Marshfield, WI (OnFocus) Members of the Marshfield High School Science Olympiad team are keeping climate change a part of the the conversation this Earth Day.
Seniors Carter Chojnacki, Suhaas Bhat and Miles Roth put together posters as a side project to bring students more information during their lunch hour on the environmental and economic impact of climate change, and to address the top five misconceptions about the issue.
“For the issue of, are humans causing climate change, we can look at carbon 12, 13, and 14 isotopes and identify where CO2 is emitted from, whether it’s human sources or something like volcanoes,” said Chojnacki.
They addressed other questions people might have, such as how global warming can exist when it’s a record cold day outside, and why people should care about glaciers melting and rising sea levels even if they don’t live near the coast.
In their research, the trio discovered that by the end of the century, climate change will have a global impact of $600 trillion.
“That’s a really staggering number considering the total wealth of the world is only $300 trillion,” said Chojnacki.
The cost comes partly from human displacement – for example, if the sea were to rise several meters, a highly populated area like Manhattan could end up underwater.
Another eye-opening consideration was the environmental impact of climate change on insect populations in the past 100 years.
“We’re in the middle of a mass extinction level event because of climate change,” he said. “It’s a really dire issue and it provides a systemic threat to society.”
The group looked into potential solutions for climate change, including energy alternatives such as wind, hydroelectric, nuclear, and geothermal energy. Students could sign a petition to send their senator or congressman in support of a low-carbon future.
“We just want climate change to be a priority,” said Chojnacki.
Author: News Desk
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