Chlorofluorocarbons, Hydrofluorocarbons, Perfluorocarbons, WHHHAATTTT!?!?!

After reading the second section of Climate Changed, I realized just how little I actually know about global warming. Squarzoni basically bombarded us with a whole bunch of facts about gases like methane and carbon dioxide, the greenhouse effect, the many different kinds of carbons that are out there like halocarbons, chlorofluorocarbons, hydrofluorocarbons, and perfluorocarbons, fossil fuels, and so many other topics about climate change that I had no idea existed. I feel like Squarzoni; as he is learning and reading books (as illustrated in the graphic memoir) about climate change so am I.

To be honest, I never really cared for the environment like I should. I mean I don’t litter, I try my best to recycle, I try not to waste water, but I never realized how serious this all is. The carbon dioxide levels are rapidly increasing, the amount of methane has doubled, and there are new gases that have been formed in the atmosphere because of us. Well what does that even mean? Ok carbon dioxide levels are increasing, so what? I never thought it was that big of a deal, but it is. By 2030, the carbon dioxide levels will hit “a tipping point” and I’m pretty sure none of us would want to stick around to see what exactly will happen during this “tipping point.” The ozone layer is depleting, the ice caps are melting, the sea levels are rising. None of this should be happening. I remember talking to one of my teachers about the end of the world and he said that World War III would cause the end of the world because countries now have access to nuclear weapons that could potentially destroy other countries. Another teacher heard this comment and said that we are going to cause the end of the world because of our complete disregard to how we treat the planet. We will cause World War III; it will be us against mother nature and this is one war, I’m sure, we should not count on winning.