Before this is published I have/had 25 articles. Now I will no longer be able to view them all by setting the number to view to 25, so this is a milestone for me. I feel it is appropriate that it is contributing to a greater cause.

Image via Wikipedia

Now first of all, I think many people know that climate change is “out there”, meaning the biggest problem is those who choose to do nothing, or don’t believe it. I once literally had someone turn around during class and say, “Did you know global warming is fake?” I glared at him and he went back to listening to the teacher.

It does seem pretty easy to ignore climate change, as it doesn’t happen over night. Some say we can’t prove it, others say it isn’t hurting anyone.

People in both of those categories should take note that there has been a dramatic increase in hurricanes, and these hurricanes have been more powerful in the last few years. If you don’t see the connection, please read a book on weather before coming to us with your political garbage. But in addition to massive, deadly hurricanes and such, there are always the little things…

In the Mediterranean, many swimmers, divers, and boaters see what appear to be globs of mucus floating in and on the water. They are created when stuff like dead organisms and live bacteria start to build up, the makings of dust on land. Under water, however, they resemble… snot. This is called a mucilage. Don’t ask me why.

It has been proved by some scientists lacking a better hobby that these are bigger and more common during summer, when the seawater is more stable and it is easier for the stuff to stick together. Like other weather-related events, this disgusting goo has recently gotten worse, forming even in winter. They can grow over a hundred miles long. And if you think swimmers coming out of the water covered in goo is funny, consider the fact that fish can suffocate if the stuff covers their gills. You can kiss that Mediterranean fish dinner goodbye. And viruses like the dreaded E. Coli have been found spreading through them, so snot can really kill you.

A National Geographic article on the matter.

A TV show called Strange Days on Planet Earth, which had around five episodes and focused on the damage we’re doing to our planet, investigated a strange case of asthma. Actually, it was hundreds of cases of asthma. Children in the Caribbean were mysteriously catching a particularly nasty strain that originated in a lake in Africa. At the time, the lake was dry, so the asthma virus was caught in dust particles. As I said, hurricanes have become more powerful recently. Storms in the Indian Ocean created enough wind to kick up dust from the dry lake bed and carry it across most of the Atlantic Ocean, infecting the children on various islands. They even checked and found that outbreaks of asthma coincided with the storms. You never would have guessed, would you? And for the record, having asthma really sucks and there’s no cure.

This means that anything you can do to help can make a difference. In most areas it is easy to recycle, and in theory it’s easy to compost as well. I personally compost (so don’t flame me for being a hypocrite). There are plenty of guides to composting online, just Google it, and if you don’t know what to do with compost, you can sometimes sell it to companies (who will package it and sell it to someone else) or you can start a garden. It isn’t always as smelly as people say either. If you don’t compost, but toss food in the trash, it can cause harmful substances to form.

Hybrid cars don’t necessarily help because they use more heavy metals than Black Sabbath. But do stay away from SUVs. Get solar panels if you can, and try other ways to generate your own electricity and lower the amount you use.

Climate change is a problem we all need to work against, even you. Do your part to help out. And visit the Blog Action Day blog to see other people’s blogs and eventually see what the topic will be next year.