College Voices
Our Politicians are not Taking Climate Change Seriously
We take advantage of the world around us. When we go outside, we see beautiful blue skies, trees and flowers of all shapes and sizes. Animals, flying or walking around, making their homes and taking care of each other.
We all know that our world is a beautiful place. With so much to learn, discover and see, yet we still ignore the warning signs. The days are getting hotter, storms are becoming more violent, and sea-levels are rising.
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, “scientific evidence for warming of the climate system is unequivocal.”
Why do we still cover our eyes and plead ignorance to the chaos that is happening? And why do we continuously vote people in office that have no sympathy for the world around them. Why do we let them wreak havoc on sustainability and pro-environmental causes?
Since the rise of industrialism in the late 19th century, there has been a rising amount of carbon-monoxide and other man-made emissions in the atmosphere, causing the global temperature to rise 1.62 degrees Fahrenheit. This warming has caused acidification of the ocean, ice sheets to shrink, glaciers to retreat, and sea levels to rise.
Despite these scientifically proven facts, politicians like to pretend that either climate change doesn’t exist.
They instead label it as just fake news or just a hoax made by the Chinese.
Yet some politicians are in a more distinct group of environmental threats. Some simply use environmentalism and sustainability as tools just to get elected. They campaign and claim that they will work to fight against climate change and support eco-friendly, sustainable measures.
Once elected, they do the exact opposite. They single-handedly vote for legislation that is toxic for the environment.
They gladly throw their ‘eco-activist badge of honor’ out the window and ignore the increasing threat of global warming.
Examples of this include former Florida Gubernatorial Democratic candidate, Gwen Graham. In 2016, she voted against an amendment that would remove harmful language that discharged numerous damaging logging activities in the National Forest System.
She voted in favor for the Keystone XL Pipeline (which has already leaked 210,000 gallons of oil in South Dakota), voted to categorize coal ash as nonhazardous waste (H.R. 1734), and voted for a radically extreme attack on clean water, which would void the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S Army Corps of Engineers Clean Water Rule which protects small streams and wetlands.
So why does she insist that she is “leading the fight to protect the environment” and that “protecting our environment is personal”? It is because she wanted your vote. But promises won’t be kept, and as seen, actions speak much louder than words.
When it comes to the environment, we are all hypocrites. We could all do so much better. Yet, there are people out there clinging onto the progressive agenda and claiming to be pro-environment.
We should remind ourselves that actions speak louder than words and that many of these people just want your vote.
Remember to do your research and make sure the candidate that you are voting for is the best for the environment.
Our Earth is worth fighting for.