Climate change has been acknowledged by scientists for decades, but in a world so driven by profit, many others will simply deny the facts staring you in the face. At the end of the day, humans cannot continue their invasive and harmful practices that damage the environment.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) ruled that human activities were contributing to the altercation of the environment and will continue to do so. It’s not certain that we can even reverse the changes we’ve caused now, let alone let them continue. I’m sure everyone wants to live in a world with fresh air and clean water, so why is this happening? (Hint: it rhymes with honey.)

I’m sure you’ve guessed it by now. Industries create unfathomable amounts of air pollution and greenhouse gasses. For a company to make their profits, these resources are used through a number of ways. The Carbon Majors Report from 2017 reported that merely 100 companies contributed to 71% of all carbon emissions of the last three decades. This staggering figure demonstrates the catastrophic effects these large corporations have on the environment.

These emissions not only affect the environment, but the people living in it too. Profit comes at a price. Not to these corporations, but to struggling populations living in Earth’s most affected areas by climate change.

Climate change will further limit access to clean, drinkable water, lower quality of life and threaten food security for populations living in regions of Africa, Asia and Central America. Those most affected by climate change have been and will continue to be those in poverty or poor conditions. Climate change adds yet another challenge for those who are already struggling, and it’s important to acknowledge that fact.

Another aspect of this issue is the contributors. Large energy, oil and gas companies expel large amounts of greenhouse gasses that accelerate the effects of climate change. China Coal on its own accounts for 14% of all emissions since the 1980s. As markets continue to grow and the demand for more profit increases, these numbers will only get higher as the years go on.

But you may be asking, if we know what these companies are doing is bad, then why don’t we stop them?

Lobbying. If you are not familiar with the term, lobbying is when someone is seeking to influence legislation or governmental politics in their favor. After Citizens United was ruled in favor by the Supreme Court in 2010, corporations are deemed as people and are able to freely donate to political campaigns. This meant that corporations were given a lot more influence in government, and were able to push legislation that was good for business.

Big companies like Shell, ExxonMobil, and Chevron spend millions every year lobbying for less regulation on oil and gas industries, and it’s working. With an unknown amount of politicians in the pockets of oil companies, it’s proven to be tough fighting against climate change.

After my research I felt heavy. I was wondering what I could do to help, or at least not contribute to this problem myself. And the answer to that would be to stop giving your money to these companies. If there is no demand, the company will go out of business. But that’s not realistic, is it? The most effective change will come from legislation and consumers making the decision to say no to these products that contribute to climate change. Make the choice not only for yourself, but for the future generations who are now beginning to face this problem.