If a stranger walked into your home and destroyed it, you would be furious. Not only would you be angry, but you’d be homeless. Yet, that intruder would probably do less damage destroying your house than those of animals.
It seems like every week there’s a new apartment complex or store opening up on Burbank Drive, Ben Hur Road, Nicholson Drive and surrounding areas. Many of these construction sites enter with their bulldozers and demolish every acre of nature in their path before laying their foundation. We should be concerned; Tulane University Researcher Hongcheng Zeng found the loss of trees can damage the forest’s ability to consume carbon dioxide. Not to mention, we’re taking away homes from thousands of animals — it’s their natural habitat, not ours.
According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, humans have increased the levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration by more than 33 percent since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution through things such as deforestation. The inability to absorb such gases is one of the main contributors to global warming.
Living in a state like Louisiana, we should be more adherent and concerned about global warming. U.S. Geological Survey wetland geographer Brady Couvillion reported the state loses about a football field of wetlands every hour. Many scientists predict New Orleans will be underwater within the next 100 years. This isn’t bad luck; these are man-made problems that could’ve very well been avoided.
It’s not normal to sweat in mid-October, witness massive floods or several consecutive immense hurricanes. Whether North Korea has atomic bombs or not could be questioned because there’s really no way to know, whereas we can literally witness climate changing firsthand.
“The reluctance of some people in coastal Louisiana to accept that there are big challenges ahead is, in my opinion, a reflection of a societal focus on the present and very short-term as opposed to thinking about even 20 to 50 years out,” said Krista Jankowski, a Tulane University Earth scientist, in an interview with CNN.
Next election, be careful who you cast your vote for. We’re forced to watch activities such as deforestation destroy our planet while the leader of our country doesn’t seem to think anything is wrong. Not only did he call climate change a hoax, but he’s taken steps to eliminate President Obama’s global warming policy. If you haven’t learned yet, not everything the country’s president says is factual. As a friendly reminder, Hillary Clinton had an entire agenda dedicated to climate change.
Global warming has already had a huge effect on our planet, but don’t wait until your children and grandchildren are forced to wear cotton masks every time they step outside the house to make a change. When you’re leaving campus and heading home, don’t ignore the once tree-filled, empty lots. Think about the future of our planet and how you can create positive environmental change.
Clarke Perkins is a 21-year-old political science senior from New Orleans, Louisiana.
