By Anushka Dole
STAFF WRITER

Climate. Change. On their own, these words are as common as any others; something not worth a second thought in the busy commotion of our daily lives. Yet, when these unassuming words are put together, they create a bombshell of a phrase that threatens to destroy the very fabric of our society. The topic itself is shrouded in controversy, and discussions often end poorly. However, it doesn’t have to be this way. We must open up the conversation if we are to solve this issue. 

“Biodiversity is in crisis, the climate is in crisis, there’s going to be big, big changes in the 21st century, and I think it’s really important that people know and understand,” said Alexis Valenti, who teaches environmental science at Andover High School.

In order to truly understand climate change, asking questions is essential, and one of the key questions in many of our minds is, “Why is it so hard to get rid of climate change?” 

Melanie Cutler, who teaches AP Environmental Science and the Environmental Sustainability Internship Course (ESIC) has the answer. “The biggest challenge,” she said, “has been that, for whatever reason, fighting climate change has become a more political issue than it needs to be.” Indeed, as per Truthout News, in the US Senate, one in every four senators holds investments in the fossil fuel business. The giant industry has generated nearly $2 trillion in profits since 1990, making it very lucrative to invest in. 

Besides the political snags, there are also scientific issues to contend with. The problem lies at the heart of modern living: almost all the contemporary comforts we enjoy are fueled by fossil fuels. Everything, from our TV to home heating to transportation, relies on fossil fuels—even things we wouldn’t normally consider, like concrete (the world’s third largest emitter of CO2, according to the BBC.) 

One may argue, “Why don’t we just shut down the production of oil as soon as possible?” Though it may seem like the obvious solution, implementing it is not as simple as it seems. The renewable energy technology we have right now is just not up to the mark. Scientific advancements, along with political coordination, must be made if we are to use entirely renewable energy.

Fortunately for us, there is no shortage of ideas in searching for solutions. Valenti and Cutler both have insightful thoughts on ways that society as a whole could tackle this problem. “Environment shapes behavior, so if you want people to behave in a certain way you have to set up the environment… to make it easier to do the right thing,” said Valenti. An excellent example she gave was that in New York City, “many people… don’t own cars because of the high costs and big hassle of owning and driving a car there; it’s much easier to walk and take public transportation.” 

For Cutler, the biggest thing that American society can change in order to contribute to solving climate change is “wean ourselves off of fossil fuels and switch towards renewable.” In addition, she said “we need to improve our whole electricity grid and develop a lot more battery technology to store wind and solar power.” In this aspect, there is good news: according to a recent article from the Boston Globe, carbon emissions from the national electric grid have fallen—a sign that innovations are being made thanks to the coordination of science and politics. If political leaders give science the funding it needs, it is possible to revolutionize renewable energy technologies. 

Climate change is a wide-reaching problem with dire impacts, but that doesn’t mean we should lose hope. “The most important thing is to help people understand we need to be more conscious of how we live,” Valenti said. Spreading awareness and taking action are things that we can all do together, whether it be through participating in our school’s Environmental Club, using a carbon footprint calculator to find and eliminate our personal emissions, reducing our meat consumption, or even bringing a zero waste lunch. We can also lobby our local and state governments to act for climate change. Our involvement and enthusiasm is what will propel us forward. 

The pursuit of science and politics will be essential in tackling global warming, and our school has opportunities for education here as well, including the Intro to Environmental Science course, Advanced Placement Environmental Science, and ESIC. There are a number of ways we can contribute to combating climate change in our own town, and perhaps use the same skills to improve larger communities.

As Cutler eloquently phrased it, “For every problem we talk about, we talk about lots of solutions, and there’s lots of good news on the horizon.”