Clara J’s AP Compositions

Living your daily life, you need no reminder of how climate has affected people. Stark warnings to use less water, drive less, or to be mindful of plastic cutlery or straws are being pushed on people everywhere, directly the the consumer. But, if you drive out of –say, Sacramento, CA– the hostile central valley (an inhospitable and bone-dry landscape by all signs), you soon start to see small dottings of unnatural greenery. Farms, which, by the look of things, aren’t restricted by the water shortages that everyday consumers are pushed to worry about. 

It’s not just water, either. Overall carbon emissions, meaning the “net” carbon of a company produced by all their activity, is overwhelmingly made up by private companies as well. Over 71% of all carbon emissions come from 100 companies, who, according to a study conducted by CO2 AI and BCG, have no intentions of stopping. Even with measures put in place by people concerned about the environmental impact they’re producing, only 14% of all companies surveyed reduced their emissions in the last 5 years. For context, total carbon emissions –those being fossil fuels and byproducts of industry–  are estimated around 37 Billion Metric tons annually. If these 100 companies, who make up a tiny portion of all population around the world, contribute 71% of these emissions, they alone produce 26 Billion metric tons of carbon dioxide each year –with no signs of stopping. 

It should also be important to emphasize why it matters that the focus shifts to companies wrongdoings, instead of citizens. It is not to shift the blame, but rather, to assign the appropriate responsibilities to who –or what– is doing the harm. A single person cannot do as much damage as a coporate entity. Even if you did everything carbon negative –drove a fuel innefficient car, kept an expansive non-native lawn, and ate meat, among other things– it would be nearly impossible for you to compare to even a fraction of the damage done by larger groups. On top of that, companies are the ones who have the ability to make big change. Many people, whether that be those in the southwest who are struggling to meet daily needs with the little water they have, or others who have to commute to the only job possible, cannot choose another option for their lifestyle. Of course, while some have that choice, such flexibility is not often available to the individual. But companies have the power to make big change, and with smaller repurcussions. Blame for the climate crisis should not be shifted away from those doing the most harm, but companies doing damage need to be held accountable for their actions. 

“Just 100 Companies Responsible for 71% of Global Emissions, Study Says.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 10 July 2017, www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2017/jul/10/100-fossil-fuel-companies-investors-responsible-71-global-emissions-cdp-study-climate-change

“Despite Climate Concerns, Just 14% of Companies Reduced Carbon Emissions in Line with Ambitions Over the Past Five Years.” PR Newswire US, Nov. 2023. EBSCOhost, research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=80866eb8-f352-36cf-a49b-816a25dd4694.

KRISTOF, NICHOLAS. “One Almond, 3.2 Gallons Of Water.” New York Times, vol. 172, no. 59788, May 2023, p. 2. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/13/opinion/water-shortage-west.html
“Activist Investors Press Corporations to Take Action against Climate Change.” Morning Edition (NPR), Apr. 2023. EBSCOhost, research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=32172a2c-a18b-38c4-a327-21f297b1fadc.

Living your daily life, you need no reminder of how climate has affected people. Stark warnings to use less water, drive less, or be mindful of plastic cutlery or straws are being pushed on people everywhere, directly the the consumer. But, if you drive out of –say, Sacramento, CA– the hostile central valley (an inhospitable and bone-dry landscape by all signs), you soon start to see small dottings of unnatural greenery. Farms, which, by the look of things, aren’t restricted by the water shortages that everyday consumers are pushed to worry about. 

It’s not just water, either. Overall carbon emissions, meaning the “net” carbon of a company for all activity produced, are overwhelmingly made up by private companies as well. Over 71% of all carbon emissions come from 100 companies, which, according to a study conducted by CO2 AI and BCG, have no intentions of stopping. Even with measures put in place by people concerned about the environmental impact they’re producing, only 14% of all companies surveyed reduced their emissions in the last 5 years. For context, total carbon emissions –those being fossil fuels and byproducts of the industry–  are estimated at around 37 Billion Metric tons annually. If these 100 companies, who make up a tiny portion of the population around the world, contribute 71% of these emissions, they alone produce 26 Billion metric tons of carbon dioxide each year, with no signs of stopping. 

It should also be important to emphasize why it matters that the focus shifts to companies’ wrongdoings, instead of citizens. It is not to shift the blame, but rather, to assign the appropriate responsibilities to who –or what– is doing the harm. A single person cannot do as much damage as a corporate entity. Even if you did everything carbon negative –drove a fuel inefficient car, kept an expansive non-native lawn, and ate meat, among other things– it would be nearly impossible for you to compare to even a fraction of the damage done by larger groups. On top of that, companies are the ones who can make big changes. Many people, whether that be people in the southwest who are struggling to meet daily needs with the little water they have, or others who have to commute to the only job they have, cannot choose another option for their lifestyle. Of course, while some have that choice, such flexibility is not often available to the individual. But companies have the power to make big changes, and with smaller repercussions. Blame for the climate crisis should not be shifted away from those doing the most harm, but companies need to be held accountable for their actions.

High school is, as it has always and will continue to be, a unique experience. But high school today is unique not only for the individual, but in the distinct historical situation it has been placed in. Most high school students have experienced the pandemic, along with the various social and political changes of the 21st century, but they have caused distinct consequences for this new generation. 

From the pandemic, we lost our ability to learn in schools, something which negatively affected the majority of students and is shown in the dropped test scores present across the country. While this most severely harmed low-income public schools, it would be shortsighted to say that was the only group affected, with many people feeling similar consequences. The drop in these sorts of scores is not an epidemic of laziness, but the consequences of having to take a break from formal learning and rely near entirely on yourself, a new pressure on students which many have still not recovered from. It’s easy to say that this is the first living generation to experience the pandemic in High School, but being given the challenge of redirecting your own learning  in a post-pandemic age adds a challenge to today’s students, which many continue to feel the consequences of.

Another part of what makes school unique is the widespread political and social changes, many of which directly affect schools. A popular example of this includes book bans, an attempt to censor information within schools, with the goal being to prevent learning about certain topics. Other examples include the reduction of public school funding, which takes away from the resources which schools have to teach with. While reactions from the public on these issue may vary, many students agree that these measures severely harm their ability to learn effectively. Being in schools during these changes is an unexpected experience, having been put between so many outside forces that you can’t even seem to keep track. Many students are keenly aware of these changes, while others shrug it off and move on without much thought. But, no matter the student, it has an effect on how well we learn and are able to interact with the world waiting for us. 

Trying to succeed as a student in this new generation of learning is a unique experience. Amid changes to our school system and still trying to recover from the pandemic, students today are challenged on a level many others don’t understand. But, as we have already proven ourselves to do, we will continue to work on confronting it through our personal knowledge and experiences, with the patience we develop during these times.

I don’t know how technology works.

But I will try my best.