Earth Day Authors (2020). How to Act on Climate Change: A User’s Guide for 2020 and Beyond. Retrieved February 15, 2020, from https://www.earthday.org/campaign/act-on-climate-change/

          The International Bodies of Science warned us that we have a little over a decade to reduce our emissions by 50% in order to avoid some of the worst climate change effects. Not all climate change action has to be on a large scale, anyone can help fight against climate change. The first step is to get informed about climate change and spread this information as much as one can. Another big part of taking climate action is by holding yourself accountable, most people, especially in the United States have very large and unsustainable carbon footprints. People need to be focusing on reducing their carbon footprints by doing small things such as promoting environmentally friendly businesses, buying locally, and switching to more sustainable energy sources. Not everyone has to have authority to take action against climate change, everyone has the power to make a difference. 

          This article opened my eyes to the reality, everyone is responsible for climate change, therefore everyone needs to be doing their part in slowing it. If everyone took these small steps, like changing to a more environmentally friendly energy source, big changes would be made. This article was really inspiring to me and makes me want to hold myself accountable more and try to do more for the climate because just because I do not have the authority to be making climate laws, I can still make a difference by doing little things like talking to my parents about where we get our electricity from, and spreading my APES knowledge with my friends. All in all, climate change is everyone’s responsibility and everyone can make a difference.

          Anonymous (2019, October 1). How to respond to climate change, if you are an algorithm. Retrieved February 15, 2020, from https://www.economist.com/open-future/2019/10/01/how-to-respond-to-climate-change-if-you-are-an-algorithm 

          The Economist’s open future essay competition winner writes that one way to fight against climate change is to build a sustainable energy system that is affordable and good for the environment is by creating an alternative economy. Since we are the ones using energy and creating things that we do not fully understand the environmental implications of, we also hold the power to stop doing this. The way to do this is by building an economy that maximises its productivity and supports workers, without using fossil fuels. However, since Earth’s population is rapidly growing and resources will be less abundant, we need to start this shift now or else it will be more chaotic and violent as people will be fighting over the few resources we have left. In conclusion, we must begin a complete alternate economy in order to combat climate change to the best of our abilities.

          In my opinion, I think this article offers a hypothetically good idea on how to combat climate change, however I am not sure how this can be realistically done. To me it seems as if this shift to a different would require a complete change in mindset that I am not convinced many lawmakers have and we would require these lawmakers’ support to make this large scale of a change. I do think that this type of a change would be very successful if we could actually make the shift, however, I am pretty convinced that this large of a change cannot be achieved as soon as it would need to be and that is why I do not think we should put our time and resources into this, I think we should be focusing on other ways to slow climate change.

         Richard Washington (2019, December 15). Global Climate Change: How Africa will be affected by climate change. Retrieved February 15, 2020, from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-50726701

          Africa will be hit the hardest by climate change because millions of people there depend on rainfall for food, weather systems in Africa are understudied so changes in climate will likely come with surprises, and finally the ability to adapt to climate change is lower than in many other places of the world because poverty is higher. Rainy seasons are starting to start later and end earlier, which is already making growing crops much harder and it is only predicted to worsen as time goes on. Oddly enough, a wetter season is also predicted to occur. Scientists call this the East African Climate Paradox. Overall, Africa is predicted to be hit very hard by climate change, but there are people working on solutions.

          This article opened my eyes to realize that the United States is not the only place being affected by climate change, it is a worldwide issue. I thought the article was slightly confusing, regarding the explanation of the East African Climate Paradox. Despite this, I thought it was a very good article that highlighted the fact that we need to be addressing climate change in all parts of the world and make sure everyone is equipped to deal with the changes that are coming. I wonder why climate change in Africa has not been talked about very much, since this article said that Africa is one of the most vulnerable places to climate change. After reading this article I feel as though climate change in Africa, and other parts of the world in general, need to be discussed more.

Alissa Walker (2019, October 26). Don’t lecture California about fires. Look at the state’s climate action. Retrieved November 6, 2019, from https://www.curbed.com/2019/10/29/20937249/california-wildfires-climate-change-emissions 

California has had many good impacts on the planet, and Californians should not be reprimanded for the numerous wildfires that occur because they are not directly related to climate change. In the 1970’s California was talking to policymakers to devise a plan to reduce their emissions. This was long before the federal government had even discussed the topic of climate change. California’s efforts have worked, over the past 40 years our 2020 goals were met 4 years early. California is also a large reason why other states are following in its footsteps, regarding transportation emissions and solar panels. Although California is not perfect, at least it has made an effort to reduce its emissions, which is something that cannot be said by many other places in the world.

This article makes me feel a lot better about where California stands in the global climate crisis. Although this article contradicts the other articles I have read on this topic, saying that California’s efforts have not been met with promising results, it is nice to know that maybe things are not as bad as they seem and that the many wildfires that we face here in California are not a direct result of our neglect towards our planet. This is not to say that California’s efforts have all been successful, but at least we are trying and we will continue to try and encourage other places in the world to do the same. 

