By Khadija Rehman from Holy Trinity Catholic Secondary School, Member of Cornwall Youth for Climate Action (YFCA)
Cornwall’s climate adaptation plan states that the area’s future climate projections include milder winters with more rain; hotter summers with more extremely hot days and warmer nights; warmer shoulder seasons (spring and fall) and fewer days below zero, which may reduce freeze-thaw cycles.
These changes are because of our actions as humans. We shouldn’t blame the weather for changing so suddenly. Instead of blaming the weather, we should be questioning how our choices have affected the seasons.
We don’t realize that the arctic is melting faster than we even pay attention to. This melting contributes to global warming, which makes our seasons unpredictable. You might have noticed during the summer how confusing the week was. Some days were cold, hot, or it rained most of the time. This might sound normal, but when there is too much heat, it can cause rain, lightning, and even a tornado warning which has become more common.
Another important fact most of us don’t know is that when the Arctic ice melts it causes sea levels to rise, making some places flood. Some examples are the Netherlands, Bangladesh, and Florida which are at high risk of going under water. If these places start to go away, what could climate change do to our summers.
This summer we experienced things like heatwaves, storms, and wildfires which kept our summer feeling shorter, smoky, and rainy.
We shouldn’t blame the seasons or the weather, since all this mess is caused by human actions. Pollution from cars, trucks, and airplanes releases greenhouse gases into the air. Agriculture contributes through the overuse of fertilizers and pesticides which wash into rivers and oceans. Plastic waste can end up in the environment and last centuries. Deforestation also adds to the problem, since cutting and burning trees releases more greenhouse gases.
As humans, we are responsible for this mess, but we can reduce it as a community. This can help future generations if we start now rather than later and can be done by small actions, nothing major. We can ride a bike or walk to places that are close by, throw plastic where it belongs – in the recycling bin, reduce the usage of plastic bottles, and use LED light bulbs to reduce energy consumption. Maybe our summer isn’t what it used to be; maybe it is waiting for us to bring it back.
For more information see: transitioncornwall.com
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