Cimate Change Won't Wait for Political Debate

Since the Trump administration has moved into the White House, noticeable changes, threats and conditions have worsened in regard to climate change and what we’re doing about it but many changes have occurred in the political scene altogether. President Trump has made bold picks for cabinet positions and has seemed to circle himself with climate deniers and those in conflict with their respective agencies.

When the EPA was founded, it’s intentions and goals were to keep people safe from toxic pollutants and dangers. In the rise of Scott Pruitt as administrator of the EPA, he has overstepped the outlined boundaries and obligations of the EPA entering himself into debates, discussions and considerations guided by his overlying concern for job growth and the concerns of business groups. Pruitt’s strong ties to industries and track record with the EPA, an agency Scott Pruitt himself has sued over a dozen times that he’s now running, lead anxious scientists and environmental agencies and activist groups to question who is Pruitt and the EPA protecting now? In his time in office thus far, more than a dozen EPA regulations have been revoked or put up for review. Republicans have long argued that the EPA has been the one to overreach, hurting industries and those working in coal mines or with fossil fuels. So, you would think that the regulations rolled back would be fitting that agenda but these regulations included fuel-efficiency standards, regulations on the disposal of coal ash and even restrictive limits on arsenic and other toxic metals in waterways all of which protect the health and stability of industries. Trump has been a supporter of Pruitt, drastically cutting fuds for the agency’s law enforcement division who identify polluters. Trump has been a vocal “advocate” for the coal miners, declaring from the announcement of his Presidency that he would revive the coal industry. In June, President Trump announced that America will be withdrawing from the Paris Climate Accord. Following his speech, he called up Scott Pruitt to say a few words who went on to thank the President for his “unflinching commitment to put America first”, this coming from the head of the agency who fought tirelessly for decades to put forth this kind of monumental agreement. As is stands today the U.S. stands alone with Syria and Nicaragua, who combined are responsible for 0.28 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, as the only countries in the world not a part of the Paris Agreement. However, while they may be a small piece of the puzzle, the U.S. is responsible for 15 percent of global carbon emissions and will be spending hundreds of billions in the coming decades on deaths and destruction caused by climate change, climate change caused extreme weather and pollution if progressive steps aren’t taken.

Next we have Kathleen Harnett White who is Trump’s pick to lead the council on Environmental Quality, a top environmental policy making position in the White House. Harnett White appeared in front of the Senate Environmental and Public Works committee with a slew of past writings and speeches denying climate science and advocating the continuing burning of fossil fuels where she received aggressive questioning by both Republicans and Democrats. While aggressive, had she had the proper credentials for the job and assuming her new role, these were extremely reasonable questions. As she was being interviewed by the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee she told them that carbon dioxide levels have risen but not drastically since the Industrial Revolution. However, overwhelming, determinate scientific data has told us that carbon dioxide levels have reached the highest in human history in the past 100 years. She went on to say when questioned by another Senator, “I’m not a scientist, but in my personal capacity, I have many questions that remain unanswered by current climate policy… I think we indeed need to have more precise explanations of the human role and the natural role”. In addition to a climate assessment released recently that found greenhouse gas emissions have caused at least 93% of global warming since 1951, there is a 97% scientific consensus on global warming being caused my greenhouse gas emissions from man-made sources. While Harnett White denies climate change the effects aren’t slowing down but it does seem time is moving backwards for the EPA after decades of policy goals aimed to develop regulations and increased standards.

President Trump’s secretary of Energy choice Rick Perry is a former governor of Texas and two-time presidential candidate who infamously vowed to abolish the department he now runs. In addition to his wish to dismantle the energy department, Perry cited in a debate in 2011 that he’d also like to see the education and commerce departments dismantled as well. Under his leadership at the Department of Energy, Perry is responsible for the body that builds and maintains nuclear weapons. Perry has advocated for lighter regulation on the fossil fuel industry and called the science behind climate change “unsettled” and stated that “calling CO2 a pollutant is doing a disservice to the country, and I believe a disservice to the world”. In addition to his climate change skepticism he was indicted in 2014 on felony changes of abuse of power and has been accused over his time as Texas governor of cronyism. Similar to the trends with Pruitt and Harnett White it appears Trump’s cabinet picks have conflicting ideologies, directions and goals for the departments they will be running. These trends are concerning among environmentalists and others in positions of power within government. Just after Rick Perry was chosen as Secretary of Energy, Rex Tillerson, the chief executive of Exxon Mobil Corp., was chosen as secretary of state which again questions the Trump administration’s motives and commitment to fair, just and adequate government representation.

This past year has led to an unbelievable divide across our country that is fueled by misguided focus, hatred and divisiveness by the left and right that’s reached beyond politics. Political atmospheres have become so volatile that most people avoid engaging in any meaningful conversation at all about their opinions. Wanting to disengage from the negativity and overwhelming infiltration of politics is understandable, but the reality is although things have been fueled and more people are talking, this political environment has been seen before; now it’s just more accessible and “transparent”. One thing to understand is that whether you care or not these changes, agencies choices, and bills will affect you and your family. Taking the time to look past the negative rhetoric and focus on the issues being presented and dealt with can inspire you to get involved, find your voice, be inspired by those doing good things in government and even just allow you to listen. Voting and representing yourself and your family is more important now than ever and everyone has a voice and a choice. Whether you’re talking about rising sea levels and the threats of climate change coming quicker and more aggressively, taxes, terrorism, health care or international relations, Republican, Liberal or Democrat these decisions made in government and who you choose to make those decisions to represent you have far reaching effects.

When I was younger I was convinced I would never be in politics. Until I realized that those who I thought represented me in government were not. I had the pleasure of attending the Scientists March on Washington this past Earth Day when I decided it was time to act on my beliefs and free will, where I heard farmers who produce agriculture, inventors from rural India, Nancy Roman the first female executive at NASA better known as Mother Hubble, school kids working on new technologies and sustainable energy from New York City, Bill Nye the Science Guy and many more all emphasizing that science upholds the common good and to call for evidence-based policy in the public’s best interest. By mid-March over one-hundred science organizations endorsed the March for Science. I marched and listened to speakers in the pouring rain for five hours with 100,000 other like-minded people who were looking to their government for action on climate change and science-based policy making. We’ve relied on science to protect us and revolutionize our lives and it shouldn’t be any different for climate science. Following the march, I had renewed hope that millions of people around the globe came out to march for Mother Earth that represented the free-will of the people and their strength to stand up and demand action and representation.

Attached I included a video from my day at the Science March as well as an article about 10 great things that have happened in the government & politics arena in the Trump era. Stay motivated, get involved, find your voice and thanks for reading!