Agents of change, shape shift
Lift!
[Verse 1]
In the village green, the forests rise,
We carved our paths, under open skies,
But the chainsaws roar, and the axes fall,
As we reshape the land, heed the forest’s call.
[Chorus]
Agents of change, on the land we tread,
Shaping the earth, where our dreams are spread,
But with every choice, a price we pay,
In the dance of progress, who will have the say?
[Break]
Agents of change, shape shift
[Break]
Lift!
[Verse 2]
Fields of gold, where the crops now sway,
But beneath the soil, lies a price to pay,
For the trees we fell, and the rivers dry,
As we till the earth, under the endless sky.
[Chorus]
Agents of change, in the land we tread,
Shaping the earth, where our dreams are spread,
But with every choice, a price we pay,
In the dance of progress, who will have the say?
[Break]
Agents of change, shape shift
[Break]
Lift!
[Instrumental, Saxophone Solo, Drums Fills]
[Bridge]
Concrete jungles rise, where the forests stood,
But in the shadows cast, lies a darker hood,
For the balance lost, in the rush to grow,
Leaves a scar on the earth, we’ve come to know.
[Verse 3]
In the land we change, we must find our way,
For in our hands lies the fate, of each passing day,
Agents of change, may we tread with care,
For the land we shape, will there be legacy there?
[Chorus]
Agents of change, in the land we tread,
Shaping the earth, where our dreams are spread,
But with every choice, a price we pay,
In the dance of progress, who will have the say?
[Outro]
Shape shift
Re-gift
[End]
A SCIENCE LESSON
Humans act as agents of change for climate change through land use changes primarily by altering the landscape, which affects ecosystems, biodiversity, and the carbon cycle. Here’s how:
- Deforestation: Clearing forests for agriculture, urbanization, and infrastructure reduces the number of trees that absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This leads to increased greenhouse gas concentrations, contributing to global warming.
- Agriculture: Conversion of natural habitats into farmland, particularly for livestock grazing and monoculture crops, releases carbon stored in soils and vegetation. Additionally, agricultural practices such as excessive fertilizer use emit nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas.
- Urbanization: Expanding cities and infrastructure often involve clearing vegetation and altering natural drainage patterns. This can lead to increased surface temperatures (urban heat island effect) and changes in local climate patterns.
- Land Degradation: Overgrazing, soil erosion, and desertification degrade land quality, reducing its ability to sequester carbon and support biodiversity. Degraded lands release stored carbon into the atmosphere and exacerbate climate change.
- Wetland Drainage: Draining wetlands for agriculture or urban development disrupts natural carbon storage and releases methane, a potent greenhouse gas, from decomposing organic matter in the soil.
Land use changes by humans significantly impact the Earth’s climate system, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions, habitat loss, and changes in local and global climate patterns.