Kyla Hubbard 
If you’ve never been one to concern yourself with global warming, you might want to start thinking about it now. Seriously.
According to a recent CNN report, this big, scary and far-fetched idea is becoming reality real soon. “The planet will reach the crucial threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels by as early as 2030, precipitating the risk of extreme drought, wildfires, floods, and food shortages for hundreds of millions of people.” In other words, if something doesn’t change with the way we currently live in this world, then we won’t have anywhere to live soon. Forget about the latest shoe release and clothing drop, your biggest worry will be wondering if food is even available to you. Another concern will be whether or not it is safe to go outside or travel. There are so many fatal events that could happen if carbon emissions don’t lower globally.
The thing is that this extreme climate change can be avoided with the help of international political action. There are already about 197 countries committed to keeping global temperatures low, but our boy Trump decided to pull the United States out of this agreement last year. He said, “As someone who cares deeply about our environment, I cannot in good conscience support a deal which punishes the United States.” The president believes that spending money to reduce carbon emissions actually hurts us.
Bryan Bermeo, a junior from Whitney M. Young High School, said, “Trump has gotta go. He doesn’t even think [global warming] is real, and it’s really scary because I don’t know what is about to happen.” Trump doesn’t even see the urgency in what is happening. This is who we have to help us navigate this situation. He has the power to make a difference, but I’m not sure that he will take advantage of his position.
I’m obviously scared about the status of climate change right now, but I was curious on how my friends felt about the situation. I went around my school asking people the question: “When do you think global warming is actually going to affect the world?” Most people said in 20-50 years, but their views quickly changed after I told them about this latest news. Siauna Respress, another junior at Whitney Young, said, “I wish there was legislation set in place that would force a change. Nobody does anything, because we feel like we don’t have to.” This is the truth, everyone thinks someone else is going to fix it, so nothing progressive is done. Climate change and global warming is such a big and time sensitive issue, so we can only hope that those in power use their privileges to stop it.
By Kyla Hubbard, Junior, Whitney M Young Magnet High School
Instagram: @kyy.r
