As the climate continues to get hotter and economic and political relations between the U.S. and other hegemons increase in tension, a Donald Trump presidency is a sure bet to shake things up even further.

Trump has said multiple times that he believes that climate change is a hoax, going against the viewpoint of 97 percent of scientists worldwide.

However, this was certainly not a talking point in mainstream media — all I have listened to for the past 12 months is emails and Trump’s vulgar comments offending one group after another.

In reality, these issues are miniscule compared to the danger of climate change.

Obviously, the media is inclined to talk about what is most interesting to its audience.

Was this critical issue too boring for the American people?

Are there lobbyists at play keeping us uneducated on issues like climate change?

The answer to those two questions is unclear.

According to NASA, carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere are the highest in 650,000 years and 9 of the 10 warmest years on record have occurred since 2000.

If the fossil fuel industry continues to rule through lobbyists and politicians continue to condone this kind of harm to the atmosphere, the future looks darker than ever before.

At this rate, both poles will have melted by 2050, creating intense rising sea levels that are already rising at a rate of over three millimeters per year.

Islands and coastal nations are already experiencing devastating high waters that have ruined lives and destroyed homes. Those places will likely be completely under water without a North or South pole.

Over 50 percent of the world’s coral has died because of the rapid rate of CO2 emissions, and oceanic ecosystems continue to suffer because of CO2.

As the global temperature continues to rise, living near the equator will become an impossibility very soon.

If the United States doesn’t incentivize companies to invest in renewable energy, and doesn’t put a tax on carbon and no action is made regarding climate change soon, the human race as a whole will be in serious trouble.

The health of planet Earth matters, and whether you believe climate change is real or not, it’s time to talk about it.