July of 2019 was the hottest month ever recorded on Earth. Glaciers melted, sea levels rose, wildfires raged and tons of carbon dioxide poured into the atmosphere. Climate change got worse this summer and it will keep getting worse until major societal change does something to stop it. 

Oftentimes, the argument for stopping climate change is that “the planet needs saving,” or that the environment is in imminent danger. This is only partially true. 

The environment we live in now is definitely in danger. Human-driven carbon dioxide emissions have led to the warming of the planet. That is no longer a question. However, nature itself will survive. The planet will continue to spin, most likely still teeming with many forms of life that are more adaptable than we are. 

It is not the planet that needs saving here. It is humanity. 

By 2050, the U.S. Geological Survey suggests that we will see sea levels rise by 19 inches. If that happens, hundreds of thousands of New York City residents will be flooded out of their homes, as will millions more Americans living along the coast. The damage will be irreparable and worse than any single natural disaster we have yet experienced. 

Climate change has already had effects on the way we live. Especially in the Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River shoreline regions, high water levels have destroyed and flooded thousands of people’s homes and businesses, with levels barely dropping to acceptable levels well into the summer months. 

The presence of pests is only getting worse as well. Ticks in upstate New York are more numerous and dangerous than ever before. 

We have only just begun to see what the effects of climate change can do, and much of the scientific information about what is happening around us is being hidden, adjusted or just plain ignored. 

The best time to be eco-friendly is right now. Please, start considering what impact you have on the environment and how you can help slow the pace of climate change with your actions, your vote and your voice.