The Effects of Climate Change

I remember the first time I heard the word global warming. I was in middle school, sitting in Mr. Whaleys class trying to learn about the Earth. Global warming was explained to me as the result of too many Styrofoam cups and hairspray invading our ozone layer, so all of the ice caps are beginning to melt. I pictured little bits of cups and hairspray shooting up towards the sky and then bursting through the atmosphere allowing the hot sun to penetrate the North and South pole and polar bears falling into the water because all of their icebergs were gone. This isn't exactly how John Broome is thinking. He is straight to the point, and confident that the economy will lead the world to a greener path on the subject of harmful gases and emissions into the environment. Climate change is our responsibility, stresses Broome; and according to him most of the responsibility rests on the shoulders of the rich. I guess one could suppose that the richer person has a bigger house, therefore using more oil to heat it. The person may also have a huge gas guzzling Range Rover but at the same time that Range Rover may be the only nice possession a poor person has. It seems easy to lump people into different groups like that but in the end all people, rich or poor, are responsible for this planet and the only way to make a difference is to come together to make changes that will aid earthly preservation. Give a man a fish, feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, feed him for life. You can give the poor money to make themselves eco friendly, but the only real way to achieve results is to educate everyone as a whole on more eco friendly habits.