With record-breaking lows in the western hemisphere to Antarctica going green, climate change and global warming have never been more important issues. Global warming is produced by greenhouse gases that are released into our atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels like coal and oil. So now, what does this do to our planet? For starters, ocean levels are rising, glaciers are melting, and cloud forest is disappearing. These are irreversible damages being done to our planet.

You may still be wondering: how does this affect me? With our planet warming up, jet streams have started to lose momentum. Jet streams, located between the Canadian and United States border, are responsible for keeping cold arctic air trapped towards the north pole. However, with global warming, jet streams have lost some of their strength. This means that the cold air is making its way to us. Global warming is responsible for the record low temperatures we have experienced in Illinois and even here in Crystal Lake.

This is exactly why we must turn to renewable energy. Instead of burning fossil fuels, renewable energy will provide us with sustainable green energy that won’t hurt our planet as much. We must take care of our earth so that generations to come can enjoy its beauty, just as we do. In order to do this, we must take all of our actions into account. Do we leave our lights on when they don’t need to be on? Do we casually leave appliances plugged into outlets? By looking at our actions a little more closely, we might be able to start making a change. A little impact goes a long way if we all do it together.