This week the world will be watching the twenty democratic presidential candidate's debate each other over a course of two days in Miami, Florida. The topics will range from economics, military, gun control, health care, and global warming. It's the questions and answers about global warming I am most interested in hearing. If the candidates do not come together and agree that global warming is a threat to our livelihood, all other topics in the debate are irrelevant.
Our primary responsibility is to come together with every nation and take charge of creating a clean economy. Americans support clean energy for their health and safety, but little do they know that an initiative to clean energy also will create jobs. In the last decade, the cost of solar energy has dropped to 90 percent and wind energy is at least 70 percent cheaper as well. However, our current administration has chosen to go back in time when it comes to this issue.
Recently the President took steps to fulfill a campaign promise to stop the war on fossil fuel. The rewriting of the "Clean Power Plan," does little to protect the failing coal industry and has left the decision up to the individual states to enforce their policy on the Environmental Protection Agency's standards. Even though the President believes climate change is a hoax, I don't think the entire Republican party is standing with him on this issue.
However, we must not wait for our leaders to enforce what can be done at home in your own backyard. Recycling has been around for a few decades and in Orange County, Florida, there are signs of the progress made from the tiny orange and green bins to the large rolling blue and green containers parked along driveways. The problem that has been addressed but not solved, is the lack of attention made to sorting their recyclables in the proper containers. The county is paying approximately a third more than last year because of improper placement of items. That is an unnecessary expense that everyone is responsible for.
But the trash problem does not stop there, in an article from CNN recently, 633 divers collected over 1,500 pounds of trash at a Florida beach. It set a world record. The real question is why is there a prize to be given for something that is a responsibility of every human being on earth? What was not in this article is the facts on how or why this trash got there in the first place. The measures that need to be made to ensure it won't happen anymore.
We celebrate "Earth Day" once a year, yet every day of the year the earth is being abused by the humans that are taking it for granted. There are many movies, documentaries, and articles regarding climate change and the effects of our inconsistent efforts. We keep asking questions and waiting for the solution, but if we all just do our part and clean up the environment we exist in every day we might be on the right track to influencing others.
A few suggestions for taking part. Turning off your computer and unplugging all electronics not in use is a good start. Wash clothes in cold water or warm water. Most detergents are made for these temperatures anyway. The most important thing to take part in the voting, do the research, learn which candidate has the most responsible solutions to create a plan for clean energy. Ask questions to each public official that is asking for your vote. Make them aware you are listening and concerned and want some answers.
