Dear reader,

Whoever you are, always understand that climate change is a worldwide issue that will never be completely solved. The effects of climate change are ubiquitously found in nearly every corner of the planet, and I fear that the consequences will only continue to amplify through time. From the drought of Southern California, to the unusual monsoon seasons in India, there is no immediate escape from this phenomenon, and no one is safe.

Unfortunately, greed commonly trumps common sense and selflessness in the past, present, and future. I would argue that it is what partly makes us human. Yet, we continue to degrade the environment of its natural quality at the expense of others. Now, in 2015, climate change is more impactful than ever, especially in Southern California, where record setting temperatures and the diminishment of our water supply continues to break the record books. How will the next generation adapt to such spontaneous changes in climate?

So you may ask what I, the writer, has done to combat this issue. The answer, learn and apply. I attended a state university and majored in Environmental Science and Policy. The inspiration to embark in this field derived from my interest to learn more about our natural world, and how humans especially have continued to reshape the globe through time. I wanted to join the fight against (in my opinion) the greatest long term threat humanity has ever faced. To be a part of an endeavor of that magnitude was uniquely special for me, and I don’t think I would have pursued any other field of study due to that reason alone.

For the record, never forget that I support this initiative based on sound scientific fact, and not from a religious standpoint. A dear friend of mine once told me that when you exaggerate an event that is based off of scientific discovery, the event becomes subject more to a belief than it is a fact. My advice to you is to utilize the scientific method to your advantage to support your stance on just about any idea. Pose a question, devise a hypothesis, repeatedly test that hypothesis, repeatedly propose a new hypothesis if you fail, record your observations for each test, and make a conclusion in the end. If you ever read a research paper about a given phenomenon of climate change (such as sea level rise), remember to always observe the data first before you make a judgement. Question conventional logic if there is a hint of scientific inaccuracy, and devise your own theory. This has been, and always will be (in my opinion) the true beauty of science.

Yet through this dark time, there is a faintly glowing light at the end of the tunnel. When will we get there? In my opinion, only when international cooperation is at its maximum potential, and when we decide that our survival as a species is at the upmost priority. I sincerely hope that this international consensus happens by the time you read this message. If we are in fact too late to turn the tide, we will have no other choice but to retreat to space to start fresh. After all, desperate times call for desperate measures.

But I leave you with an optimistic end. Some of humanity’s greatest accomplishments have come when the will to achieve a goal was high enough. Take the first lunar landing as an example. We Americans wanted to achieve this goal not just to potentially gain the advantage in the Cold War, but to reassure ourselves that we are, in fact, a species capable of achieving things we would have initially thought impossible. In the words of President Kennedy: “We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon, and do the other things. Not because they are easy, but because they are hard.” Our goal is to prevent the extinction of our race, and the will is certainly rising through time. Put these two ingredients together, and you may bear witness to a level of international cooperation never seen before in human history. As aforementioned, I hope that this happens sooner rather than later.

The survival of our race depends on the actions we will take today and tomorrow. Make your choices wisely.
R,

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