need commitments that will deliver a reduction of emissions by 45% by 2030…” While a commendable emulation, the potentiality of this ambition remains dubious in mere eight short years. The money, time, and manpower necessary for the development of renewable energy infrastructures are staggering, and while this may seem like a feasible goal for rich developed countries, it might as well be a crushing sentenc...

  By Ayrek-Robison-Hanchett, 15 Global warming Ever since the Industrial Revolution, the world has been getting worse. For example, the greenhouse effect is causing the ice caps to melt which is causing the oceans to rise! Little things like driving your car to work can make a big difference because if we just act like it doesn't exist, then sooner or later, we won't have an earth to call home. Problems with the water, but why? The use of CO2 (carbon dioxide) has made the greenhouse effect worse, and with the heat in the air, the temperatures start to rise, meaning that the ice caps are slowly melting; for instance, NASA has found that the oceans are slowly rising 8 inches every ten years and are only getting worse.  Cities close to the sea like New York City, New York, and Jacksonville, Florida are in the most danger! What's with all the storms? With the earth warming, there has been an increase in evaporation. Because of this, the perfect conditions for hurricanes have ...

"How We Fix the Climate" According to World-Famous Authors John Green and Hank Green are well-known authors, entrepreneurs, and YouTubers. Following a recent climate report from the United Nations , the two brothers made a video about how to fight climate change. I found this video incredibly informative and inspiring, and I believe everyone should watch it. The video lists a few ways to lower your negative impact on the environment, the most important being to inform yourself on policies. Any EarthPlex reader knows that being informed can help people to make more educated and wiser decisions. A few minutes into the video, there's a chart that breaks down what is contributing to greenhouse gas emissions . This alone is enough information to make you more educated about climate change than 99% of the public, but the video contains plenty more information.  For example, the video explores solutions to climate change, such as carbon pricing. These solutions are explained in ...

How We're Solving Climate Change Wrong Nuseir Yassin is an Israeli-American digital creator. He publishes videos to social media platforms under the name Nas Daily , covering incredible people and important issues. A popular video on his YouTube channel  tells a story of when he went to McDonald's. An employee informed him that they didn't have plastic straws, a sensible move that companies have taken to better their impacts on the environment. However, Nuseir noticed that he was drinking from a plastic cup, and the utensils were plastic. Additionally, McDonald's serves meat, which is terrible for the environment, begging the question, "Why does McDonald's care about straws, but not cups, utensils, or the food they serve. What is selective empathy? This post isn't about McDonald's. It's about selective empathy, something we are all guilty of. Here's an example of selective empathy: people feel sad when a celebrity dies tragically but not when th...

Reminder: Wildfires Damage the Economy Last September, we released a post about wildfires and their effect on the economy. As the 2021 wildfire season heads toward its climax, it's important to restate how wildfires don't just fuel climate change, they result in job loss, and they wreck industries.  Similar post:  Climate Emergency: Wildfires Basically, these wildfires are getting worse because of climate change. California - a state with a lot of wildfires - has a massive tourism industry, but fewer people will want to travel there during wildfire season. That could destroy small businesses that rely on tourism for revenue.  Wildfires pose a major threat to wildlife and humans, so we must do whatever we can to prevent them. (Controlled wildfires - which are natural - could be beneficial in preventing massive wildfires) As I wrote last September, "My heart goes out to the people who have been hurt or threatened by wildfires. You are experiencing the effects of climate cha...

  The Environmental Impact of Space Travel Tomorrow will be a historic day, as a Blue Origin mission will taken off into space. The crew contains Jeff Bezos and his brother, along with the oldest and youngest people to ever visit space. Jeff Bezos has voiced his concerns about climate change, but how does space travel impact the planet? Fuel Rocket fuel is harmful to the environment, and it worsens climate change . Because rocket launches are relatively rare, they aren't a major contributor to global warming, but if they were more prevalent, they could pose a serious threat. Resources The production of space ships requires a lot of materials and resources. Newer rockets are reusable, which is much more efficient, as fewer resources will be wasted.  The Good As time passes, batteries technology will become more efficient, possibly allowing for electric space ships. Also, space travel could allow us to gather resources from asteroids and other celestial bodies which protects Ear...

  Reacting to NatGeo's Climate Change Explanation National Geographic (NatGeo) contains incredible information about our planet and climate change, and EarthPlex named it one of the best resources to learn about the environment . I found a video on their YouTube channel from 2015 and decided to share my thoughts. The video is titled "Climate Change: It’s Real. It’s Serious. And it’s up to us to Solve it."  The video begins by stating the current and future effects of climate change such as draughts and flooding. Extreme conditions caused by climate change will displace millions of people. Most of the video discusses what humans can do to solve climate change. NatGeo brought up some creative solutions that have already been applied, such as a building with an exterior that can break down air pollutants and tiles that turn people's steps into energy.  The video explains that we can all work together to stop the climate crisis, and humans can use their creativity to chan...

