The feeling that your house could burn down right before your eyes is a horrendous feeling. The fire that happened in Basalt was terrible, and it can’t happen again. Although Aspen is ahead of the game with providing green options, we need more awareness of this topic in other places.
Greenhouse gases are one of the many bad side effects of global warming. One of the main causes of this is carbon dioxide, as carbon dioxide emissions in America have gone up by almost 1,000 million tons since 1990. Another problem is shorter winters. Considering Aspen is tourism based, when snow decreases, so does Aspen’s economy.
As Scott Condon states in his February 23, 2018, Aspen Times Article, “Skiers and snowboarders are seeing climate change happen right before our eyes in the mountains as winter seasons shorten and snow lines rise.” However, winter is not the only season being affected. The amount of fires around the world is becoming increasingly problematic. The fire in Basalt was catastrophic and it spread because of climate change. If we don’t curb climate change, there will be many more fires just like it and worse. These examples serve as we move into a warmer, and in some places drier future.
Taylor Lewis Gemma Baker, Stella Scanlan, Avery Shook, EJ Becker, Jay Zimmerman, Duncan Shaw
Eighth grade, Aspen Country Day