With global warming becoming a major concern, nations around the world are thinking of ways to halt climate change.
What is global warming? According to National Geographic, global warming is the gradual increase of the planet’s overall temperature. This increase correlates with the increase in the human population. Human activity has been labeled as the primary cause of global warming due to the volume of fossil fuels burned. The burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas caused an increase in greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, and has therefore strengthened the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is the process in which the sun’s heat reaches the earth’s atmosphere and gets trapped by greenhouse gases, causing the earth to grow warmer. In simple terms, an increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere causes an increase in the amount of heat absorbed, therefore raising the earth’s temperature.
Climate change has many dangerous effects on our population. It causes sea levels to rise, poses a threat to wildlife, creates dangerous weather storms, decreases our supply of fresh water, introduces agriculture challenges, raises concerns to our physical health, and more. So how can we prevent this? We can use renewable energy!
The District of Columbia has passed the Clean Energy DC Omnibus Amendment Act of 2018, requiring that all of its electricity come from renewable sources. By 2032, the nation’s capital will be powered by electricity that is 100% from wind and solar. Renewable energy sources don’t produce greenhouse gas emissions, so they’re safer for our environment.
According to C40 Cities, cities account for over 75% of primary energy use and face a greater risk to power disruptions linked to climate change. C40 Cities also noted that 90% of all urban areas are on a coast and at risk of flooding from rising sea levels and powerful storms. In the U.S., 70% of cities are already seeing the effects of climate change, confirming that global warming is in fact real and extremely dangerous.
According to NBC Washington, the Clean Energy D.C. Act is expected to cut emissions in half by 2032. By 2041, 10% of the electricity must come from solar facilities located in D.C. or within the area, including parts of Maryland and Virginia. The District of Columbia will be joining a few other states across the nation in the shift toward using renewable energy, ultimately helping stop climate change.
This urgent change in laws in many states in the U.S. and nations across the globe is a result of the United Nations’ scientific panel on climate change. Last year, the United Nations reported that the immediate consequences of climate change would be much worse than initially expected. Therefore, it is important for us as citizens on this earth to fully understand the harm and effect of global warming. In order to save our planet, we have to act now and push for safer ways of using energy.
