Briefly write a 3-5 paragraph essay on why Climate change is the most important issue in American or world politics.

The Earth's climate has changed throughout history, is not uncommon and most of these climate changes are attributed to very small variations in Earth's orbit that changing the amount of solar energy our planet receives. The problem with the current climate change is that most of it is the result of human activity since the mid-20th century. During the past 35 years, the five warmest years on record have taken place, in general, the planet's average surface temperature has risen about 1.62 degrees Fahrenheit (0.9 degrees Celsius).

Some of the most important effects observable in the environment include shrunken glaciers, ice on rivers and lakes breaking up earlier, plant and animal ranges shifting and trees flowering sooner, loss of sea ice, accelerated sea-level rise and longer, more intense heat waves.

Temperatures will continue to rise for decades to come, largely due to greenhouse gases produced by human activities, such as CO2. Currently, the United States relies on carbon-based fossil fuels for more than 85 percent of its energy needs, individuals and organizations prefer to face the risks of climate change impacts rather than face the potential costs of policies to limit GHG emissions, unfortunately this doesn't happen exclusively in the USA but in all countries and to limiting the magnitude of climate change a substantial action on the part of all major GHG-emitting nations will be needed.

I hope you find this information useful and interesting! You can find more information here: The Unique Challenges of Climate Change." National Research Council. 2011. America's Climate Choices. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. DOI: 10.17226/12781.

Good luck!