The Impacts of Climate Change in the State of West Virginia
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The Impacts of Climate Change in the State of West Virginia
Across the globe, climate change has become a serious and prevailing threat to the environment, communities, and health. Particularly, climate change is an ongoing concern in the state of West Virginia. In the last decade, most of the state has warmed between 1 and 1.5 degrees (F), and the region is frequently experiencing frequent rainstorms (WV Rivers, n.d). In the coming decades, scientists have predicted climate change to cause increased flooding, increase various health issues, harm the ecosystem, and threaten certain recreational activities.
Various actions have been taken by local and national/international organizations to bring a change to the state’s climate condition. For example, educators have introduced climate change with a generous framework that establishes the basis of science, the fundamental standards of climate science, and dependence on robust scientific research to support this recommendation. According to Patterson (2018), international organizations such as UNEP, IPCC, NCAR, and NCDC have set out strategies for mitigating climate change. However, this issue has not yet been solved. This is because most politicians from the national to local level disregard climate science. Whether it’s in the statehouse or the classroom, people should not confuse political debates concerning climate change response with the misleading discussion on whether climate science is valid or not.
There is overwhelming evidence linking climate change with human activities in the state of West Virginia. Particularly, the burning of fossil fuels such as coal increases greenhouse gas concentration, including carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. In turn, these gases amplify the greenhouse impact, thus leading to an increase in temperatures in the atmosphere, land surface, and ocean. Continued extraction and burning of these fuels may expand climate change to cover the entire globe. Lastly, local environmental groups are not focusing on one issue. Rather, they are trying to address multiple problems, including awareness creation and educating locals on the importance of protecting the environment, and reaching out to the government to provide funds for environmental protection programs.
References
Climate Change in West Virginia – WV Rivers. Retrieved 12 November 2020, from https://wvrivers.org/climate/
Patterson, B. (2018). Unpacking The Ways Climate Change is Affecting West Virginia. Retrieved 12 November 2020, from https://www.wvpublic.org/news/2018-10-18/unpacking-the-ways-climate-change-is-affecting-west-virginia