The Election and the Environment
Start writing a post
Community

The Election and the Environment

How the 2020 election could affect the environmental health of the U.S. and the world

63
The Election and the Environment

The 2020 election is debatably the most important election in recent history for the United States. Our country has become increasingly politically polarized as we've watched our current leadership try and deal with the coronavirus outbreak, respond to protests against police brutality and racism, and rush to fill the open Supreme Court seat after the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The outcome of this election will essentially determine the approach the government takes when dealing with many social justice issues, environmental rights in particular. With each passing year, climate change becomes an increasingly pressing issue for the government to deal with as natural disasters and forest fires become more common. The Democrats and Republicans continue to disagree about climate science, clinging to their political beliefs rather than facing the fact that humans are putting the planet in danger.

The current administration has ignored climate science for the past four years, reversed many important environmental policies, pulled the U.S. out of the Paris Agreement (an international agreement to reduce carbon emissions around the world), opened forests to logging, and has set goals to increase oil production. Another four years in office would give Trump more time to reverse the progress the country has made towards becoming more sustainable. Not only would his re-election be problematic for us as a nation as the struggle to reduce carbon emissions becomes increasingly important, it is dangerous for the entire world as the United States is already the second largest producer of greenhouse gases and the largest producer of plastic waste, with no set goals to reduce our impact. The Trump administration has decided that making money and protecting mega-corporations is more important than protecting the health and wellbeing of us non-billionaires.

The most recent attack on environmental policy comes in the form of the Trump administration lifting the federal protections of the Tongass National Forest in Alaska to allow for logging and development. Tongass is the world's largest remaining temperate rainforest with 16.7 million acres of land now open to destruction from corporations. This action goes directly against the wishes of the state of Alaska, and is a major setback for the environmental movement in the US which attempts to protect forests like this one. Trump has claimed many times, in campaign rallies, on international visits, and in the presidential debates the United States has "the cleanest air and water", and that he has made air cleaner since becoming president. This is a) not true as millions of Americans do not have access to safe drinking water, but b) forests and trees absorb a large amount of our carbon emissions globally and without them, the earth's temperature would be rising at a much faster rate than it already is. Anyone who knows anything about trees knows that they are critical to our survival, so I'm not sure how destroying an ecosystem with 16 million acres of trees fits into his idea of continuing to provide the country with the cleanest air we've "ever had".

The scariest part about this policy roll back is that most of his plans to further drill for oil and log forests fly under the radar of the major news outlets and don't get enough media coverage to draw national attention. The current administration has rolled back over 100 environmental policies thus far, with even more roll backs planned, but there is hardly ever a story that makes headlines. Environmental groups around the country plan to protest the most recent policy change and protect the forests, but we need a president who is genuinely concerned for the environment, or at least one who believes in climate science.

Joe Biden has made some questionable comments about things like fracking, but as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said in a recent interview when asked about Biden's environmental stance, "There is no question that Joe Biden is a much better person in that position to be receptive and actually listen to the voices of advocates than Donald Trump". She followed up her comment by saying that it will be a privilege to lobby him [Biden] in the future, particularly about the Green New Deal, a plan she helped create to reduce U.S. emissions, regulate and monitor corporate plans involving the environment, and become more sustainable as a country.

For the safety of the country and for the world, we need a president who recognizes the negative environmental impact the United States is having on the world and has plans to improve it. A Trump re-election puts the earth's finite natural resources at risk for abuse and destruction, which would leave us, the human population, with even less time to race against a running clock in order to reverse the environmental damage that has already been done.

Get out and vote!

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

58452
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

37661
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

959254
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

193771
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments