November 15, 2023

Jasmine Nguyen

11th Grade

Fountain Valley High School

Background Information: The Climate Change Crisis

Imagine a world where people are starving from a food shortage, where once-common animals are on the brink of extinction, and where going outside starts to seem unbearable due to the constant heat waves. There’s no need to imagine it because that’s where the world is headed. Sea levels are rising, the temperature of oceans and our atmosphere are skyrocketing, and habitats are being destroyed. These are the consequences of the world’s increasing use of fossil fuels and production of greenhouse gases. 

As manufacturers and corporations continue to burn fossil fuels for their energy needs, an excess of greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide being the largest factor, accumulate in the atmosphere. These gases block the heat that is absorbed from the Sun; which otherwise would have been reflected back into outer space. With trapped heat, the Earth warms up– this is where the term “global warming” comes from. Understanding the origins of global warming is the first step to making a positive impact and reducing one’s carbon footprint.

How Aviation Contributes to Global Warming

In this day and age, it’s quite difficult to achieve a zero carbon footprint. From the daily car rides to school and the very food we eat, every individual’s daily activities are powered by fossil fuels. These factors significantly contribute to the emission of greenhouse gases during a lifetime. However, there is one activity that can immensely increase one’s carbon footprint within a couple of hours: aviation.

The Sustainability Movement: How We Are Changing

Currently, industries are gradually converting from the use of fossil fuels to biofuels as their main source of power. Living organisms such as plants and algae contain energy from the sun and can be altered into liquid fuels. Biofuels, such as ethanol and biodiesel, produce fewer air toxins and become a great alternative to fossil fuels. Some may argue that in the process of converting biomass, carbon dioxide is still produced through the use of combustion. However, the carbon dioxide produced equates to the amount of gas that was absorbed from the very same plants that were burned. Therefore, this process is considered carbon neutral. 

Obtaining hydrogen to power these fuel cells is still a work in progress. Electrolysis is a promising option to split water into oxygen and hydrogen molecules, but it can be quite expensive. Scientists acknowledge that they have a long way to go before fuel cells will become the primary source of energy for transportation. Nevertheless, many individuals are working hard to achieve a net-zero carbon emissions environment. The use of hydrogen fuel cells can and will play a role in changing the world for the better.