Fall Foliage Flopping: How Climate Change Is Dulling and Delaying Your Leaf Peeping

 

Isabel Haller

Core Chemistry

Current Event 7 Review

November 9th, 2021

 

Patel, Kasha. “Fall Foliage Flopping: How Climate Change Is Dulling and Delaying Your Leaf Peeping.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 6 Oct. 2021, www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2021/10/06/fall-foliage-leaves-climate-change/. 

 

I had the pleasure of reading a great article titled “Fall Foliage Flopping: How Climate Change is Dulling and Delaying Your Leaf Peeping” by Kasha Patel. As a big fan of the season of fall, I love to watch the leaves turn beautiful, vibrant colors in autumn. Unfortunately, this year, it took quite a while for leaves to actually begin changing colors! I was very curious as to why this was and took to the internet. Eventually, I found my answer in the form of Patel’s article from The Washington Post. Essentially, climate change is to blame for our lack of scarlet foliage. As the author goes on to discuss, the sugar molecules in leaves cause them to change color. The sugars are only able to stay in the leaves once they are trapped there due to low temperatures. As a direct result of climate change, winter and fall temperatures have become mild and warmer, and therefore, leaves aren’t changing in pigment to the extent that they have previously. It is strange to think that climate change is the reason for a lack of a colorful fall, but the data is observable to even the most untrained eye.

            This article could be incredibly impactful on society if its content can reach a wider audience. I think most people aren’t aware of the footprint they are leaving behind on the ecosystem. Patel’s writing does a great job of demonstrating just how climate change is affecting our everyday lives. It is even changing our autumn leaves! The information presented by Patel serves as a wake-up call to readers that they leave a mark on the earth and that even the smallest actions that each of us makes can change something as large as our fall leaves.

            Lastly, while this article was very interesting and well-written, there were multiple things that the author could have improved upon. For example, the article didn’t sound very scientifically based at all. It was easy for the common reader to understand, which is great for a quick read, but not so much when it comes to trying to find studies or actual numbers for data on the topic. There was very little scientific vocabulary used in the article, and this gave the entire article a less credible tone. This could be improved if the author had added some more quotes from notable scientists or statistics. Those tips could thoroughly advance Patel’s writing, and enhance the reader’s understanding of the content. That being said, the passage was a fantastic and interesting way to learn about climate change’s effect on everyone’s lives, not just those living in areas with natural disasters or severe pollution. This was achieved by adding in an anecdote from the owner of a small restaurant that usually is swarmed with extravagant trees in the fall. The story introduced a more personal touch to the article, which makes readers more perceptive and open to what Patel has to say.