By Dylan Bradley/editor-in-chief

People around the world rallied Sept. 21 to demand action against climate change, and it’s about time.

The rallies were timed a few days before world leaders met for a U.N. Climate Summit in New York Sept. 24.

According to NASA, previously predicted effects of climate change have come true with glaciers shrinking, sea levels rising, sea ice shrinking and heat waves becoming longer and more intense. A rise in global temperature of about 1 degree Fahrenheit over the last century is the culprit.

The predictions for the future if climate change continues include more wildfires, longer and more frequent droughts and an increase in the number, duration and intensity of tropical storms.

NASA scientists said the global temperatures will continue to rise, 2.5-10 degrees Fahrenheit over the next century, largely due to greenhouse gases.

The Environmental Protection Agency states that the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions caused by humans in the U.S. is from burning fossil fuels for electricity, heat and transportation. Electricity comes mostly from burning coal and natural gas. Transportation burns petroleum-based fossil fuels such as gasoline and diesel.

So the U.N. Climate Summit needs to make a plan to force businesses and industries across the world to lower their fossil fuel reliance and output.

The world will find greener options if fewer fossil-fuel options are available. Individual impacts can be lowered through self-monitoring use of fossil-fuel dependent energy sources or finding alternatives.

This isn’t about saving polar bears or the geese they’ve started feeding on now that the ice caps are melting.

This is about preventing the temperature of the oceans from lowering, which can cause entire continents to become deserts.

This is about humans making the choice to save their own species from extinction.

It’s time for mankind to choose the health of our planet over profit.