Climate change is something that has been happening in our day to day life and we’re not even realizing it. There are many things that are damaging our climate and fires are a major one now days.

Fires don’t just burn up trees and shrubs and emit smoke. They leave behind long-lasting changes on the ground, and those changes also have effects on the climate. Smoke contains chemicals from burning rubber and homes, it also worsens ozone pollution. It’s filled with tiny particles known as PM_2.5, which can lodge inside people’s lungs, trigger coughing, worsen diseases like asthma, and lead to long-term damage including cancer.

In the article How Smoke From California’s is Harming the Most Vulnerable,  Loretta Mickley explains “The larger the fire, the more people are affected, and the worse the health impacts will be.”

Us, as a whole society don’t realize the corruption that we cause our planet and the danger we put ourselves in. There is strong evidence that climate change is resulting in longer, hotter and drier summers that will increase the frequency of large wildfires and the length of fire seasons. Trees that are stressed and killed by higher summer temperatures and drier soils become flammable vegetation that serves as kindling. Since climate affects us in many ways, here are a few ways to help not have so many climate change.

1. Reduce and reuse before recycle –  Recycling uses less energy than making new products from scratch, however reducing and reusing is even cleaner than recycling.
2.  Limit your family’s greenhouse gas emissions – It might not seem like much, but there are quite a few things that you can do around your home. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, it can save you money too. Unpluging computers, TVs and other electronics when you’re not using them always you to use less electricity.
3. Change how you move around – If you live in a city, check out your public transportation options, you may be able to save money and help the environment by carpooling with others. If you live close to your job, why not bike or walk to work? You won’t have waste time in traffic and might even get there quicker. Washing clothes in cold water also reduces the amount of energy used by your appliances.
4. Get involved and educate others about the big picture – Spread the word about climate change and educate people. The EPA recommends that students should give presentations on climate change and encourage their institutions to increase energy efficiency. South Broward’s plastic free mermaids educate people on reducing the amount of plastic they are using.
5. EFFICIENT LIVING – Shrinking where you live doesn’t mean shrinking your life. Downsizing, people say, can bring both psychological and financial benefits. Start by getting rid of clutter. End with lower utility bills, less space to clean, and more time outdoors.

There are many things we can do to help prevent climate change, if we try to do all these things as much as we can, climate changes affects can be minimized from what they already are happening.