These past couple weeks has been arguably the coldest and most arduous stretch of winter weather that many can remember in recent memory both here in Grand Forks, North Dakota and vast parts of the contiguous United States as well. This has led many to believe that the scientific claims that our planet is warming at an unprecedented rate due to climate change is a politically motivated hoax, and the alarmist mentality behind these claims is unwarranted. While the reality is, this could not be farther from the truth as extreme cold snaps like the one that we have just experienced are a direct result of warming temperatures in the arctic.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), research has linked the uptick of extreme cold weather events within the United States to Arctic Warming. The correlation has to do with the strength of the polar vortex and temperatures in the Arctic during the winter months. The polar vortex is a massive, persistent band of cold, low-pressure air that circles the earth’s poles and keeping the frigid air locked in place at the poles. When this system of air becomes unstable or weakens, it can expand and result in blasts of cold arctic air much farther South.
Although these arctic blasts are not uncommon, they have historically been relatively rare occurrences, and their recent uptick in frequency is a means for concern. It is a sign that extreme weather events that have the capability of disrupting the lives of millions of Americans is becoming an increasingly more common occurrence in both the winter and summer months. Leading us back to what should be at the forefront of the discussion revolving around climate change, the impact that human activity is having on the climate and what we can do within our own communities to help play a role in slowing down a rising issue that ultimately in the long run is going to impact us all.
Dating back to the industrial revolution, anthropogenic climate change can be correlated with an excess of greenhouse gases that are being released into our atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels like CO2 and methane alongside a degradation of the planet’s natural defenses against these changes such as clearing out forests.
Some things that we as community members within Grand Forks, and co-inhabitants of this planet that is shared with over eight billion people, can do, is be conscious of how much waste we are producing alongside with ensuring that we support elected members in office that we can trust to implement wide-spread policies that keep the interests of protecting our climate/critical ecosystems at mind.
Although there is not a perfect solution to rapid changes that we are experiencing within our earth’s atmosphere and global climate patterns. It is incredibly important that we utilize our voices as the future leaders of the next generation to ensure that protecting the Earth and its environments is at the forefront of our agenda’s, helping be the change that can lead us towards a greener future. Especially considering the widespread humanitarian and economic impact that is to follow, if we continue to delay these changes and waste time trying to dispute scientifically proven facts with accredited climatologists revolving around the crisis at hand. If we allow it to get to the point where every member of society is forced to deal with consequences of inaction, an argument can be made that at that point; it is already too late to resolve the damage that has been done.
Daniel Silva is a Dakota Student General Reporter. He can be reached at [email protected].
