We have all heard the daunting predictions from the scientific community about climate change. Some people take it a lot more seriously than others do while some people just flat out think that climate change is a lie. Climate change is a threat to our economy, our agriculture, and our way of life as we know it. In 2019, according to the United Nations, we only have until 2030 to reduce carbon emissions before it is too late to reverse the damage (un.org). As inhabitants of the earth, especially living in the Great Lakes region, we have a responsibility to address the effects of climate change that we are seeing all over the world and even in our own state of Michigan.

While Michigan is often thought of as a state invulnerable to the worst natural disasters, we can see the devastation caused by climate change already in parts of the state. In 2020, Midland, Michigan experienced massive floods; what is now being called a 500-year flood event devastated the town. It was hit with 7 inches of rain in one day which caused a dam to fail and flood the town. This flood was so destructive because the Saginaw river runs through Midland and is held back by a dam that failed. The flood displaced 10,000 people from their homes and left midland devastated (French). Mid Michigan is a very industrial area and many people don't make enough money to deal with the damage to their homes. As scientists predict that massive rainstorms will increase, it is likely we will see more of these events happening all over Michigan.

 There is also great concern over the rising water levels in the Great Lakes caused by climate change. Communities near lakes and rivers are in great danger due to the rising water levels because just one rainstorm could cause a massive flood that would destroy property. Grosse Pointe is one community that could be affected by the rising water levels. I live in Grosse Pointe and I am lucky enough to live in the high part, but every time it rains and I drive on Lakeshore, it is flooded and the waves are crashing over the sea wall. I know that many people in GP downplay the severity of climate change, but our community needs to start taking it seriously before it’s too late. We have a responsibility to protect the nature that we are lucky enough to have in this state. 

The United States is a huge emitter of greenhouse gas emissions, which has already caused serious implications.  We see the impact of climate change on our communities when we hear about massive droughts and wildfires that are causing crops to die and destroying farmland and forests. We have heard about the water shortages caused by droughts, which are leading to farmers not being able to water their crops, and then the crops don’t produce or, worse, they die. According to National Geographic, the Great Plains region is going to start having massive heat waves which could kill crops and reduce work hours (Borunda). The impact of climate change on the country's agricultural industry will be devastating. We could have massive food shortages due to crops dying and food will have to be mass-produced another way but this could lead to millions of people starving to death.  The country is already feeling the effects of climate change and they are only going to get worse if we don't find solutions to start reducing our greenhouse gas emissions.

 Climate change is a huge threat to the world economy but also to the United States. Studies have shown that climate change is widening the gap between the middle class and the top 1% in this country (DeWeerdt). Combating climate change is not cheap, so wealthy communities are able to more easily adapt to the use of renewable energy. FEMA offers property buyouts to people in flood-prone areas and according to data from the agency, buyouts are often happening in wealthier communities. The World Bank estimates that climate change could push 100 million more people under the poverty line by 2030 (iberdrola.com). There is hope for the future of economic growth if we choose to address climate change soon. Clean energy could give millions of people access to a stable energy source, compact cities could save 17 billion dollars by 2050, and switching to sustainable farming practices could generate around 2 billion dollars per year (iberdrola.com). Climate change is a huge threat to the economy, but if we can switch to greener practices, we could save the planet and boost our economy in the process. 

We have a responsibility to protect the earth and nature that we are so lucky to have. If we fail to address climate change in the near future, we could lose natural resources and ultimately our planet and our lifestyle will cease to exist as we know it. We as a country need to realize that climate change is not a political issue but one that threatens us all and it needs to be addressed at all levels of leadership, nationally and locally. There are multiple proposed solutions to curbing emissions but for some reason in this country, trying to save the planet is a radical idea. Our leaders are so beholden to oil and gas companies, that anything that could hurt their profits is not done. To solve this problem, the people of this country need to stop valuing profits over human lives. We have the ability to save our planet and even boost our economy in the process, but in order for that to happen, we need to put our differences aside. 

Works Cited

Borunda, Alejandra. "Climate impacts grow, and U.S. must act, says new report." nationalgeographic.com, 23 Nov. 2018, www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2018/11/climate-change-US-report0/#close.

DeWeerdt, Sarah. "Here's how climate change policies could end up widening the wealth gap." anthropocenemagazine.org, 15 Oct. 2019, www.anthropocenemagazine.org/2019/10/how-climate-change-policies-widen-wealth-gap/.

French, Caitlyn. "How a spring rainstorm became a 500-year flood event in mid-Michigan." mlive.com, 24 May 2020, www.mlive.com/news/saginaw-bay-city/2020/05/how-a-spring-rainstorm-became-a-500-year-flood-event-in-mid-michigan.html.

iberdrola.com. www.iberdrola.com/environment/impacts-of-climate-change.

un.org. 28 Mar. 2019, www.un.org/press/en/2019/ga12131.doc.htm.