I remember sitting in a college auditorium about 10 years ago listening to 2 professors debate global warming. They each took their prospective sides and argued until they were blue in the face. One professor talked about the scientific evidence of gases like carbon dioxide being released when we burn fossil fuels. The accumulation of these gases in the atmosphere, trap heat and cause the Earth to warm—like the inside of a big, giant greenhouse. The other professor talked about the historical cycle of the Earth and how it’s a living entity that goes through cycles of cold (ice ages) and hot.

After the debate, I remember thinking that they both had some very good arguments to support their side of the story. But, in the end I was captivated by the greenhouse gas argument. Even if it is natural for the Earth to get colder and hotter, you can’t ignore the fact that greenhouse gases are having a destructive effect on our planet.  And, we need to work together to curb their use.

This was ten years ago—and the debate still continues. I’m encouraged that the U.S. Congress is working on an energy bill that will put into place measures that will help curb global warming. But, why has it taken ten years (or more, I’m sure). If scientists knew about global warming a decade ago, why are we just getting around to coming up with solutions today?

I’m glad people are learning about global warming and pushing the pendulum forward to get things moving. Even celebrities are rallying for the cause and getting people engaged.

I just wish it didn’t have to take ten years for people to take notice and really start rallying around causes like global warming—after all this is the only planet we have. If we don’t take care of it—who will?

It took a decade to get people to notice global warming—how long will it now take for changes to start being implemented to stop it?