Scott Pruitt, a climate change denialist and ally to the fossil fuel industry, has recently been appointed by Trump to head the EPA. It is ironic actually, giving someone with his background the task of protecting the environment. Nothing says corruption like a man, who had previous filed a lawsuit with the EPA, the duty of limiting the fossil fuel industry. While I don’t believe every oilrig in the world needs to be shut down, I do think finding new sources of energy is important. If there are suitable alternatives that impact the environment less, why not, right?

The concern with this man being in charge of the EPA is he will ultimately end the quest for renewable and clean energy. While this is very concerning, it is not the death of renewable energy.

I love Capitalism. Our market is driven by the needs and wants of the people. The companies that identify these needs in the market are rewarded and those that fail are removed and replaced with more competitive businesses.

Right now, the market is demanding clean and renewable energy. Here are a couple examples to prove my point. Mid American Energy provides electricity to more than 750,000 customers in the Midwest. Mid American has recently pledged to become 85% of energy from wind by 2019. Likewise, Google has recently announced they will be 100% dependent on renewable energy in 2017. Granted, these are just a couple companies but this could start a trend of companies choosing to be cleaner. While it is possible that the owners of these companies actually care about the environment, I believe it is a reaction to the demand for companies actively trying to lower their carbon footprint.

The best way to help reduce the consumption of fossil fuels is to be a discriminant consumer. Purchase goods and services that have been produced with renewable energy. The consumers as whole hold more power than the government does in many ways.

If you want change, start a movement. It is your duty as an American citizen.