The battle against global warming

by Ryan Hennigan

Earth Day is fast approaching and less than a week away. Most students in PHS are familiar with the term “global warming”. However, rather than taking direct action PHS will go on vacation and maybe even add an Earth Day specialty meal on their lunch menu.
It is of grave importance for PHS and everyone in general to take a stand on global warming; an Earth Day should not be needed to inspire action as it should be an everyday battle to save our planet. It is true that PHS holds school activities such as the Recycling Club. However, this may be far too little, too late for such a drastic problem occurring in our world right now.
The evidence is right in everyone’s back yards. Most teachers in PHS can remember back to times when Pembroke was completely covered in blankets of snow even in April. As recent as only three years ago, PHS was out of school a whole week due to a blizzard. This year as well as the previous, PHS only had one snow day for the whole year. It certainly seems that there is less and less snow every year.
Behind the physical evidence, the scientific evidence also backs the need for action now. Just since 1970, average winter temperatures in New England have risen 4.4 degrees. This has caused spring to start a whole week or two earlier. The IPCC has speculated this number to rise up to another 11.5 degrees over the next 50 years.
Most people know that global warming, in all probability, will contribute to a rise in sea levels, specie extinctions, and extreme weather events. However, more people could become won over for the cause if they heard that mosquitoes are one of the creatures that most highly benefit from the warming climate as they are multiplying in greater numbers and spreading more disease.
PHS desperately needs to make a stand on the issue. Posters and other forms of propaganda need to be created to send the message across to everybody. Students need to be informed on what they can do to help. Assemblies need to be held to let students know that they can do simple things such as drive less or raise their voices on the issue to raise awareness and create a positive change.