PAC Student Media

By Aaron Garcia
Pulse Staff Reporter

As the Earth’s temperature continues to rise, students at Palo Alto College are taking steps to try to make the world a cleaner and better environment for future generations.

Climate change might be affecting you more than you know. As time passes, increases in global temperature will hurt environments all over the world. From the obvious melting of the ice caps, to droughts, which also cause wildfires, to increased severe weather, like hurricanes and tornadoes, everyone is involved.

At times, climate change and the impact that it holds is often shrugged off by students. Some look at it as just a theory, but evidence from NASA has shown that the Earth’s global average temperature for the first 10 months of 2018 was about 1.8 degrees above what it was in the late 1800s. With excessive carbon dioxide being emitted into the atmosphere since the Industrial Revolution, the Earth is facing a real threat.

One of the first steps to beat back climate change is to get charged up with renewable (clean) energy resources, such as using solar energy to power your home or even having an electric vehicle.

Liberal Arts Major, Brandon Pogue made the change from a big truck to a hybrid sedan.

“Obviously it helps make a change. I noticed right away that I was making a difference with a hybrid car,” said Pogue.

Criminal Justice Major and new father Andres Morales said, “I try to help in anyway I can, from recycling to giving or catching a ride with friends to save gas. I want to make the best place for my daughter to live in,” said Morales.

Other students don’t quite believe that the Earth faces a serious threat because of climate change. Psychology Major Kayla Davis thinks that if the climate change was serious, why hasn’t anything happened.

“I think the footage that is used of the ice caps has a bit of propaganda to it. All they have to do is find a lonely polar bear on a floating piece of ice, and boom there you have it, a message about the ice caps melting,” said Davis.

Club Earth at Palo Alto College offers activities that give students the opportunity to take part in making the world a better place. Palo Alto students want to get involved to help the environment and make a difference, not only globally, but also in their community.

With programs like Club Earth, college students see others get involved and possibly have the desire to make a difference themselves, Club Earth encourages students to treat the Earth the right way with recycling, planting trees and cleaning up areas around the community.

To learn more about climate change impact, visit 350.org. To get involved by joining Club Earth at Palo Alto College, contact the Student Life Office at (210) 486-3125 or sign up in AlamoSync.