Since President Donald Trump’s Dec. 28 tweet that asserted since it was a cold night on the East coast, the country should not pay trillions of dollars to protect against global warming, people have had concerns about the White House’s ability to reason. Despite Trump’s logic, scientists almost unanimously believe in climate change. The Earth experienced the warmest year to date in 2016, setting a record for the third year in a row. Warming temperatures threaten our planet’s natural systems, as an increase of 0.5 degrees Celsius can increase sea level as well as storm intensity by 30 percent. Ninety percent of scientists agree that climate change is real, so where does the rest of the world stand?

China

According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, China is the leader in carbon dioxide emissions with 6.59 metric tons per capita carbon dioxide emissions from fuel combustion and produces 28 percent of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions. As of 2015, the United States follows with 15 percent; however, the country’s population only consists of a fourth of the world’s population.

Los Angeles

In Hollywood, there are many celebrities who utilize their platforms to educate the public about climate change. Actors Meryl Streep, Shailene Woodley, Mark Ruffalo, Olivia Wilde and Leonardo DiCaprio frequently use their social media accounts and funds to amplify the effort against and awareness of global warming. The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation works to generate reusable energy sources and protect ecosystems that serve an important role in mitigating climate change.

Dallas

Last year was the second hottest year on record. In the AccuWeather database of more than 3,800 cities, the New York Times reported that 88 percent recorded annual temperatures higher than the normal amount. AccuWeather documented that Dallas was 2.8 degrees warmer in 2017 than in 2016, and the Yale climate study reported that only 32 percent of Dallas residents discuss climate change on a regular basis, or even occasionally.

Houston

Because the earth’s ocean temperatures are rising, tropical storms are able to collect more energy. According to the National Resources Defense Council, this often turns category three storms into a dangerous category four storm. Scientists have even reported that the frequency of North Atlantic hurricanes has increased since the early 1980s, as well as the number of storms that reach categories four and five. Therefore, areas such as Houston and New Orleans are at a greater risk in the future.

New Haven

The Yale Program on Climate Change Communication came out with a study in 2016 that reports how Americans view climate change. This study revealed that while just below 70 percent of U.S. citizens think global warming is happening, only 52 percent think it is caused by human activities and only 38 percent think it will have any impact on themselves personally. Basically, the risk of this reality is often misperceived.

Washington, D.C.

On Feb. 17, 2017 the United States Senate confirmed former Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, an open denier of climate change, to be the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. Since then, nearly a year later, Pruitt has by any means worked to steer the EPA away from it’s regulations of the past by dismantling the environmental legacy that Barack Obama left. Since Trump’s debut in office last January, he has made eliminating federal regulations a priority. Twenty-nine rules have been overturned, include removing regulations on fossil fuel industry and minimizing government protected lands.

Story by Emily Fuller, A+L Editor

Graphic by Emily Baschab