Benjamin Hood 4/25/20 ATMO-1020-505-Sp20 Prof. Christopher Foster Climate change will influence the world for generations and our actions will pave the road for the future. Since the whole planet is changing and everyone is feeling the changes in different ways, some more severe than others, its difficult to narrow in on one concern of climate change. However, with recent circumstances causing most individuals to have to stay inside and away from people I felt it was important to focus on outdoor activities and how climate change is affecting these ventures. Climate change and the environment changing may cause many people's outdoor activities to cease to exist. I greatly appreciate hiking, Muay Thai (Thai Boxing), bike riding, rock climbing, and skiing. With environmental changes, most of these activities could very likely vanish in my lifetime, because of the effect it would have on my life and the lives of many people I feel it is important to address the problems that may be right around the corner. In recent years the planet has seen sever storms, dangerous heat, drought, and flooding that has caused many to have to reconsider their lifestyle and living conditions. Many water based activities, such as whitewater rafting, kayaking, etc. are suffering a likelihood of ceasing to exist. Flooding is causing damage to coastal cities and areas near large bodies of water at a much more common and more dangerous amount. Ocean levels are rising which is assisting flooding and causing many to have to abandon their homes. In other areas, water levels are recreating and the fear that it may become too dangerous or not possible at all to participate in kayaking, rafting, or canoeing, some regions may become uninhabitable. With hiking, you would risk breathing issues due to the thinning air found at a higher elevation, and with climate change, the thin air would become worse and worse. Also, with extreme weather conditions, mountains may become very cold or hot, which could become unbearable for living organisms. Hiking is arguable a summer activity, and during the winter skiing, snowboarding, and sledding is my favorite activity. This points at a zombie theory where people argue, "How is the planet warming if it's snowing?" The planet is warming overall even though we have cold spots. We are seeing changes in winter seasons. Powder days and the seasons are decreasing in time and this is very daunting for future generations. Some groups like Protect Our Winters (POW) are taking action against climate change. POW is trying to unite winter athletes and their community to help protect the places and lifestyles they love so much. The argument that surrounds most debated topics is the effect of monetary profit or loss. In current news, many argue that the corona virus is detrimental to the economy, this leads many to believe we must reopen business and industries before we destroy the market. The same logic follows climate change, that turning to renewable energy sources, cutting out fossil fuels, transferring to electric cars, and similar measures to combat climate change would be too negative to the marketplace. If we did have the outdoor recreation industry shutting down, there would be devastating shock waves affecting everything, from personal health to the economy. However, neglecting to fix climate change would leave extensive damage to the system. In the US people spend almost 900 billion dollars on various outside activities each year. When attending outdoor activities it is important to consider whether; if you're hiking you don't want to go during a blizzard; if you're going swimming it is essential to make sure the waves aren't too severe. By doing nothing while the climate worsens will have a domino effect and collapse the economy, you may not see it now, but climate change will inflict massive net costs on the United States and other nations. In conclusion, climate change is continuing to worsen and will affect everyone's life, and pretty soon it will become irreversible. If you enjoy going outside and interacting with the environment it is important to pay attention to climate change and help solve the issues that have sprung up. The argument that all of this will not affect us is simply false, it has already and will proceed to worsen for generations to come and the action we take now will shape those generations and the planet they live on.
“Climate Change Is Changing the Face of Outdoor Recreation: Feature: Parks and Recreation Magazine: NRPA.” National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), www.nrpa.org/parks-recreation-magazine/2017/october/climate-change-is-changing-the-face-of-outdoor-recreation/.
“Homepage.” Protect Our Winters, protectourwinters.org/.
“How Will Climate Change Affect Outdoor Recreation?” Resources for the Future, www.resourcesmag.org/common-resources/how-will-climate-change-affect-outdoor-recreation/.
Kirsten, et al. “The Impact of Climate Change on Outdoor Recreation.” Bearfoot Theory, 6 May 2017, bearfoottheory.com/impact-of-climate-change-on-outdoor-recreation/.