Climate Change is NOW.

Climate Change is NOW! It is pretty clear what the theme of the new display in the Wold display case is about, but what does this mean for us? Climate change is a serious issue that we are facing in the world today, and we are constantly seeing more examples of why this problem is not up for debate. 

The right side of the display case is providing the facts of climate change and examples of extreme weather events that have been caused by an increased amount of greenhouse gas emissions. Scientists predict that global temperatures will be 5-10 degrees Fahrenheit hotter then they were in the last century due to these emissions. The events of last year including Hurricane Sandy, the heat wave in Russia, and the “Derecho” Storm could be just the beginning of a new world where extreme weather events are common and even worse…deadly.

The graph in front of the display is most commonly known as “The Hockey Stick” which shows average global temperatures holding steady until the 20^th century when it quickly rises. The warming that begins in the 20^th century has never happened before and it “coincidentally” begins a little after the industrial revolution when the large constant release of greenhouse gases to our atmosphere began. Unfortunately, this release of greenhouse gasses has only gotten worse.

This topic is not just a small problem; if we want the world that is here for us also here for our children and their children then we must make adjustments. The left side of the display case gives us few examples of changes that need to be made. Easy changes can be made to your daily routine that will mean big positive changes for our environment if we all agree to tackle this issue. The display also highlights changes that need to be tackled on our campus, by our politicians, and around the world.

The first step to making this a reality is education. We must inform our friends and the world that this is not an issue that we can ignore any longer. So if you do one thing today to contribute to our new climate aware society, go check out the Wold display case, and bring a friend with you!