Scientists are increasingly confident that the earth's climate is changing, a trend that will likely continue into the future. They say global warming is already causing a variety of devastating effects, including longer and hotter heat waves, droughts, heavier rainfall and more frequent and severe hurricanes.
UF has played a significant role in helping to address this issue, both by educating students about the dangers of global warming and implementing initiatives to combat it. For example, the college has a Climate Action Plan that includes a Carbon Neutrality Goal for its campus, and UF's athletic program became carbon neutral by planting trees as part of the University's commitment to sustainability.
We're all responsible for a small amount of the climate change that's happening. But we have to act fast to stop it from getting worse.
The World Bank estimates that limiting global temperature rise to 1.5degC could protect vulnerable populations, keep coral reefs intact and keep a livable world for humans. But current policies point to a 2.8degC rise by the end of the century.
The best way to help address the problem is to use renewable energy, recycle whenever possible and turn off lights and appliances when they're not in use. These efforts will help decrease the amount of emissions that are emitted into the atmosphere, which in turn will prevent global warming from occurring.
