On Thursday night, the United States got a good chance to take a look at the Republican Party and see what issues each individual potential nominee would focus on. The topics were certainly scattered, but the political holy trinity stayed constant: war, taxes, and healthcare were mainly discussed. Many sly shots were fired by each of the nominees against each other, as well as against the favored Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton. Donald Trump made himself the hot topic of conversation, and so did the Fox interviewers. Here are a few quotes from the Republican debate.
“I think the big problem this country has is being politically correct.” - Donald Trump.
"I want to collect more records from terrorists but less records from innocent Americans." Rand Paul.
"Economic growth is the key to everything." John Kasich.
"We got nothing. And Iran gets everything they want." Mike Huckabee.
But of course, one of the major topics that should concern every person in this country (scratch that -- the world) was been completely left out of the loop. I feel like we must address this issue every year, not every four. Because in every political campaign I've witnessed, whether it would be for governor, the senate, or even as high as becoming president of the United States, no one ever seems care about the global warming crisis the planet is facing. Then again, to the average viewer, global warming is a paranoid theory that isn't worth the paper it's printed on (which should be recycled).
But have you noticed that the summers seem to be getting longer, and there aren't as many snow days as you had hoped for? According to the Natural Wildlife Federation, "changes to our climate are being documented all across the planet today. People, animals, and plants are already feeling the heat. The Earth's atmosphere has already warmed by 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit since 1900. This warming signal is also found in ocean temperatures, soil temperatures, melting glaciers and melting polar ice caps. It has been linked to widespread impacts on ecosystems around the planet. This preponderance of evidence all points to the conclusion that our planet is warming and natural systems are struggling to keep up."
A lot of theories exist that global warming is actually the start of another Ice Age. Could it be that this isn't the first time the planet would resort to the reset button? Is this the reason why we're dumping billions of dollars into NASA because we're just getting ready to find another planet once we suck this one up dry? When did we stop caring for our home? I have a theory -- it's when we became too busy.
I don't mean that in a snobbish, in-your-face way. I mean that we live in a country where they tell us to reach for the stars, but do so with the scraps we have been given. I grew up with a single mom in the urban city of Paterson my whole life. It wasn't until I was 11 or 12 that I really started asking the question, "But how will that impact the Earth?" I tried to share these thoughts with my mother, but she was too worried about how to put food on the table that contemplating on these philosophical ideas seemed pointless. And I'm willing to bet that neither me, nor my mother, are alone in that respect. We only have so much time in the day, and we focus on what needs attention. But what I'm saying is we need to give the issue of global warming the attention it deserves.
This year marks the first year that I've noticed a different party in the political mix, separate from the Democratic and Republican parties. This is the Greenhouse Party, independently run by Jill Stein. Similar to the great Franklin Delano Roosevelt, she's offering a New "Green" Deal:
"Create millions of jobs by transitioning to 100% clean renewable energy by 2030, and investing in public transit, sustainable agriculture, and conservation... Guarantee economic human rights, including access to food, water, housing, and utilities, with effective anti-poverty programs to ensure every American a life of dignity... Lead on a global treaty to halt climate change. End destructive energy extraction: fracking, tar sands, offshore drilling, oil trains, mountaintop removal, and uranium mines. Protect our public lands, water supplies, biological diversity, parks, and pollinators. Label GMOs, and put a moratorium on GMOs and pesticides until they are proven safe. Protect the rights of future generations." - Jill Stein
Jill Stein has a vision that is incredibly refreshing. I like to call myself a tree-hugger because I believe we should really stop taking the easy way out. Every time I pump gas in my car, I take a moment and think about who I'm hurting. Jill Stein believes that there is a way to live on this planet without hurting it, and I believe her. With proper training, the United States could help restore this planet's color to the beautiful, intelligent green I know it can be.
