Our Future Is Now

By Francesca Minicozzi, '21

Writing and Biology Major

 “If you don’t mind me asking, how is the United States preparing for climate
change?” my flat mate, Zac, asked me back in March, when we were both still
in Newcastle. He and I were accustomed to asking each other about the
differences between our home countries; he came from Cambridge, while I
originated in Long Island, New York. This was one of our numerous
conversations about issues that impact our generation, which we usually
discussed while cooking dinner in our communal kitchen. In the moment of
our conversation, I did not have as strong an answer for him as I would have
liked. Instead, I informed him of the few changes I had witnessed within my
home state of New York.

I replied, “Well,
I don’t know as much about climate change in the US as I should, but over the
past few years I have seen a lot more homes on Long Island convert to solar
energy.” I went on to inform him that many Americans have switched to
energy efficient light bulbs within their homes. “I don’t have any exact statistics
about this,” I rambled on, “but I know that a strong portion of families on Long
Island have converted to energy efficient households, my home included.”

Zac’s response was consistent with his normal, diplomatic self. “I have been
following the BBC news in terms of the climate crisis for the past few years.
The U.K. has been working hard to transition to renewable energy sources.
Similar to the United States, here in the United Kingdom we have converted
over to solar panels too. My home does not have solar panels, but a lot of our
neighbors have switched to solar energy in the past few years.”

“Our two countries are similar, yet so different,” I thought. Our conversation
continued as we prepared our meals, with topics ranging from climate change
to the upcoming presidential election to Britain’s exit from the European
Union. However, I could not shake the fact that I knew so little about a topic so
crucial to my generation.

After I abruptly returned home from the United Kingdom because of the global
pandemic, my conversation with my flat mate lingered in my mind. Before the
coronavirus surpassed climate change headlines, I had seen the number of
internet postings regarding protests to protect the planet dramatically
increase. Yet the idea of our planet becoming barren and unlivable in a not-
so-distant future had previously upset me to the point where a part of me
refused to deal with it. After I returned from studying abroad, I decided to
educate myself on the climate crisis.

My quest for climate change knowledge required a thorough understanding of

the difference between “climate change” and “global warming.” Climate
change is defined as “a pattern of change affecting global or regional climate,”
based on “average temperature and rainfall measurements” as well as the
frequency of extreme weather events.1  These varied temperature and
weather events link back to both natural incidents and human activity.2 
Likewise, the term global warming was coined “to describe climate change
caused by humans.”3  Not only that, but global warming is most recently
attributed to an increase in “global average temperature,” mainly due to
greenhouse gas emissions produced by humans.4
I next questioned why the term “climate change” seemed to take over the term
“global warming” in the United States. According to Frank Luntz, a leading
Republican consultant, the term “global warming” functions as a rather
intimidating phrase. During George W. Bush’s first presidential term, Luntz
argued in favor of using the less daunting phrase “climate change” in an
attempt to overcome the environmental battle amongst Democrats and
Republicans.5  Since President Bush’s term, Luntz remains just one political
consultant out of many politicians who has recognized the need to address
climate change. In an article from 2019, Luntz proclaimed that political parties
aside, the climate crisis affects everyone. Luntz argued that politicians should
steer clear of trying to communicate “the complicated science of climate
change,” and instead engage voters by explaining how climate change
personally impacts citizens with natural disasters such as hurricanes,
tornadoes, and forest fires.6  He even suggested that a shift away from words
like “sustainability” would gear Americans towards what they really want: a
“cleaner, safer, healthier” environment.7
The idea of a cleaner and heathier environment remains easier said than
done. The Paris Climate Agreement, introduced in 2015, began the United
Nations’ “effort to combat global climate change.”8  This agreement marked a
global initiative to “limit global temperature increase in this century to 2
degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels,” while simultaneously “pursuing
means to limit the increase to 1.5 degrees.”9   Every country on earth has
joined together in this agreement for the common purpose of saving our
planet.10  So, what could go wrong here? As much as this sounds like a
compelling step in the right direction for climate change, President Donald
Trump thought otherwise. In June 2017, President Trump announced the
withdrawal of the United States from the Paris Agreement with his
proclamation of climate change as a “’hoax’ perpetrated by China.”11 
President Trump continued to question the scientific facts behind climate
change, remaining an advocate for the expansion of domestic fossil fuel
production.12  He reversed environmental policies implemented by former
President Barack Obama to reduce fossil fuel use.13
Trump’s actions against the Paris Agreement, however, fail to represent the
beliefs of Americans as a whole. The majority of American citizens feel
passionate about the fight against climate change. To demonstrate their
support, some have gone as far as creating initiatives including America’s
Pledge and We Are Still In.14  Although the United States officially exited the
Paris Agreement on November 4, 2020, this withdrawal may not survive
permanently.15  According to experts, our new president “could rejoin in as
short as a month’s time.”16  This offers a glimmer of hope.