We are experiencing more severe effects from global climate change with each passing month -- drought, floods, tornadoes, and of course, bigger and more destructive hurricanes. Reasonable people know that something must be done, and it must be done soon, to prevent an even bigger disaster to this planet. The problem is that there are too many people in the United States for whom reason is not a value to be treasured.
There are people (in both political parties) who value a couple of other things more -- profits and religion. Those who would put profit above all else are afraid that saving the planet might cost them a little money. And they don't want to spend that money, because today's short term profits are more important than leaving an inhabitable and prosperous planet for our children and grandchildren. What's crazy about this point of view is that the same companies that would have to spend a little money to clean up their use of fossil fuels could offset that by joining in the move to green energy use, thereby combining making even more profits with saving our planet. All it would take is a more long-term view.
The other group is more difficult, because they hide behind their religion. They don't believe in the basic tenets of science -- and they take pride in their non-belief. Scientific proof means nothing to these people because they have a thousands of years old myth to take comfort in, and they are far more interested in spreading their version of that myth than in leaving an inhabitable planet for future generations.
This country has more climate change deniers than any other developed country in the world, and we also use a larger share of the world's energy resources. We must change both of those. And we must join other nations in trying to solve the climate change problem. Nothing can or will be done until the United States is willing to act. Many politicians in this country love to claim we are a world leader. Why then do we refuse to lead on climate change -- which is undoubtably the most serious issue of our time?
Yes the election will make a huge difference on climate change, because ignoring the issue is so much more effective than denying it exists. Neither course actually does anything to mitigate against it of course, but the liberal course of accepting that it exists and talking about it while not actually doing anything is so much more noble than denying its existance.
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