To the scientific community’s dismay, much of the American Population is still in denial about the threat that man-made Climate Change has on every aspect of global life.

According to a 2016 Gallup poll, 36% of the population does not believe we should worry about Global Warming. Many lawmakers are still unwilling to accept man’s impact on the climate. In addition to a big portion of the general public who has yet to be convinced about the challenges that climate change bring. Our President-Elect Donald Trump, has stated that Climate Change is a hoax. Eighty percent of Republicans do not believe climate change is a concern, compared to 32% of Democrats. There is no doubt that climate change is a polarizing and decisive issue that has been politicized in recent years.

According to a NASA Analysis, August of 2016 was the hottest month measured since contemporary records began in 1880; breaking the previous record held by July 2016. Why is this so scary you may ask?
Firstly, it was the 11th straight month to break the previous monthly heat record. Secondly, 2016 is now guaranteed to go down in history as the warmest year on record. Lastly, records show that the planet is 2oF warmer than it was during the 19th century. Two degrees does not sound that bad. However, spread out for the entire world it has a very large impact on polar ice, agriculture, coastal erosion, and water safety.

Climate change has a profound impact on South Floridians and on the state of Florida as a whole. In addition to being the most hurricane-prone state in the country, coastal areas such as Miami may be profoundly affected by the ever-changing climate. The increasing amount of melting glaciers will lead to the possibility of more flooding and an increase of severity of the flooding. This can lead to thousands upon thousands of South Florida residents to losing their homes, businesses, and even their lives.

Many climate change deniers have stated that the Earth is going through a cyclic period of increased temperatures. The scientific community says otherwise, as according to the IPCC 95% of the mainstream scientific community believes in climate change being man made. The primary catalyst for this belief is the rapid increase in CO2. Humans are chiefly responsible for the spike. At the start of the industrial revolution back in the 19th century there were 280 ppm of CO2 in the atmosphere, which has been the level for most of human history. Currently, concentrations exceed 400 ppm, which is unprecedented. Most of the increase has been caused by people burning fossil fuels. There is no scientific doubt, that something needs to be done about climate change. However, this is not a simple task. It must be a cohesive effort made by citizens and lawmakers. Lawmakers have an obligation to this country’s people to look out for the future of this country. Prominent political figures continue to deny the inconvenient truth that is man made climate change, and this must be stopped. They must take legislative action to preserve the world for future generations. We as citizens of this country have a moral obligation to keep them in check and make sure they do.