It’s no secret that fall is a favorite season among many people–the pumpkin spice drinks, oversized sweaters, the crunching of the leaves underfoot. But when fall comes, so does the unpredictable weather. Bouncing back and forth between blistering hot and icy cold days, the extremes of fall aren’t going unnoticed. 

Scientists warn that as the temperature of the planet slowly increases, it creates a short period of uncertainty for when the trees will begin to change. Recently, a study done by NASA has revealed that Earth’s temperature has risen about 2.05 degrees fahrenheit since the 19th century. Caused by the increase in carbon dioxide, the rising temperatures can drastically change the seasons, especially the fall. All of the beautiful colors seen on the trees while driving through town could be substantially reduced if changes aren’t made. 

So with that being said, how can these wonderful fall days be preserved? Here’s a great way to start. Reduce carbon usage. The amount of carbon dioxide being released into the Earth’s atmosphere is harming the people and plants more than any would believe, so to fight back, people shouldn’t buy processed food which creates excess waste. This may be a new and hard concept to some, but the production of the food and transportation is a significant factor in this carbon crisis. The machinery and trucks used for this production release extremely high levels of carbon dioxide, all for food that is mostly wasted. To top it all off, it’s non-compostable, which means that the food won’t break down and supply the Earth with the nutrients that were taken from it.

Being energy conscious and efficient is a great help, too. Unplugging electronics when not in use, turning off lights, and even turning the water heater down can save hundreds of pounds of CO2 emissions, right from one’s home. It’s the little things that aren’t always thought about that can make the biggest difference. If everyone shared these ideas with a friend, the impact could be so broad. 

Being conscious about consumption and knowing the effects of climate change can drastically help to win the battle against it. In order to keep fall days bright and full of warm colors, people have to be the difference and be the change. As small as it may seem, even a flip of the light switch can help. Humans are going to be on this Earth for a long time, so they need to do everything in their power to keep it habitable and safe.