As we mark Earth Day, more and more Americans say we need to prioritize ways to be greener.
Seven in 10 say we should make it a priority to develop alternative energy sources like wind and solar.
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“I don’t know if we can do enough . . . I think we’re trying, but, I don’t know if it is something that can be stopped,” Detroit resident Nick Bailey said.
It’s something we’ve heard a lot about recently with major weather events affecting millions, and that’s climate change.
Record flooding in California, significant snowfall in the West, major hurricanes making landfall along the South destroying communities. And here in Michigan, we’re seeing the effects of climate change as well.
Read: UN’s weather agency: 2022 was nasty, deadly, costly and hot
Samara Ammons is visiting Detroit from Florida.
“Yes, it’s happening right before our eyes, I was just wearing a coat four days ago, and now I’m wearing short sleeves, this is crazy,” Ammons said.
According to new social sciences studies, more people are aware and even concerned that our atmosphere is warming.
“People are more concerned in general than we tend to think they are. That’s true about almost any group of people you ask about,” associate professor of communication Dr. Jonathon Schuldt said.
And as the earth continues to warm, we’re going to see more events that are going to make headlines, even in Michigan.
“You go back to the floods of August 2014, and then the summer of 2021, 500-thousand-year rainfall events. We didn’t usually get these with that kind of frequency, but now we’re starting to see more and more of that,” Local 4 Meteorologist Emeritus Paul Gross said. “We can’t stop the warming in the short term, it will continue to warm, but what we need to do is to slow the warming.”
But, what’s causing climate change? The answer to that can be quite a few things. But one thing most people agree on is that something has to be done.
“The window is shrinking to take aggressive action to avert the most catastrophic warming protections. The issue is getting more coverage, people are more aware of it now,” Schuldt said.
You can take steps to slow global warming right now. Use less energy at home, switch to LED light bulbs, and recycle more. I’m Bryan Schuerman, Local 4.
The United Nations has a list 10 actions for everyone to consider to help in the fight against climate change:
- Save energy at home
- Walk, bike, or take public transport
- Eat more vegetables
- Consider your travel
- Throw away less food
- Reduce, reuse, repair & recycle
- Change your home’s source of energy
- Switch to an electric vehicle
- Make your money count
- Speak up