Hurricanes. Droughts. Wildfires. Many extreme weather events have been at least partially attributed to climate change, including the winter storm in early January that caused Columbus to get almost ten inches of snow in the span of two days. Senior Roma Sriram comments on some changes to local weather she’s noticed in the past few years.
“Five years ago, we had a pretty heavy winter, but I feel like this year it’s definitely more exacerbated than previous years,” Sriram said.
Junior Ava Bennett also thinks that this year’s winter weather seems a bit different.
“Originally, it was so hot and we didn’t get snow for a long time,” Bennett said. “Now, the insane change in weather is difficult for me to swallow.”
Environmental Science teacher John Murphy explains that the sudden shift in weather Bennett described might be attributable to climate change.
“Regionally, it may be different, but one of the things that evidence has suggested is that climate change, when it’s happening, you’ll get violent swings in weather,” Murphy said.
He also acknowledges that not everyone agrees on the topic of climate change.
“I think, more so the way it affects people right now is the controversy on if it truly is happening,” Murphy said.
Some, like Bennett, don’t have very strong feelings on the issue.
“I don’t really have much of an opinion because I feel like it’s tailored a lot to politics nowadays,” Bennett said.
Sriram, on the other hand, considers climate change a more serious issue.
“I think, as a society, we need more awareness about the issue,” Sriram said. “It’s not really given as much importance.”
For students who are worried about how climate change may impact the world, Murphy has some suggestions.
“Get information,” Murphy said. “Go to things like NOAA and reputable sites and make your own decision.”
Sriram elaborates on some other ways students can help the environment.
“Make sure that you’re not using too much energy, whether it’s turning off the lights or making sure that the faucet isn’t running when you’re brushing your teeth,” Sriram said.
Additionally, Sriram advises not to think too negatively.
“The thing that I see is that a lot of students believe ‘I’m just one person, I can’t really make a difference,’ but I feel like that mindset should be avoided,” Sriram said.
Along with conserving resources and staying positive, Murphy recommends taking action in the community as well.
“As you get older, reach out to your representatives and make sure that they know you think it’s an issue,” Murphy said.
Sriram believes that students who wish to make an impact should do as much as possible to lessen their environmental impact.
“Changing your lifestyle to make sure that you’re doing the most you can and recommending that to any friends or family members does make an incredibly big difference,” Sriram said.
