Coastal flooding, heat waves, forest fires, droughts, hurricanes, shifting climate patterns.

Effects of global warming are already being felt across the country, and without action things
will only get worse. As humanity progresses we are faced with the existential threat of global
warming caused by our own hands and now, more than ever, it is time to take serious action. As
an international superpower it is time to set an example to the rest of the world and e​liminate
fossil fuel use where possible and implement renewable energy sources or use carbon capture
devices and mechanisms when renewable energy isn't an option to combat global warming. By
implementing these strategies we will be saving ourselves, as well as future generations from the
detrimental future we may face.

Global warming is a very real and dangerous threat, with humanity fueling it via
greenhouse gas emissions. Global warming is responsible for things such as rising temperatures,
changes in precipitation patterns, increased droughts and heat waves, increasingly strong weather
events, rising sea levels, and melting polar ice caps. These effects aren’t just a future possibility,
they are happening now, in our country, destroying infrastructure, killing people, and putting an
extra burden on the government. According to the LA Times, 15 out of 20 of California’s largest
wildfires happened after 2000. Higher temperatures, droughts, and shifting precipitation patterns
due to the climate change create the perfect conditions for these wildfires to grow. Not only is
the increase in temperature affecting wildfire frequency and intensity, but the high temperatures
alone are killing more people in the US than any other weather related incident. All of the effects
of global warming I mentioned can be attributed to the greenhouse gas effect, which is the result
of gases such was water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide trapping heat in the
atmosphere. Data from NASA shows that the average global surface temperature has risen by
about 0.9 degrees Celsius since the late 19th century, with the change driven largely by an
increase in carbon dioxide and other human-made emissions into the atmosphere. Seeing as the
US currently produces 25% of global carbon emissions despite only having 3% of the world
population, it is our burden to begin taking extensive action.

Although the situation may seem grim, humanity can help stop, if not reverse, the worst
effects of climate change through using renewable energy and carbon capture methods. In order
to reduce greenhouse gases we need to cut emissions through things such as changing our means
of production and consumption of electricity, developing more efficient transportation systems
and electrical grids, setting a price on carbon, stopping deforestation, and enacting
climate-friendly agricultural systems. According to the International Renewable Energy
Association, renewable energies emit no carbon while generating electricity and could supply
four-fifths of the world’s electricity by 2050, massively reducing carbon emissions. Although
using renewable energy sources is an effective first step, scientists say we need to actively
remove carbon from the air if we want to avoid the worst effects of climate change by keeping
the global temperature under 2 degrees Celsius, a goal set by the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change. Removing carbon can be done through restoring forests or using carbon capture
technology. In industrial sections which don’t have energy efficient alternatives, carbon capture
technology can capture more than 90% of the carbon dioxide emissions and can then be used in
enhanced oil recovery, manufacturing of fuels, building materials, and more. This technology
will be able to achieve 14% of the greenhouse gas emission reduction needed by 2050 and could
be the only practical way to achieve decarbonization in the industrial sector. An additional way
to capture carbon is found all around us- trees! The National Academies of Sciences estimates
that the world's forests and farms could store 2.5 gigatons, making trees an effective part of the
climate solution and possibly restoring ecosystems and animal populations.

The task of replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy may seem daunting but it will be
worth it, not only for the planet and those living on it but also economically. Upon comparison of
lifespan costs of renewable energies and fossil fuels, renewables are much more economically
favorable. As of 2017, excluding tax credits that would further drop the costs, wind power is
$30-60 per megawatt-hour and large-scale solar is $43-45 megawatt-hour whereas natural gas
plants costs $42-78 megawatt-hour and coal costs at least $60 megawatt-hour. Additionally,
more jobs will be created even with the loss of jobs in the fossil fuel sector. As reported in the
2019 Energy and Employment Report done by the ​Energy Futures Initiative and National
Association of State Energy Officials there were 2.4 million jobs in clean energy and energy
efficiency in 2018, compared to half as many in fossil energy. In the occupational handbooks for
solar panel and wind turbine installers by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics states that “Even
without a price on carbon, installers and service technicians for solar and wind are forecast to
grow 11 to 13 times faster than the U.S. average. Lastly, research from the US Bureau of Labor
Statistics shows that renewable electricity is already cost-competitive with fossil-generated
power in many locations, it also provides 50 percent more jobs, at similar pay, for the same
amount of energy. Imagine how far renewable energies could progress if we begin to focus our
efforts on them as our primary source of energy.

If we want to have a livable and green planet for our children and the generations that
follow, we must take action now to reduce carbon emissions through renewable energies and
carbon capture. Not only can we protect the lives and health of the citizens by combating climate
change, but we will help maintain and improve our economy with the jobs provided by the
renewable energy sector. The earth has provided life for us now it’s time we do the same for it.
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