25 Don’t Tell Us It’s Hopeless ~ Taylor Anaba
By Taylor Anaba, Montgomery College, Maryland
“I stand at the center of a world that needs to empower the next generation to health the earth.”
A lot of the discussion surrounding climate change is very negative. I feel like it’s been harder on our generation than most, because of how much misinformation is spread. So many people try to convince us that it’s too late for any real change. It’s depressing to live as though the future isn’t guaranteed. After watching the video below, I realized that there’s still time to turn things around. I realized that there’s still time to turn things around. My project will be a presentation shedding light on the true causes of climate change, and what we can do to fix things.
From the United Nations Video Library ~ “New UN Climate Change Initiatives” December 2020 (2:01)
Video Summary and Quotes: This video talks about the 40 initiatives launched during the 2019 UN Climate Action Summit, and emphasizes the fact that we still have time to save the planet.
“Businesses and investors are joining the race to net zero emissions by 2025.”
The emission of excess greenhouse gases is what increases the gas in the atmosphere. Big businesses are the ones who emit the most pollution; if they were to reduce emissions it would be a huge step in the right direction.
“We are making progress but we need to do much more.”
Even though the new initiatives will help, it won’t be enough to completely restore the planet to what it used to be. The fight against climate change has to be a joint effort.
My topic is the truth behind climate change. This video exposes the truth by focusing on the positive aspects of climate change, and what we can do to fix it. A lot of people try to focus on the negative to push the narrative that we’ve run out of time to save the planet; this video completely debunks that.
A Strong Institution Can Help Solve the Problem
The Maryland Energy Innovation Institution was founded in 2017 by the University of Maryland. Its mission is to turn local renewable research into national technology. They are directly working to save the planet. They are strong and sustainable because they have the backing of a successful university, and they work with lots of climate change activists within Maryland.
“MEII has awarded $400K/year in Energy Seed Grants and has helped launch 15 companies in the state of Maryland.”
The grants from this institution have created real change in our community. The second statement that caught my attention was, “UMD Scientists Convert Methane without Greenhouse Gas Emissions” Greenhouse gas emissions are the leading cause of global warming.