The fact that we all live on a floating sphere barrelling through the cold, dark vacuum of space is horrifying enough on its own, but the fact that this levitating orb that we call home is heating up at such a rate that it could eventually destroy us all is even more terrifying. Naturally, nobody wants to think about this impending catastrophe on a regular basis, but we’ll all be forced to, as 2019 is predicted to be the hottest year in all of human history. AccuWeather.com states that this increase in temperature will be exacerbated by El Niño.

What is El Niño? It’s an irregularly occurring series of climatic shifts beginning when warm water in the western Pacific Ocean moves along the equator toward the coast of South America. It’s such a complex phenomenon that we don’t entirely know how it works yet.

Why is this such a big deal? It’s such a big deal because of how drastically it influences weather patterns all over the world. Flooding becomes a major issue in some areas, while droughts become frequent in others. There is a 90% chance that El Niño will form and pass through the Northern Hemisphere during the remainder of this winter, and a 60% chance that it will continue into this spring. El Niño is a natural occurrence, and it wasn’t caused by humans. It isn’t a bad thing, but a significant thing that we need to be aware of.

While we don’t need to be worried about El Niño, we do need to be worried about global warming. Global warming is another natural occurrence that was never supposed to be associated with an impending apocalypse, but humans have accelerated its pace so drastically that there is cause for concern. National Geographic reported that “the Earth’s climate has been warmer than the 20th Century average over the last 406 consecutive months. That means no one under the age of 32 has ever experienced a cooler-than-average month.”

62.5% of surveyed students at Bob Jones are concerned about global warming in 2019 for a whole host of different reasons, but concern for the environment seems to be the most prevalent. Junior Emma Leigh Wright explained, “Coral reefs are dying. The marine animals in our coral reefs are dying out, or altering their natural ways of life in order to survive, throwing the ecosystem out of balance. That in itself leads to overpopulation, confused animals, and even death.” Junior Love Lundy acknowledged, “I’ve not had to wear my winter coat yet, and it’s January. I might have thick skin because I’m from New Jersey and I’m used to the cold, but still, it’s ridiculous that it’s still in the 60s during the winter. I’m not complaining right now, but I know it will have a lasting effect on our environment and that’s definitely saddening.”

Some students are not as quite as concerned as others due to a lack of information pertaining to the issue. Senior Kylee Henrie admitted, “I’m not campaigning about it right now, [but] I am willing to be aware of my impact on the environment and do my part as much as I can.” Junior Toni Glover explained, “I have not been keeping up with global warming, but it is something that I should be concerned about.”

However, 37.5% of students at Bob Jones are not concerned about global warming at all. Senior Rachel Goldsmith declared, “When it is my time to go, I will go.” Junior Emilee Lamps proclaimed, “I welcome death with open arms.” Though these may be morbid and dramatic, it actually reflects the attitude of more people than it should.

Regardless of your views on global warming, it’s an issue that is worth your concern.