Reduce Climate Changes Impact

A collage of typical climate and weather-related events: floods, heatwaves, drought, hurricanes, wildfires and loss of glacial ice. (Image credit: NOAA)

Climate change is a serious issue, however it has solutions. Massachusetts is affected by climate change in many ways, the most prominent of which is changes in precipitation and weather patterns. More rainfall has caused flooding. That flooding in turn damages both the ecosystem and biodiversity. Thai flooding is caused by many factors of climate change. One of these factors is the weakening of the jetstream. The jetstream moves the weather and precipitation across the world. It is a kind of path of winds in the atmosphere that is powered by the temperature differential between the Arctic and the rest of the world. These winds are what blow weather into certain areas, as well as blow it out. The jetstream has weakened because the temperature differential has closed considerably. With climate change warming the arctic and causing ice, which reflects the sun’s heat and radiation, to melt and reveal sea water, which absorbs the heat and radiation. This means that the Arctic has warmed quite a bit, and therefore the temperature differential is not enough to sustain the jetstream. With the jetstream unable to blow them out, rainstorms and other weather cause higher water levels and floods, damaging the ecosystem and the creatures that live there. The damage to the ecosystem also damages our industries and resources that come from and rely on the ecosystem.

There are many solutions to climate change, and several of them are being implemented by the state and country. The ice in the arctic was mentioned earlier, one solution that can be used to stop the melting of the glaciers is a machine that scientists invented. The machine creates and adds onto glaciers in the arctic, helping add to the reflection of radiation and heat, unfortunately it is extremely expensive. Renewable energy is another major solution. Solar power, wind farms, geothermal energy, biofuels, hydropower and many other power sources. Solar power is currently the cheapest renewable energy and can be put on both houses and public buildings unfortunately it only works effectively during the day. Wind energy is the most effective type of renewable energy, it works around the clock and at all times of year. Offshore wind farms also don’t take up space and are more effective than land based wind farms. Geothermal energy is a fairly uncommon form of renewable energy, it relies on the earth to heat water into steam and the steam rotates a turbine, generating electricity. Biofuels are fuels made from things such as corn husks, banana peels and other such organic matter. Hydropower is a type of energy generated by using water to turn a turbine, instead of steam or wind. There are many ways communities can stop climate change.

In addition to the ways a community can stop climate change, there are many ways that an individual can contribute. Some of those ways are by buying a heat pump or an electric car, using community choice aggregation, applying for Mass Save, supporting renewable energies, petitioning towns, attending town meetings, and speaking about climate change as well as many others. Buying a heat pump will allow you to heat and cool your house without using oil or a different fossil fuel. Using an electric car will reduce the emissions of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide, as a greenhouse gas, will trap heat and keep the earth warm. Community choice aggregation is a way to choose which company powers your house. Holliston has had it for several years now. If you are willing to pay extra money, certain companies will power your house with green energy. You can choose how much of the energy you use that you want to be green energy. If you pay for all green energy you won’t necessarily be the only one to use it because rather than hook up your house to a wind farm entirely dedicated to it, they put however much energy you use on the grid, and then they take that amount of fossil fuel off of it, effectively reducing our emissions. Mass Save is an organization that will come look at your house and tell you what you can do to make it better at reducing emissions and have less impact on the environment. You apply to have them look at your house, and they will tell you what you can do as well as help you pay for it and make it way cheaper. Anyone can help to stop climate change.

As is shown, there are many ways that anyone, even individuals, can contribute to stopping climate change. You can support renewable energy, you can utilize community choice aggregation, you can apply for Mass Save, and you can buy a heat pump or an electric car. You can help stop climate change.

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