Perma—What Now?

Everybody has a different morning routine. Whether you’re in school, have a job, or are a passionate lumberjack, everyone is different. 

For example, most average kids start their school day like every other. Whether they drive to school, use a motorcycle, or ride the bus, that is their transport. 

Someone with a job in a factory works with emissions. 

And lumberjacks cut down trees as part of their daily routine. 

Sounds normal. 

Well, to anyone that sounds normal. And it is normal. Which is the worst part? Because everything I mentioned is a leading cause of climate change. 

Climate change is simply defined as an increase in heat on the planet. Cities, countries, and places all warm up. Resulting in a hotter Earth. 

A permanent summer may seem nice, but it causes the worst. Because now permanent summer means everywhere: the coldest parts of Russia, Canada, and even the North/South Poles. It means melted permafrost. 

Melted permafrost may not seem like a big deal, but it is…

Melted permafrost causes bad bacteria and viruses to resurface. Not only that, but thawing permafrost releases previously trapped organic matter, which decomposes and releases carbon dioxide and methane. dioxide and methane, both potent greenhouse gases. This creates a positive feedback loop, accelerating global warming and causing further permafrost thaw.

This causes climate change to become an even greater issue. Which inherently damages ecosystems and infrastructure. 

This occurs because when permafrost becomes unstable, it destroys the land beneath buildings. This forces it to lose its structural integrity. Therefore, buildings and places on top of pipelines, cracks, and sinks collapse. Sounds like a bigger problem now, right? 

But there’s a simple fix. Well simple-ish. 

Rather than driving by yourself in a car or motorcycle, carpool. Carpooling or even riding the bus reduces climate change. 

Alternatively, rather than people working in factories emitting a crazy amount of greenhouse gases, try reducing the amount. It’s tricky but still doable. 

And finally, for all those lumberjacks out there, rather than cutting down 20 trees a day, reduce it to 15. Then eventually to 10 and so on. 

I understand making an impact is hard, but it’s not impossible. You can still make an impact, small or not. 

And remember, like I always say, we are the reason, but we are also the change. 

Sources:

“What Is Climate Change?” United Nations, United Nations, www.un.org/en/climatechange/what-is-climate-change. Accessed 27 May 2025. 

Bykova, Alina. “Permafrost Thaw in A Warming World: The Arctic Institute’s Permafrost Series Fall-Winter 2020.” The Arctic Institute - Center for Circumpolar Security Studies, 15 Aug. 2024, www.thearcticinstitute.org/permafrost-thaw-warming-world-arctic-institute-permafrost-series-fall-winter-2020/.