We have heard it all for the past couple years, from “Our world is dying” to “It’s a myth.” While neither of those are particularly true, global warming, or “global climate change,” is real. Throughout history our planet has had natural climate changes––ice ages, droughts, unceasing rain––but this time the issues are man-made.

For those who insist that even climate change is false: how can you explain the fact that it was colder in Texas than Alaska at one point this winter? Yes, there was an enormously strong El Niño this winter, but that was caused by the increase in barometric pressure and rising temperature, coupled with evaporating ocean water from high temperatures all of which is caused by global climate change. Snow was dumped on 49 states this year because of the massive change. So I implore you not to be stuck in the ignorant belief that since it was cold this winter global climate change isn’t true.

And whether you like it or not, most of these issues were man-made. The increase in fluorocarbons, or greenhouse gasses in layman’s terms, is caused by our industrialization all over the world: from the seemingly endless sprawl of booming China to the endless flow of cars on the interstate.

Going green is great, but it might be too late, green needed to go global years ago. This effort was hindered when we had a president who rejected the Kyoto Protocol, which would have regulated the release of green house gasses.

But there is still hope. We can save this planet together, but we must all be under one banner. And the first step towards unification is to break this cycle of denial and realize that our world is going through an unprecedented change. Will we let this planet dwindle as we sit idly by driving our Hummers and twiddling our thumbs denying the facts, or are we going to make a concerted effort to save this planet?