Climate Change & the WWF

JENNA BENSON

phenomenon includes the warming of

INTRODUCTION .
the earth, but also the problems that
Since its foundation, the World
sprout from Earth’s temperature rise,
Wildlife Fund has been invested in
including the increased melting of polar
defending and repairing the
ice, glacier shrinkage, and rising sea
environment. One of the most pressing
levels.[2]
and fastest-growing issues that the
WWF, and the human race in general,
has faced in the past few decades has
been climate change. With the rate that
climate change is increasing, the
phenomenon will heavily affect
environmental organizations like the
World Wildlife Fund. The organization
has attempted to alleviate the issue’s
impact on the earth, but while the WWF
continues to fight against climate
change, I have a few recommendations
for how they can strengthen their
stance. My report will discuss what
These effects are caused by the heat
climate change is, why we should try our
that is trapped into the earth’s
best to mitigate the it, and how the
atmosphere by the planet’s gases – a
WWF can do so.
concept called the “greenhouse effect”.
Earth’s natural greenhouse, which is
WHAT IS CLIMATE CHANGE? . caused by water vapor, carbon dioxide,
This may appear to be a simple methane, nitrous oxide, and
question, but there is often a lot of chlorofluorocarbons, has seen an
confusion when tasked with answering increase in atmospheric CO2 due to the
it. First off, climate change and global burning of fossil fuels during humans’
warming, despite people who think the activities. So while naturally the earth’s
terms are interchangeable, are not the climate does change, we humans have
same thing. Since the 20th century, quickened the rate of that change.[3]
Earth’s global temperature has steadily
risen, creating a warming effect. This is
global warming, but global warming is
part of a larger, more complicated issue
known as climate change. This

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JENNA BENSON
WHO CARES? . IN CONCLUSION
To many, climate change is an
issue that seems distant, like it will not
change the planet enough to affect them
or their region. This toll will hurt every
continent on earth in various ways –
incitement of extreme and dangerous
weather, decay of human health and
spread of disease, acidification and
heating of the oceans, increase of forest
fires, rise of waters, and death of entire
ecosystems.[4] The WWF has the
resources and power to help reduce
these symptoms.
Despite climate change’s slow
creep toward every region of the earth, it
will get there. It is our duty now to
ensure that our planet stays as healthy
as possible to us today and those in the
future.
.
Many individuals and
organizations are fighting to decrease
climate change, but more needs to
happen. Though the World Wildlife Fund
has organized several large projects in
an attempt to minimize the issue, there
are three ways that need to change
more rapidly than climate change is
increasing. I recommend that the WWF
focuses on educating the public,
lightening the use of fossil fuels [4], and
reducing deforestation[5].
EDUCATION .
Educating the public is one of the
biggest obstacles I see in the way of the
WWF in regards to this issue. Climate
change has become a polarized,
political issue, when is should be a
scientific one. Much of America – the
world, even – doesn’t seem to have a
firm grasp on what climate change is.
The World Wildlife fund should use their
reach and resources to ensure that
people understand what climate change
is and how it negatively affects them
and their family.
I think to deal with the issue of
climate change the WWF must spend
more money on promotion and
outreach. I rarely see any promotions
from the WWF – and that should
change.
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JENNA BENSON

DECREASE FOSSIL FUELS .

Renewable energy is one of the
most important keys to mitigating, and
perhaps even stopping, unnatural
climate change. Renewable energies
are even more cost-effective than fossil
fuels, which are old, dirty, and bad for
the environment. Approximately 40
percent of the United States’
atmospheric carbon dioxide pollution
comes from humans burning fossil fuels
like coal. While renewable energy is not
completely waste free, it would
Many people may assume that
significantly lessen the amount of
there are obstacles in the way of fossil
human pollution in the environment.
fuel reduction, like money, which is why
Replacing fossil fuels with renewable
the WWF must ensure that they know
energies is something that the World
renewable energy is a completely
Wildlife Fund needs to attempt. By
feasible goal for the world, and
championing this upcoming industry,
especially for bigger, more compact
they would provide much-needed [7]
areas like cities. Large cities have been
This step of climate change
challenged by the WWF to rely 100% on
reduction is similar to the first one of
renewable energy, and that is an
introducing renewable energy; however,
impossible goal without this
it is much more specific to fossil fuels.
information.[5]
Integrating renewable energy in urban
and suburban areas is pointless if
individuals are not willing to give up their DEFORESTATION .
use of fossil fuels. It is the duty of the Deforestation may not be what
World Wildlife Foundation to explain to immediately pops into one’s mind when
the public why fossil fuels are “bad” and they consider climate change. However,
why they should be replaced by cleaner deforestation plays a huge role in
energy. causing climate change. Forests play an
important role to the balance of the
earth’s atmosphere: they help regulate
the amount of CO2 and O2 in the air.
When entire swaths of forests are

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JENNA BENSON
irresponsibly destroyed for land
conversion and the logging industry, that
balance is chipped away little by little.[8]
One-fourth of all greenhouse gas
emission can be traced back to the land-
use, forestry, and agriculture
industries.[9] The greenhouse effect is
furthered when the excess carbon
dioxide cannot be controlled and is
released into the atmosphere.
The WWF can work to stop this
by reducing deforestation. It is important
that any new litigation regarding climate
change includes regulations and rules
that dictate industries that perpetuate
deforestation.
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JENNA BENSON

REFERENCES

[1] “Climate Change Evidence: How Do We Know?” NASA, NASA, 10 Aug. 2017,
climate.nasa.gov/evidence/.

[2] “Global Climate Change: Questions (FAQ).” NASA, NASA, 18 Mar. 2015,
climate.nasa.gov/faq/.

[3] “Climate Change Causes: A Blanket around the Earth.” NASA, NASA, 10 Aug. 2017,
climate.nasa.gov/causes/.

[4] “Climate & Energy.” WWF,

wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/footprint/climate_carbon_energy/.

[5] “Effects of Climate Change.” WWF, World Wildlife Fund,

www.worldwildlife.org/threats/effects-of-climate-change.

[6] July 26, 2016 Noah Long Kevin Steinberger. “Renewable Energy Is Key to Fighting
Climate Change.” NRDC, 15 Dec. 2016, www.nrdc.org/experts/noah-long/renewable-
energy-key-fighting-climate-change.

[7] “Importance of Renewable Energy in the Fight against Climate Change.” WWF,
World Wildlife Fund, www.worldwildlife.org/magazine/issues/summer-
2015/articles/importance-of-renewable-energy-in-the-fight-against-climate-change--3.

[8] “WWF Forest and Climate Programme.” WWF,

wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/footprint/forest_climate/.

[9] “Forest and Climate Change.” WWF,

wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/deforestation/climate_change_and_forest/.