Climate change is real. It is a global condition that particularly has occurred in the mid-to-late 20th century.

Climate change has become a huge part of our environment and is affecting our planet in ways that could change our entire way of life. We here on Earth live in a atmospheric greenhouse that traps heat. About half the energy from the sun’s light passes through our atmosphere to the surface where it is absorbed and radiated back up. About 90% of the heat is absorbed by the greenhouse gases and radiated back towards the surface and warms it.

According to nasa.gov, for centuries carbon dioxide had never reached a point past 300 ppm (parts per million) but today it’s at 400 ppm — that’s 85 ppms more than in 1950. So what caused this to happen? Many climate scientists agree that it is human activity that increases the greenhouse effect. Large changes in atmospheric gases can block heat from escaping our atmosphere, which warms up our planet. The biggest causes of these gas emissions have been from the burning of fossil fuels and the production and consumption of beef and other meats. Big factories and other industrial buildings tend to use a lot of fossil fuels, which emit large amounts of carbon dioxide. But some people choose to still ignore the signs and still use fossil fuels for factories instead of working on cleaner, more renewable ways to produce electricity and energy.

That’s not the only cause. Our population is growing at an exponential rate, which means more people use resources and own gas—emitting machinery like cars, and eat more food, leading to a bigger production of meats. The effects of these emissions have led to shrinking glaciers, longer more intense heat waves, accelerated sea level rise, and extreme weather.

I asked science teacher Toni Budoff if she thought climate change was real or not, she had this to say: “Yes, vast amounts of data about the amount of gases in the atmosphere (C02, methane, H20) and the history of global temperature and weather events show us it’s real and it is happening.” Then I asked her asked why she thought some people didn’t believe in it: “Many people don’t understand the science, data and research; therefore, they don’t trust what’s being presented. Also some people have an unwavering belief in religion, which leads them to discount science.”

So what can we do to try and help? You can help reduce climate change by buying energy efficient-products, such as electric cars, solar panels, solar chargers, etc. and by cutting down on our meat consumption.