Sometimes it is easy to get lost in oneself, one community, one state, or one country. But it is of utmost importance, as humanity faces one of the great challenges we have ever encountered, that we think of our world as one planet -- one home. When we think of climate change, we have to keep in mind that all the different systems on our planet are interconnected. No man is an island. The changes we make on land will affect the ocean. The changes we make in one place (not only a physical place, but also a place in time), will have consequences somewhere else. The reason why climate change science is such a complex one is not only do we need to understand the individual components of climate change, but also all the interactions between the different systems. Although much research is still needed, one thing is known with strong scientific consensus – the climate change we are observing is a result of anthropogenic causes.
The choices that we make on an individual level, as well as a societal level, can make a difference in curbing the effects of climate change. There are many unknowns to the different variables of the heating and cooling of our planet, but we do know the effect that carbon dioxide has when it is present in excess amounts of our atmosphere. It causes an overall increase in the mean average temperature of our planet, leading to extreme weather. We need to make sustainable choices to make sure we protect our planet for generations to come. We need to decrease our carbon emissions. These sustainable choices need to lead to an overall sustainable way of living. The idea of sustainability needs to permeate all aspects of our lives, from basics like food and shelter, to transportation and alternative sources of energy. It cannot be a destination we are striving for – it is a not sustainable future we are after, but rather a sustainable life – and that starts now!
Communities all around the world will be affected differently by climate change. Therefore, people will be exposed to different levels of climate change risk. We need to keep that in mind as we attempt to mitigate climate change and adapt to the way our Earth is shifting. Certain communities will be more vulnerable, and therefore might need more resources and support. We need not only to think about how to we can lessen the effects of climate change, but how to deal with the changes that are already happening in the present. We need to be cautious in the choices that we make, such as venturing into technologies such as geoengineering with still unclear and yet unknown ramifications. Though a human life may be no longer than 100 years, we as a society think in longer terms than that. Climate change and the effects from climate change and our actions will play out for much longer than that, and in order to be living in a truly sustainable society, we will have to think well past our one lifetimes. Sustainability is leaving a happy and healthy planet for our children, our children’s children, and so on.