Not until Discovery 2007 did I realize the effects of climate change. Before, I heard it on the news, at school and saw the consequences with gas prices but it really didn’t make me think about how I was living my life. Now after seeing the rapidly melting glaciers in Glacier National Park, I can truly understand the issue of climate change and how it is changing the Earth and the resources we depend on.
The main part of the issue of climate change is how us as humans are contributing and increasing the problem. In my opinion, it all comes down to money and efficiency. We use cheap and easy ways of energy, which are polluting our air and destroying land. To make our lives more efficient and easier, we are forcing other species to change and adapt. An example of this is the Bonneville Dam in Washington. This dam, along with many others in the area, create a great amount of hydroelectric power but disrupt the salmon’s natural instinct to swim upstream and spawn.
An individual cannot stop climate change by themselves, but by doing those small actions like recycling and reusing paper, riding a bike or petitioning for more sustainable resources in your city can create a movement. When I get back to Harrisonburg, I want to start making people aware of climate change and do those simple actions. It's going to be hard but I think we need challenges in our lives. I LOVE to drive anywhere, but even when I want to ride my bike, I don't feel comfortable riding on the streets in Harrisonburg. We may not see the effects of climate change right away but I know there are consequences and I don't want my children to suffer because of my actions, or lack there of. As individuals, we have to stand up and make the right decisions so that others will hopefully join to create a community. Larger cities like Boulder, Colorado and Portland, Oregon have managed to live more sustainable with the support of the community and I see no reason that Harrisonburg and other cities cannot at least try to do the same by creating bike paths, conserving energy, improving public transportation and educating members of the community. God gave us all we need to survive, but for us to keep living, we need those resources to also survive.
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