Different issues are brought up constantly during the presidential election. Sadly, there barely seems to be any attention given to global warming and, if it is mentioned, it is merely only in passing.

How can there be so little talk about something that ultimately affects everyone on Earth?

Why do politicians and world leaders brush this problem to the side?

Maybe they don’t believe it’s worth their time of day — they have “bigger and better” things to do.

Global warming is incredibly important — it’s here and is approaching faster than ever before.

In 2011, there were nearly 38.2 billion tons of fossil fuels released into our atmosphere — which alarmingly amounts to more than 2.4 million pounds released per second, according to CBS.

Those numbers have been increasing ever since and are only going to get higher and higher the longer we wait to actually do something about global warming.

Plenty of people have already been impacted by the rising sea levels these carbon emissions cause.

In Norfolk, VA, one family had never experienced a flood since moving to their home in 1964. In 2008 their home ended up flooding and has now flooded a total of three times within eight years, according to the New York Times.

According to CNN — hardly a month ago — on August 16, an Alaskan village named Shishmaref was forced to move inland. The rising tides were affecting their hunting and fishing traditions — they had no choice but to leave their ancestral home behind.

These situations are not acceptable.

No one should have their home destroyed.

No one should unwillingly leave their home behind, in any circumstance. No one should even be put into the position to have to make that decision.

I still can’t believe that people aren’t addressing this as the huge issue it is.

We must let people know how much this matters, and more importance and action must be placed on this issue. Not only will it affect our lives, but this changes the world and all of the creatures and ecosystems inhabiting it.