Eclipse Opens Hearts, But Minds Remain Untouched
Though global warming is as glaring as the ring around the sun during an eclipse, climate change deniers prevail with their ignorance
The moon blocks out the sun during a total solar eclipse.
When an unusual astronomical event occurs, say, when the sun vanishes at midday, and scientists are able to use their freaky, sciencey math to predict it, the reasonable action would be to, well, freak out, because it’s crazy that anyone could do that.
And then the next rational response would be to trust those brainiacs when it comes to predicting other notable, natural events. But alas, we do not live in a country — or a world, really — of rational people.
Because, you see, those same sciencey geniuses who predicted the blackening of our skies down to the minute are ignored and called liars by an alarming number of people living on this lovely earth. This lovely earth that is warming up and deteriorating by the minute, according to the brainiacs.
Here’s the issue of climate change (assuming it exists) put simply: People consume lots of fossil fuels, which emit greenhouse gases, and thus contribute to climate change via the greenhouse effect. According to NASA, the greenhouse effect occurs when the sun’s rays enter the earth’s atmosphere and warm it.
This is how life is sustained on earth. But burning fossil fuels insulates the atmosphere, and the extra heat cannot escape. The heat recycles and slowly raises the temperature on earth over time. According to the NRDC, “All but one of the 16 hottest years in NASA’s 134-year record have occurred since 2000.” And if we aren’t careful and curb the emissions, “average U.S. temperatures could increase by up to 10 degrees Fahrenheit over the next century.”
Terrifying, right? Tundra permafrost is melting and releasing greenhouse gases, temperatures are rising and devastating weather is affecting every country in the world. Scientists have been correct with their math in the past: They launched astronauts into space — and brought them back. They found a way to create light without using fire and they predicted when the sun would completely darken at 1:27 p.m. Aug. 21.
So why can’t people believe them when they say that it’s getting warmer?
You can’t pick and choose which science you want to believe. You can see the impacts of climate change just as easily as you saw the moon block out the sun. So, climate change deniers, stop it. The world is running out of time; let’s not spend it explaining the logistics of climate change. We must try to save what’s left of our earth.
