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Just Another Friendly Reminder that Climate Change Still Exists

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Emmanuel chapter.

With the recent debates and debacles leading up to the presidential election, climate change has taken a backseat. The first presidential debate neglected to address climate change adequately, which is a huge issue plaguing not only our country but the world. The topic of climate change has been grossly ignored for several decades, and continues to be ignored now. 

From an unbiased perspective, it seems that President Trump continually ignores climate change, defending the platform that these companies producing large amounts of pollution are also the companies that employ Americans. As much as this might be true, the amount of pollution created by these industries is producing major health risks for those same Americans. When those Americans get sick, who will be there to do that work?  

One of the major negative allegations associated with the Trump administration is their lack of compassion for working class citizens and their incessant obsession with money. They seem to ignore the thousands of people struggling to make ends meet, which forces them to live in areas with high pollution making their chances of proper health and financial prosperity very low. 

During the debate on Thursday night, climate change was talked about. The conversation centered majorly around the oil industry which is a huge problem among many . In my opinion, this was the primary focus because the Trump administration sees it as the most lucrative and promising industry in terms of economic growth for this country. President Trump seems to take extremes to situations in other words a “yes or no” debate. When Trump asked Joe Biden if he would shut down the oil industry, he insinuated that the shutdown wouldn’t be replaced by another potentially lucrative company. Biden proposed that the shutdown of the oil industry would be replaced by an industry based on renewable energy and that this would be a transitional affair, not a change that would take place all at once. 

Overall, climate change is an issue that is greatly ignored. Many countries around the world have adopted new and improved practices that reduce their contribution to pollution and we must do the same. This isn’t something that America can fix in one day—it is truly a transitional process, but the earlier we start, the better. Climate change needs to be acknowledged as a REAL threat to the planet. It is happening and it is hurting all aspects of our environment and our personal health.

5 Things You Can Do To Reduce Your Carbon Footprint on this Planet

  1. If you aren’t actively using your chargers, unplug them from the wall  Just because you don’t have something plugged into it, that doesn’t mean you aren’t still using energy.  

  2. Carpool! Driving emits incredible amounts of carbon dioxide, so sharing a ride or using public transit is a great way to start your journey. 

  3. If you can, start buying your food locally. The majority of the food we eat is shipped from somewhere else in the world. By buying local we can cut down on carbon dioxide emissions by reducing the amount of transportation associated with food shipment. 

  4. Another thing you can do is turning down or turning off your thermostat when you leave the house. This uses less energy and can save you money!

    5. Plant trees! The more trees we have, the more carbon dioxide they will absorb. One adult tree produces enough oxygen to support two humans! (Urban Forestry Network)

I am a Biology major with a concentration in health sciences at Emmanuel College. In my free time I like to scuba dive and paint!
Carly Silva

Emmanuel '21

Carly is a senior at Emmanuel College pursuing a major in English Writing, Editing, and Publishing, as well as Communications and Media Studies. She loves to write and has a particular fondness for poetry. Carly also loves reading on the beach, playing music, and hanging out with her dog, Mowgli.