James Temple (2019, November 01). California is on track to miss its climate targets- by a century. Retrieved November 6, 2019, from https://www.technologyreview.com/s/614663/california-is-on-track-to-miss-its-climate-targets-by-a-century/ 

If California citizens do not make a change, and soon, California will miss its climate targets by a longshot. California tries to be a global model for climate issues, with many of its residents using solar panels and electric cars. However, California residents have a hard time making a real impact because they do not reduce their emissions nearly enough. California has a goal of cutting carbon emissions by 2030 by 40% below what they were in 1990. But based on research, California is not predicted to hit this goal until 2061. Californians need to make drastic changes in order to attempt to hit these goals.

Reading this article really enlightened me to the effects and impacts that California has, especially as a climate model for the rest of the world. It’s so disheartening that we will miss our climate targets by over 30 years and makes me worried for the rest of the world that isn’t even trying to reduce their emissions at all. I think that as the article said, changes must be made in order to try to reach these goals. I think these changes need to include lifestyle changes of California’s citizens, but also bigger regulations by lawmakers. It has been proven that often times, people need to be nudged by the law in order to do the right thing. 

Lauren Frias (2019, November 01). Teen climate activist Greta Thunberg condemns inaction against the climate crisis in Los Angeles as wildfires rage across California. Retrieved November 6, 2019, from https://www.businessinsider.com/greta-thunberg-los-angeles-climate-strike-wildfires-rage-across-california-2019-11 

Greta Thunberg has had a tremendous impact on the Californias view towards climate change by the way she passionately educates Californians about climate change. Greta Thunberg is a 16 year old climate activist who is a large face in youth activism. She gave a speech in Los Angeles, California, at a protest that was organized to protest against the excessive fossil fuel and oil use in California. Thunberg also discussed the impact that climate change has on the terrible fires LA has been seeing. She said that she hopes and wishes that people with governmental power would use their power for good and help reduce climate change to also hopefully reduce California wildfires.

After hearing Greta Thunberg’s point of view, I really agree with her. I do think that there is most likely a correlation between California wildfires and climate change. I also think that the people holding power in California need to step up and make some hard decisions in order to better our state and try to get ourselves out of this deep hole we have dug ourselves with regards to climate change. I think one way this can be done is by getting lawmakers to make state laws to reduce the amount of fossil fuels and CO2 that Californians release, which will hopefully then progress and go nationwide someday.

Andrew Buncombe (2019, November 02). California wildfires: Climate change driving ‘horror and the terror’ of devastating blazes, says scientists. Retrieved November 6, 2019, from https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/california-wildfire-climate-change-evacuation-santa-ana-winds-devil-diablo-a9181886.html 

The effects of climate change on California has had a major on all of California, but particularly, California wildfires. Since climate change has caused the climate in California to be warmer, drier, and have more evaporation, it is also causing wildfires to become more severe and spread much quicker. This trend in fire severity is expected to continue unless something is done to combat climate change. Many California citizens are becoming angry at the government for not taking further action to prevent these terrible fires.

This article makes me feel a little scared, and very upset. I am uneasy because I do reside in California and after reading so much about the severity and impact fires will have in the future if climate change continues progressing like it is right now, it sounds like California will become a pretty unsafe place, especially during fire season because of the terrible impact these fires have already, and will even more so. I also think that more action needs to be taken on a governmental level to prevent these fires, but also as California citizens I think we also need to stop contributing to climate change. It is no surprise that the way many people live in California is not sustainable, which definitely contributes heavily to climate change. I think many people need to adopt new lifestyles in order to help reduce climate change, while the government also needs to do something more large scale.

Eric Thayer (2019, November 01). Trump Stymies California Climate Efforts Even as State Burns. Retrieved November 3, 2019, from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/02/us/climate-change-california-fires-trump.html

President Trump has not made much progress or effort to combat climate change in California. Even as California is facing many tragic fires, Trump is still preventing the fight against climate change. Trump has vowed to help victims of the California fires and he is somewhat following up on those promises, however he still refuses to try and put an end to the root cause of them, climate change. Since his first days in office he has mocked global warming and tried to convince people that it is a hoax, pulled out of the Paris Agreement, and directed the Environmental Protection Agency to remove many of their policies that prevent global warming. There is an odd contradiction between Trumps’ willingness to help California fire victims and unwillingness to try and prevent the root cause. 

After reading this article, I feel as though Trump should be taking more action against climate change and stop taking it as a joke, especially since it is directly affecting his citizens. I also agree with the author in the sense that I think it is a little weird that President Trump is so willing to aid fire victims but is neglectant towards one of the possible underlying causes of the fires, climate change. I think he has been presented with ways to possibly help the urgent issue of global warming, however, he has continuously shot them down to focus on other issues, however I think that he needs to revisit the topic of climate change, given that it is such an immediate issue that may very well have permanent effects. Overall, this article is concerning and given that I live in California, an area very affected by fires, I wish that the issue would be treated with a sense of urgency.