TED TALK (Climate Change)

Hi. My name is *insert name*. Not long ago, my newspaper informed me that glaciers in the
western Antarctic, undermined by the warmer seas of a hotter world, were collapsing, and
their disappearance “now appears to be unstoppable.” The melting of these great ice sheets
would make seas rise by at least four feet—ultimately, possibly 12—more than enough to
flood cities from New York to Tokyo to Mumbai. We still have a lot to learn about climate
change, about why it’s happening and what that means. But one thing is clear: It’s real,
alright. What Is Climate Change? Climate change is a change in the usual weather found in a
place. This could be a change in how much rain a place usually gets in a year. Or it could be
a change in a place's usual temperature for a month or season. Earth's temperature has gone
up about one degree Fahrenheit in the last 100 years. This may not seem like much. But
small changes in Earth's temperature can have big effects. An overwhelming scientific
consensus maintains that climate change is due primarily to the human use of fossil fuels,
which releases carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the air. The gases trap heat
within the atmosphere, which can have a range of effects on ecosystems, including rising sea
levels due to the melting of the polar ice caps (again, caused by climate change) that can
contribute to greater storm damage; warming ocean temperatures are associated with
stronger and more frequent storms; additional rainfall, particularly during severe weather
events, leads to flooding and other damage; an increase in the incidence and severity of
wildfires threatens habitats, homes, and lives; and heat waves contribute to human deaths
and other consequences. Yes, it’s happening now, and it ain’t good. The burning of fossil
fuels, such as oil and coal, which emits greenhouse gases into the atmosphere — primarily
carbon dioxide. Other human activities, such as agriculture and deforestation, these are
some of the causes of Climate Change. Climate change is not just about disappearing polar
bears and melting ice caps, though I like polar bears and I know about melting ice caps. This is
about protecting our health and our homes. This is about protecting local economies and jobs.
Rising temperatures bring more smog, more asthma, and longer allergy seasons. If you, your
brother, or your sister doesn’t use an inhaler, consider your family lucky, because one in 10
children in the U.S. alone suffers from asthma. Carbon pollution from power plants comes
packaged with other dangerous pollutants like particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur
dioxide, putting our families at even more risk. The onset of climate change has come about
following over 200 years' worth of unchecked manmade activity that's had a negative impact
on the world around us. Now, we're beginning to feel the effects of climate change around
the globe. While we can't undo the damage caused to the environment, we can help
decelerate the rate of change - and long-term, change the fate of the planet altogether.
Everything we do in our day to day lives emits CO2 into the atmosphere. That means that
even making small changes in what we do, or how we do it, can have a positive impact in
preventing the onset of climate change. We can limit our driving with personal vehicles to
save fuels from burning and reduce emission of green house gases. We should follow a
recycle habit to use disposable products once more in other forms instead of throwing them
such as paper, aluminum foils, newspapers, cans, etc in order to landfills. We should keep
electronic devices off and avoid unnecessary use to save fuel. We should do more planting
instead of cutting the plants to reduce the effect of global warming, to get fresh oxygen and
reduce amount of carbon dioxide. We should all be addressing this in our day to day lives. If
you are going to change the world, if you want to help prevent climate change then start
with yourself. This is an enormous opportunity. It’s an opportunity which we can use, or it’s
an opportunity which we can lose. Thank you.