As soon as Donald J. Trump became the 47th president of the U.S. on Jan. 20, he resolved to withdraw from the Paris Agreement and to promote the production of energy through fossil fuels. He even took it a step further by prohibiting the construction of offshore wind farms under the federal government.
These startling executive orders, coupled with the extreme changes in temperature and sea levels, makes it terribly clear that not only are we not doing enough to stop global warming from progressing but also undeniably going backwards.
Global warming is a part of climate change. This phrase refers to the gradual rise of the Earth’s average temperature caused by the accumulation of greenhouse gases. These gases, such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, trap heat in the atmosphere and thus, warms the globe.
Out of the 195 recognized countries in the world, the United States “produces a sobering 13 percent of all global CO2 emissions,” according to the Natural Resources Defense Council. Not to mention that we have been in second place in the leaderboard for emitting the most carbon dioxide since 2005.
This data explains why I was immensely shocked at the decision for the U.S. to no longer be a part of the Paris Agreement. The Paris Agreement, created in 2015 with 196 signatories, is an international treaty that focuses on preventing climate change from continuing. Its primary goal is to stop global temperatures from rising 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to restrict the escalation to only 1.5 degrees Celsius.
In 2024, however, the average global temperature increased 1.55 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, making last year the hottest year on record. Leaving the Paris Agreement may further worsen this situation.
Additionally, without the Paris Agreement motivating the U.S., it seems doubtful that the U.S. will reach their goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. Net-zero emissions refers to when all emissions caused by anthropogenic activities are equalized by the disposal of carbon from the atmosphere. To achieve this goal would require the U.S. to undergo rapid reformations in all aspects of society.
Nevertheless, would we be willing to allow these major changes to happen? We would no longer be able to clear land for ourselves, raise livestock for beef or lamb, and use specific fertilizers to improve plant quality. Everything that uses fossil fuels, such as the transportation and manufacturing industries, must be switched to electricity powered by a renewable source, which can be difficult and costly. Especially since it seems that the federal government is now bolstering the fossil fuels industry.
Frankly, the behavior that we have exhibited towards the environment makes it blatant that we treat it as second to everything else. We must realize that now is the time to truly be proactive to stopping global warming instead of sitting down and doing nothing.
We as individuals can do so much to make up for the obvious lack of environmental action. Not wasting electricity, water, and food will help decrease your carbon footprint, the sum of greenhouse gases that one generates by their actions, since almost all use fossil fuels in order to be available for use. Other options include traveling by train, bus, or carpool, or buying fewer unnecessary items and using ones that can be reused. Although, the easiest thing that all of us can do is inform others about the existence of global warming and what they can do to combat it. Maybe this will let our governments know what is actually needed.
The world is experiencing intense weather of scorching heat waves, arid droughts, and severe storms. The slow rise in temperature is melting away the glaciers and raising sea levels to alarming heights. Our Earth is changing and not in a good way. We need to act now. We only have one Earth — it’s all we got.
