Planet could suffer under Trump

Claire Vecchioni, Staff writer

Sitting cross-legged in my lifeguard chair, I attempted to stay hydrated by forcing down my third bottle of water. My fifth hour of prolonged sun exposure approached as I baked in the 113-degree heat Aug. 13, the hottest day of the year.

Not only was 2016 the hottest year ever, it was the first time in the modern era that temperatures have exceeded the previous record three years in a row, according to The New York Times.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration refuses to write off this pattern of increasing temperatures as a phenomenon. In fact, they concluded that it’s an indicator of large, irreversible changes.

All around me I hear about climate change, whether it’s from CNN or my environmental science teacher. Yet, the one person I really want to hear about it from is our president.

I used to think that it didn’t matter what the president believed when it comes to environmental issues, and that the private organizations and treaties would handle it.

When the president denies the existence of global warming, however, it becomes a problem.
Although Trump doesn’t have complete control over global warming, he has the power to appoint the people who do, one of whom is Myron Ebell, who has a history of opposing efforts to fight climate change, even accusing scientists of “manipulating and falsifying data.”

Trump has been in office for a month and has already angered scientists. His administration put a “bar” on EPA communications, preventing them from posting on social media, providing information to reporters or awarding new contacts or grants.

It may be within the administration’s power to do this, but after removing climate change information from the White House’s website, filtering the EPA’s website and instituting this bar, it seems to me as if they are trying very hard to keep scientifically proven facts from the public.

Scientists are outraged and concerned over this news, worried that their hard work will have been for nothing if it cannot be shared with the public. Hundreds of scientists and 50,000 volunteers have joined together to plan the March for Science in Washington, D.C. Apr. 22, aka Earth Day, according to the official website.

As citizens and scientists alike are coming together in order to stand up against the administration’s attempts to oppress the EPA, it’s becoming evident to me that being informed on climate change is more important now than ever before. It is our duty as responsible U.S. citizens to enlighten ourselves and others on the scientific facts the administration wants so badly to keep hidden from us.