The New York Times announced that on Feb. 6, Antarctica set a new record high temperature of 64.9 degrees Fahrenheit. According to antarctica.gov, Antarctica’s temperatures usually stand at approximately 50 degrees during this time.

According to The New York Times, average temperatures have increased by approximately 1.8 degrees in the past century.

“I think this is the tip of the iceberg, so to speak,” Maureen Raymo, a research professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Columbia University, said in an interview for The New York Times. “This is the foreshadowing of what is to come. It’s exactly in line of what we’ve been seeing for decades.”

However, people are taking action to slow down this great change. In October of 2019, online celebrity Jimmy Donaldson, known on the internet as MrBeast, created a charity called Team Trees to raise money to plant 20 million trees. According to Team Trees’ website, the charity reached this goal in a span of two months, but they are still taking donations.

In addition, Clean Air Task Force is an organization that has been researching ways to release less pollution into the air since its foundation in 1996. With this research, the organization is attempting to propose a bill to Congress that will help America fight climate change according to Clean Air Task Force website.

“The bill will include critical, technology-inclusive strategies, including carbon capture and storage and nuclear energy, ” Conrad Schneider, Advocacy Director of Clean Air Task Force, said in a statement about the CLEAN Future Act. “We look forward to seeing more details when the bill text is released.”

Work to prevent climate change is also taking place at home. For example, Link: Dayton Bike Share is an organization that places bikes all over the city for people to rent instead of driving cars, thus releasing pollution into the air. 

“Link: Dayton Bike Share has helped more than 10,000 people rediscover their love for bicycling since its launch in 2015,” Chris Buck, the business development manager of Link Dayton Bike Share, said in an update newsletter. “We’re proud to serve the Dayton community with a friendly and fun way to see the city by the speed of bike.”

However, eco-friendly transportation is not the only way the community is trying to slow climate change. Five Rivers MetroParks continues to progress in their efforts to protect natural areas in Dayton, as well as raise awareness for conservation and climate change.

“By creating and managing natural habitats, MetroParks not only provides homes for wildlife and a place for people to connect with nature,” Five Rivers MetroParks said. “It also helps ensure clean air and water for current and future generations.”

If you would like to help in the efforts to prevent climate change, donate to Team Trees at https://teamtrees.org/ or Clean Air Task Force at catf.us/donate/.