Climate change gets worse each year. With our world rapidly industrializing, the rate of warming will only continue to increase. But, what exactly is climate change? Climate change is the change in temperature and weather patterns over time. Climate change occurs naturally; factors such as volcano eruptions and the solar cycle naturally heat up our planet. However, in recent years, human activity has been the driving cause of climate change. Through burning of fossil fuels and deforestation, humans produce more carbon dioxide than nature can absorb, thus creating greenhouse gases and contributing to global warming.
As of 2025, there is approximately 430 parts per million carbon dioxide trapped our atmosphere. This excess amount of carbon dioxide not warms our planets, it destroys ecosystems, causes extreme weather, and decreases crop yield. In response to these threats, communities, globally and locally, have been taking action to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and slow the pace of climate change.
Climate actions are being taken through government policies and international treaties. In 2015, 195 parties at the United Nations signed the Paris Agreement, which is a binding contract between nations with the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius each year. Each country submits a plan for carbon emission based on each countries’ context(a country may submit a plan primarily based on transportation because the primary emission is from cars). For countries without finances, developed countries are obligated to fund developing countries to help out with their plans. Through the collaboration between global entities, the agreement has reaped significant benefits. Currently, zero-carbon solutions(e.g. solar power, wind energy) represent 25% of global emissions, meaning a quarter of the world’s pollution sources are replaced with renewable methods.
Actions are being taken across our own community as well. In 2022, Buen Aire Para Todos was created by ImpactNV along with the collaboration of the Desert Research Institute and Southern Nevada Health District. The goal of the project was to increase awareness of air pollution at a low-income latino community in East Las Vegas. Through the project, members of the community installed air quality monitors at places that affect their daily life, at school and home, for example. The project gives a glimpse into the public health impact members of our communities face, and in the future, the data from the project is going to be used to influence environmental policies.
Now, it’s your turn to do your duty in helping our planet. Helping our planet doesn’t have to be joining an organization or something so time-consuming. It can be as little as turning off the lights when you leave your room. Carrying around canvas bags instead of using plastic bags for groceries can cut down plastic waste. Around 430 million tonnes of plastic are produced around the world a year, and by decreasing the use of plastic bags(plastic packing takes up 36% of the 430 tonnes), we can decrease the production of plastic and decrease the carbon emitted from it.
There is no stopping climate change. Climate change occurs naturally, but through human intervention, it rapidly accelerated. From governments to individuals, people are putting in effort to slow this process before we make conditions worse for our planet. Together, through actions, big or small, all of us can make a difference in making our planet a healthier place.
References:
“Carbon Dioxide – Earth Indicator – NASA Science.” NASA, 26 Sept. 2025, science.nasa.gov/earth/explore/earth-indicators/carbon-dioxide/
Communications, DRI. “‘Buen Aire Para Todos’ Project Will Create a New Air Quality Monitoring System for Latinx Community in East Las Vegas.” DRI, 13 Dec. 2023, www.dri.edu/new-air-quality-monitoring-system-for-latinx-community-in-east-las-vegas/
Everything You Need to Know about Plastic Pollution, www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/everything-you-need-know-about-plastic-pollution
Solis, Jennifer. “Citizen Scientists, Latino Residents to Track Air Quality in East Las Vegas.” Route Fifty, Nevada Current, 10 July 2023, www.route-fifty.com/digital-government/2022/07/citizen-scientists-latino-residents-track-air-quality-east-las-vegas/374765/
“The Paris Agreement.” MIT Climate Portal, climate.mit.edu/explainers/paris-agreement
Unfccc.Int, unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement
“What Is Climate Change?” United Nations, www.un.org/en/climatechange/what-is-climate-change
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