  Exxon Lobbyist Admits to Fighting Against Climate Science Recently, two ExxonMobil lobbyists were duped into revealing unsettling information about the company's tactics to prevent climate change legislation, fight climate science, and make the company seem "green." Greenpeace orchestrated the interviews with these lobbyists. When asked about ExxonMobil's support of a carbon tax, one lobbyist commented that it gives Exxon Mobil a "talking point" to say that they're for a carbon tax. The lobbyist also admitted that a carbon tax will never happen. REVEALED: How Exxon held back climate action for decades, and is still doing it today. We went undercover with Exxon’s lobbyists to expose the truth. Watch and share. pic.twitter.com/yICeai1Sop — Unearthed (@UE) June 30, 2021 The Exxon lobbyists also described their relationships with political figures in order to prevent climate policies from passing Congress. Watch the interviews to learn more about Exxon...

Can Innovation Prevent Climate Change? John Kerry, the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, said that 50% of emission cuts will come from technologies that have not yet been invented. This statement caused controversy, as cutting emissions is urgent and necessary. Is John Kerry correct, and is innovation truly necessary to cut emissions?  Is Kerry correct? It is impossible to know if John Kerry's statement will turn out to be true. However, he was trying to make a point: innovation is necessary in order to lower emissions. He believes that society will invent machines that increase technology's efficiency and devices that can help the planet, but is this likely to happen?  Do we need to innovate? Emissions cannot be lowered without innovation, primarily from the private sector. In the last couple of decades, innovations such as electric cars and plant-based meat alternatives that taste nearly indistinguishable from real meat have changed our world. Many methods of slowing...

 Why You Shouldn't Feel Climate Anxiety Teens have more anxiety these days than ever before. This is likely due to internet usage and social media . A relatively new type of anxiety has emerged in recent years: climate anxiety. However, this is not something young people should feel, and we will explore why.  What is climate anxiety? Climate anxiety is a type of anxiety related to the climate crisis. It is a concern that the world is going to end or that climate change will have massive effects on the planet. Because climate change is covered a lot on the news and is a topic of interest among young people, this anxiety is fairly common.   Why it is unnecessary If you feel this anxiety, it is important to realize that stressing out about climate change will not alleviate the threat. Climate change will undoubtedly cause changes in society, but humans are adaptive creatures. We can build structures that can withstand disasters like earthquakes and tornados, and we wil...

Facts You Must Know About Solar By Enrique from Solar NRG Since 2009, the cost of installing solar panels has dropped by a whopping 70 percent prompting more companies and individuals to switch to renewable energy. That’s an important figure to consider if you are deciding whether or not you can afford to have solar panels installed in your home. You’d be interested to know that a house with solar panels sells 4.1 percent higher than homes without. These and other fast facts would help you weigh the pros and cons of switching to solar power. The world needs to rethink its relationship with non-renewable sources of energy. Businesses and industries are gradually realizing the benefits of partially sourcing power from renewable sources. Forward-looking homeowners are seeing the cost-reduction and long-term benefits of investing in a photovoltaic installation. This infographic shows that solar panels reduce electricity cost by Php 2.50 per kWh! Check out this enlightening infographic, and...

Climate Change: Economic or Social Issue? ⏱Read time: 2 minutes Climate change is one of the most important issues amongst Americans, especially to young citizens. The environment is one of the many key issues that people care about; other issues include welfare, racism, and healthcare. Most issues fall under one of two categories: social or economic. We will define economic issues as the issues that affect our economy and the wealth of a society. Economic issues include taxes and wealth inequality. Social issues are harder to explain. We will define them as issues that affect people in a civilization, such as racism and gender equality. Is climate change an economic issue? Climate change is an economic issue if it affects the economy, and it does. One way that the effects of climate change could devastate economies is through natural disasters. While climate change doesn't necessarily cause an increase in the number of natural disasters, it exacerbates them. Wildfires  and hurrica...

