Throughout the summer, communities have constantly been informed about the way industrialization takes a toll on the Earth. The cost: climate change.

Each year climate change becomes more prevalent. Hotter summers and colder winters are not the only signs of the dire conditions that climate change leaves on the Earth. The Environmentalist Club works diligently to teach students about the necessary steps that can be taken to help the community. Since industrialization largely contributes to climate change, it’s important to understand how much power society has in helping reduce its effects.

“Due to TikTok and social media, we live in a world where trends are constantly changing,” Environmentalist Club president, senior Areesha Rahman said, “Not only that, but when people move on from trends, these clothes end up in a landfill, and they mass produce whatever we decide we like next. This cycle has increased climate change by adding massive amounts of waste to our environment.”

According to The Center for Biological Diversity, as the population increases, the need for resources will increase which in turn will add to the pressing issue of carbon footprints. From cutting down forests to burning fossil fuels, these actions continue to harm the Earth even more. These seemingly small occurrences are the reason for the Earth’s current state. According to Rahman, fast fashion and big corporations’ lack of initiative to change their production methods, along with the emissions of greenhouse gases and pollution, is why climate change has been worsening. Plus, it’s time to start considering all the other life forms that are shared by this planet along with how the actions of humans affect them, equally.

“Students at our school haven’t been fully exposed to the harsh truth about all of this, and I feel like we could all do more to be sustainable and make a difference, at least in our own community,” Rahman said, “I don’t want the generations that come after us to be burdened with the same problems we have and believe that what we do now to help can ensure an eco-friendly world for them.”

Droughts throughout Madagascar, disastrous floods in Germany, a loss of stability in the Gulf Stream and uncontrollable fires on the west coast of the U.S. are only a few major events that are directly linked with climate change. As the Earth continues to grow warmer, weather events will become more intense. Not only are these catastrophes an inconvenience to humans; forest fires can leave trees uprooted, vegetation burned and animals without homes. According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), if there are 100,000,000 species on Earth, at least 10,000 go extinct every year. Rahman encourages those who don’t believe humans are responsible for climate change to turn to science.

“As long as humans continue to treat the Earth as something they can profit off of, these problems will only get worse. It’s time to hold ourselves accountable instead of thinking the environment will get better on its own,” Rahman said.

In this modern, efficient world, erasing society’s carbon footprint will be near impossible. Luckily, there are still steps communities can take to slow down the pace of climate change. Start by tweaking small everyday habits such as carpooling, using fewer animal products and reducing the amount of energy you use. Although these may seem like minor differences, the Earth surely will thank you for it. Since humans are mainly to blame for the planet’s current condition, it’s up to us to get it back into shape.

“I advise everyone to be more conscious in their everyday activities. The best way to start leading a more sustainable life is to start recycling, start buying second-hand and carpool instead of driving everywhere alone,” Rahman said, “To truly make a big impact, students should not only do these themselves but encourage others to do the same and hold each other accountable. We can’t expect big industries to change if we don’t do it first.”