(October 17, 2012) — This past summer’s extreme heat coincided with a troubling discovery: according to Greenpeace, sea ice in the Arctic has reached its lowest levels in recorded history. In around ten years time, it is possible that the Arctic will experience summers with no ice at all – no ice means no possible way for polar bears, foxes and many other animals to survive until wintertime. Even in the 21st century, with all the scientific breakthroughs we have been witness to, there are still people who do not regard global warming as a troubling or even relevant concern. They tend to think that climate change is neither a direct result of human activity nor has any effect on people in any significant way. In the heat of election season, they look down upon President Obama’s environmentally-conscious plans – or at least that has been the case so far. More and more people are recognizing global warming as the that threat it is. Swing voters are even basing their votes in part on the two candidates’ views on the issue, prompting The Atlantic to label global warming as “the sleeper issue of the 2012 election.” If presidential-hopeful Mitt Romney wishes to win over the votes of left-wing voters, he should consider adopting a more informed and concerned environmental outlook. Global warming is caused by the burning of fossil fuels, which damages the ozone layer and in turn unleashes unregulated, ice cap-melting, heat-wave inducing rays of sunlight. According to the National Climatic Data Center, this year is the hottest in recorded history. We as a country have been victim to droughts, infections and other consequences of this climate change. We as a nation must take action to stop this trend where it stands. It is the responsibility of voters to weigh both candidates’ proposals regarding climate change as, if not more heavily than the candidates’ proposals regarding economic and cultural issues. Not doing so is worse than voters neglecting their duties as citizens of the United States. They would be neglecting their duties as human beings who care about the world they live in. There is no shame in trying to preserve and protect the earth; there definitely is in finding that prospect anything less than noble and necessary.