What's Wrong With the Texas Power Grid? ⏱Read time: 1 minute Millions of Texans lost power recently because of cold temperatures, and thousands of people remain without power, according to poweroutage.us . This is certainly an emergency, but there has been confusion over what caused this. One side says that natural gas pipes froze while others put the blame on frozen wind turbines. So, which is causing Texans to lose power? It might be both. According to The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), most of Texas's energy comes from sources such as natural gas and coal. Newsweek and Statistica claim that about 23% of Texas's energy comes from wind, and wind turbines did freeze. Newsweek's article about the Texas power grid  goes more in-depth about the freezing of wind turbines. The problem with Texas's power isn't due to a specific resource but a lack of preparation. Texas rarely gets temperatures this cold, so they weren't prepared. In the future, Te...

Greta Thunberg's Perfect Tweet Destroys Donald Trump ⏱ Read time: 1.5-2 minutes Joe Biden became the President of the United States on January 20. That was a crazy day, and not just because of Bernie Sanders's flashy outfit, but also due to a Tweet that Greta Thunberg shared getting complete revenge on President Trump. The Tweet said, "He seems like a very happy old man looking forward to a bright and wonderful future. So nice to see!" He seems like a very happy old man looking forward to a bright and wonderful future. So nice to see! pic.twitter.com/G8gObLhsz9 — Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) January 20, 2021 In order to understand Thunberg's message, we need to look at the context. Donald Trump has a history of mocking Greta Thunberg on Twitter. In 2019, Donald Trump tweeted, "She seems like a very happy young girl looking forward to a bright and wonderful future. So nice to see!" Greta Thunberg's recent Tweet uses Trump's words against him.  ...

  An Interview with Tessa Augsberger, a High School Student Connecting Climate Leaders  ⏱6.5 minute read There are many young  leaders  changing our planet, and they live across the globe. A high school student named Tessa Augsberger founded Global Youth Climate Database (GYCD) , "a network that connects youth leaders in the climate change movement to organize action through communication and mutual support." I had the opportunity to interview Tessa. She discussed her extracurricular involvement and her mission of connecting young leaders and activists. What was your purpose in founding GYCD, and what is the mission of the organization? I founded GYCD [Global Youth Climate Database] to elevate the voices of youth leading the fight against climate change. Living in Los Angeles, I have seen some of the effects—and causes—of climate change firsthand. For example, school is never canceled for snow days. We have “fire days,” instead. In recent years, the intensity and dur...

The Climate Action Necessary for 2021 ⏱2-2.5 minute read 2020 was an insane year. In terms of climate action, a lot was accomplished, but there were many setbacks as well. I recommend reading our post about the climate change news of 2020 . It outlines the progress and what still needs to be done as of the end of last year. This New Year's Day calls for a celebration; 2020 is over, but we must look ahead and continue to fight for change. One of last year's greatest problems was wildfires. We must educate ourselves on the causes of these devastating flames. Don't be afraid to write to your elected officials if you believe an issue such as forest fires needs attention.  Recommended:  Climate Emergency: Wildfires 2020 will go down as the year of Covid-19, and 2021 could as well. Even though emissions fell in 2020, that was largely in part due to an economic recession. We must understand that most years aren't like 2020. In the future, we cannot rely on recessions to reduce...

  The Climate Change News of 2020 | Earth Rewind ⏱2.5 minute read 2020 was a crazy year; life changed as we know it, and the world will forever be altered. Even though the coronavirus pandemic took over the news, the climate change threat has grown. This post will highlight the challenges and the progress from this year.  Wildfires 2020 began with a bang. The 2020 Australian wildfires were one of the first omens that this would be a bad year. Australia experienced unprecedented fires that ravaged parts of the beautiful country. Later in the year, another season of California wildfires began. They seem to worsen each year. The forest fires displaced citizens and weakened our economy, with a lot more damage in store. These wildfires are caused by global warming and a lack of forest management. For you: Climate Emergency: Wildfires  Reduced Emissions 2020 brought a nasty recession which caused millions of people to lose their jobs. Because industry slowed, emissions did as w...

 Debunked: If Climate Change Is Real, Why is it Snowing? ⏱ 1-1.5 minute read Winter is upon us, and it's a climate denier's favorite time of year. Climate deniers have used winter and snow as a way to "prove" that climate change is not a concern. Just watch this clip of Oklahoma Senator Jim Inhofe bringing a snowball to the Senate floor to make a point. I wish climate change wasn't something to be concerned about, but the science shows that climate change is real, and it isn't appropriate for politicians to go against the scientists and experts. Unless you live by the equator, you have probably experienced winter, a cold season that often brings snow. So, how can climate change exist if it's super cold outside? Well, two words are very important to know: weather and climate. Weather is described as the changes in our atmosphere in the short  term, while climate is the changes in our atmosphere over a long  period.  A freezing day is the weather, but the te...