Everyone has definitely been feeling the heat recently, from fluctuating temperatures and fleeting chances of rain to sudden, freezing weather that could blow anyone away. With record highs every single day, someone has to be wondering what is going on with the world. September has never welcomed temperatures in the high 90s in the past, but this heat wave is suddenly coming to it with open arms. La Nina’s arrival this month has certainly had an effect on above-average temperatures and below-average rainfall, but no one has ever seen it get so severe. However, the discomfort felt in California is nothing compared to the suffering experienced in tropical, underdeveloped countries. 

After experiencing summers so unbelievably hot that school had to be canceled, it’s appalling that no one wants to question the impacts of pollution on the people who can’t just turn on the AC. With the addition of heavy rain and typhoons, the infrastructure of countries such as Vietnam is ripping at the seams. Bridges have collapsed, houses have sunk, and an entire village has disappeared under the water. People are wondering where their families could possibly be under layers of mud and debris, but this never seems to reach coverage. All it is to some people is a minor inconvenience that will never truly be solved.

Now, everyone has their own issues, but the ability to both mitigate the effects of climate change and fix the infrastructure of places affected is very clearly given to first-world countries with much more money and resources. Climate change is quite literally crushing people who have little idea how to solve these issues without significant help from others. This becomes more devastating when realizing the contributions these countries make to the environment, with major rainforests and habitats for many endangered species. On the other hand, many industrialized countries have stepped on them with their carbon footprint and have no intention of lifting the weight from their shoulders. Even with the efforts made by activists and environmental scientists, the wound that climate change has opened in these places will only continue to fester.

Even as I try to point out these issues, I can only do so much, and others can as well. Recycling, reducing the amount of power used, and so many little things contribute heavily when it comes to someone’s personal carbon footprint. If hundreds of thousands of people out of these millions lifted their footprint, then it certainly wouldn’t be so heavy for those who have to bear it. It is certainly severe right now, and it absolutely seems hopeless to some after years of advocating for change, but it will always be possible.