Since President Trump took office, America has seen a ton of unbelievable changes in the government that will inevitably affect everyone. One of these changes is the new director of the Environmental Protection Agency, or the EPA, named Scott Pruitt. The EPA is charged with, as the name suggests, protecting the environment. The way humans have been living is not sustainable, and is hurting the environment, so an agency like the EPA is just what the doctor ordered for our world.
However, Mr. Pruitt has different ideas. He is a climate change skeptic, and he is actually currently pursuing a lawsuit against the EPA. Despite protests from congress, namely democrats, and from the EPA itself, Mr. Pruitt was appointed to head the agency in February. Mr. Pruitt believes the EPA constantly oversteps their boundaries. He wants the efforts of the EPA to be passed down to the state level, instead of being a federal power. On his Linkedin page, Pruitt actually describes himself as a “leading advocate against the EPA’s activist agenda.” He also works very closely with the fossil fuel industry. Pruitt thinks carbon dioxide does not contribute to climate change, nor does he believe human activity has played a role in climate change. To be frank, he really does not believe anything in regards to sustainability needs to be changed.
So what do we do?
We march on anyway. We, as Americans, have the right to voice our opinions. Thankfully, Scott Pruitt does not have a monopoly on all conversation surrounding sustainability and climate change. We can continue to encourage participation in climate change conversation, and have real discussion about what can be done that is within our reach. The head of our Environmental Protection Agency does not believe the environment needs protecting, but that does not mean we cannot continue to push for more sustainable and eco-friendly ways to live.
- Shannon S.