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The old button from the Environmental Club days which I just happened to find on Earth Day! It is a little beat up (particularly the ends of the ribbon), but no worse for the wear, I think. And it is one of the few items that I have left from those days, so it carries a lot of great memories for me! Nothing Changes Until You Do!
"Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's needs, but not every man's greed."
~Mahatma Gandhi
"Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future."
~John F. Kennedy
Perhaps the most depressing and alarming aspect of the anti-intellectual political tendencies of the United States in recent decades has been the blatant denial of and need for action to try and curb the excesses of climate change.
It is obnoxious, because the arguments against environmental activism used to center around frank disbelief. Just a few decades ago, the popular thinking among conservatives, and among a majority of Americans, seemingly, was that there was simply no way that this could actually be happening, and anyone who believed it was real was a sucker. Only extremist environmental wackos could believe in such a thing.
Fast-forward a few decades, and some obviously strange, and in some cases catastrophic, weather incidents, like the numerous hurricanes that have wrought considerable damage along the Atlantic coast of the United States, as well as record droughts out west, and record water level rising often along the Mississippi and, again, along parts of the Atlantic coast (particularly Florida), as well as record headlines of record heat waves during the summer and record cold temperatures during the winter, and even most conservatives have come around and acknowledged that there is indeed something to this climate change thing.
Now, however, the arguments have gravitated. They did not believe there was climate change before. And having had to concede that point, they now have dug in their trenches and adamantly refused to believe that this climate change is a result of human activity.
The reasons for their opposition to action are clear enough: it costs them money. Having higher standards for more rigid environmental regulations means that major polluters would have to invest money to make their plants cleaner, and would have to pay hefty fines if caught illegally dumping. Also, major polluters, such as the oil and coal industries, clearly feel threatened by the prospect of technology that is being developed which could finally render these resources obsolete.
Obviously, that cuts into the profits of these industries. In the last election, we saw Donald Trump win in the Appalachian states, at least in part, because of his promise to bring back the dying coal industry. He was not able to do it, and so this was one of those numerous campaign promises of his that was quickly and quietly swept under the rug.
Clearly, though, the major polluters are enjoying Trump's presidency. He made it easier for them to dump crap into waters, and loosened environmental regulations to make it easier for them to pollute our land and air, as well. In fact, he severely weakened the Environmental Protection Agency. Most infamously, he pulled the United States out of the Paris Climate Accord, a move that drew worldwide condemnation. As of right now, the United States stands as the only nation with the dubious distinction of having rejected the deal on the premise that it does not believe in climate change.
This, in 2019, is hugely discouraging and, frankly, embarrassing. I remember feeling embarrassed that George H. W. Bush rejected the Rio climate accord back in 1992, but the fact that nearly three decades has seen little change in this regard, and that opposition to any kind of environmental action among the most prominent political elites remains much stronger, even while a vast majority of Americans now accept that climate change is real, and action needs to be taken, is very depressing.
However, environmentalists - particularly younger ones - have been stepping up in their activism on this issue. It has gained momentum in recent years, and now some are suggesting that this might well be the activist movement of our time, much like Vietnam War activism dominated in the 1960's, and anti-apartheid activism dominated in the 1980's.
Frankly, we could learn from the young people in this regard. They have every right to be active, as this issue will impact them more than anyone else, and not the dinosaurs in office in the White House and Congress right now, who deny the need for action, all while taking generous donations from major polluters.
It is sometimes too easy to feel a bit of despair when you read the news headlines, and you see how little progress has been made on this issue. It seems that even while the majority of Americans now understand that climate change is real, and even understand that we need to be doing more, this knowledge rarely translates to serious results on Election Day. After all, look at who is in the White House right now.
But remaining hopeful is critical, and I want to applaud the effort of young activists on this issue. I truly hope that their movement will grow and grow, and become a force that can no longer simply be ignored. We need action, and it is pleasing to see them taking action on their end. If only our so-called leaders could learn from their example!
Obviously, that cuts into the profits of these industries. In the last election, we saw Donald Trump win in the Appalachian states, at least in part, because of his promise to bring back the dying coal industry. He was not able to do it, and so this was one of those numerous campaign promises of his that was quickly and quietly swept under the rug.
Clearly, though, the major polluters are enjoying Trump's presidency. He made it easier for them to dump crap into waters, and loosened environmental regulations to make it easier for them to pollute our land and air, as well. In fact, he severely weakened the Environmental Protection Agency. Most infamously, he pulled the United States out of the Paris Climate Accord, a move that drew worldwide condemnation. As of right now, the United States stands as the only nation with the dubious distinction of having rejected the deal on the premise that it does not believe in climate change.
This, in 2019, is hugely discouraging and, frankly, embarrassing. I remember feeling embarrassed that George H. W. Bush rejected the Rio climate accord back in 1992, but the fact that nearly three decades has seen little change in this regard, and that opposition to any kind of environmental action among the most prominent political elites remains much stronger, even while a vast majority of Americans now accept that climate change is real, and action needs to be taken, is very depressing.
However, environmentalists - particularly younger ones - have been stepping up in their activism on this issue. It has gained momentum in recent years, and now some are suggesting that this might well be the activist movement of our time, much like Vietnam War activism dominated in the 1960's, and anti-apartheid activism dominated in the 1980's.
Frankly, we could learn from the young people in this regard. They have every right to be active, as this issue will impact them more than anyone else, and not the dinosaurs in office in the White House and Congress right now, who deny the need for action, all while taking generous donations from major polluters.
It is sometimes too easy to feel a bit of despair when you read the news headlines, and you see how little progress has been made on this issue. It seems that even while the majority of Americans now understand that climate change is real, and even understand that we need to be doing more, this knowledge rarely translates to serious results on Election Day. After all, look at who is in the White House right now.
But remaining hopeful is critical, and I want to applaud the effort of young activists on this issue. I truly hope that their movement will grow and grow, and become a force that can no longer simply be ignored. We need action, and it is pleasing to see them taking action on their end. If only our so-called leaders could learn from their example!
Here is the link to the article that got me on this topic:
Intensifying climate change protests 'could rival Vietnam War activism' ABC Radio Adelaide By Malcolm Sutton Posted 17 Dec 2018
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-18/climate-change-protests-to-rival-vietnam-war-activism/10627548?fbclid=IwAR1JCSrfNwzG05QsB2UAXL1Mg5yMRsPITaWyXxuMn6oOEH_GR5QTPjUgxZw
