BY: Brittany Vallely
“It will get cooler, it will get warmer. It’s called weather… I think it’s a big scam for a lot of people to make a lot of money,” said the current president when asked if he believed in climate change by Fox News. This is an example of how political apathy is the number one environmental problem in the United States because
According to the League of Conservation Voters, they “counted a total of 35 House votes and 19 Senate votes to overturn climate regulations, open up drilling on public lands and undermine the Endangered Species Act.” The study concluded that most of those votes were republicans and that the Republican Party and Democratic Party are creating distance between themselves when it comes climate change. The reason why, is because members of the GOP are known to focus more on financial gains rather than using money to preserve our lands like the liberal platform. Using land means more money to create businesses, which means more jobs.
If people took the time to research, they would soon realize that most environmental issues have one thing in common: the government. The government has the most power to make a difference in the world. If the government can make budget plans for when there is a natural disaster, then the government has the power to make plans to protect the environment. The environment is important because everything that affects our land affects human survival. Water, land, and air pollution are all caused by human activity. The trees keep the biosphere
The current president also told Fox News that he strongly believes in clean water and clean air, but is currently trying to remove all environmental regulations that the previous president created. The establishment of Keystone Pipeline is a good example of how the president sees the territory as business property rather than an area that needs protection. Political leaders must also realize that construction jobs will not last long once the project is done. Once the pipeline is built, “lots of jobs” says the president, will no longer exist, and then we will have more problems. Nature is destroyed and people are still looking for employment.
Political apathy is the number one environmental problem because the government must cooperate in order to keep society functioning. The government needs to put limitations on the use of natural gases and give alternative energy sources a chance. If some politicians love looking at all situations from a business stand point, then think of the livestock and crops we trade with other countries. However, some office members may never change their views and that is ok because everyone is entitled to an opinion. That being said, in order to resolve political apathy, I suggest the people should start researching about candidates and go vote. The cliché saying, “every vote matters” is truer than ever, because you are possibly saving the environment when at the voting polls. Look for candidates who appreciate the land we fought for many years ago. If you would like to take a step further, search for local environmental organizations such as AUM Earth Companions Organization that have petitions or you can construct your own to help make our nation more eco-friendly.
The United States needs to start cleaning up, but that will not be possible until the head of this administration addresses the problem. The government has always had the power to send a message, and the people will listen once the solutions are implemented.