Do Not Despair Earth Lovers! | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Politics

Do Not Despair Earth Lovers!

Why the current atmosphere should fuel individual action more than ever before.

26
Do Not Despair Earth Lovers!
Google Images

It's quite alarming how often Trump's name and face are adorning my articles. But this week, it would be wrong to ignore how I am feeling about recent events lauded by the Trump Administration.

As I am sure you all know, the United States is no longer on board with the Paris Climate Agreement, making us only one of three countries not pledging our commitment to saving the Earth (our peers are Nicaragua and Syria). Now, I don't plan on hiding how pissed off I am about this or how embarrassed I am for our country; I hope the rest of the world knows that the large majority of us did not, do not, want this.

That said, our efforts as individuals matter now more than ever. Honestly, our president can say and do whatever he wants, that's the fact of the matter. But we don't have to align our actions with his. In fact, now is the time to separate ourselves from his flawed beliefs in our everyday actions. We have to band together as the American public to keep to the agenda that is right: the agenda of saving our planet.

We know in our hearts and minds, as individuals, that the Earth needs saving, and fast. Private companies and organizations can still run initiatives to improve the environment. We can take small steps in our daily lives to recycle, take a bike to work, use less paper, etc. Because now, even these small actions are actions of defiance against an administration that doesn't seem to think action is necessary. This fact should empower us even more.

Trump is wrong. We cannot just abandon our allies and our planet like this. Maybe it's ok that the US isn't a leader in global progress on every front, but now we are no longer even a partner in this global progress, no longer a mere supporter, it seems.

But we cannot let the flawed mindset of our president and his informants lead to our downfall. We can make a difference and stand up for what we understand to be right. We, as individuals, can make the differences that Trump seems to brush off as inconvenient to his agenda. What he doesn't understand is that his role as president is to serve his people and his country, not to serve himself and his private beliefs.

Our absence from the Paris Climate Agreement discussions may seem pitiful now, but it should serve as more of an impetus to help the environment in our everyday lives. We can make the difference, and the difference is necessary. We have to let Mother Earth know we are there for her, even if that means we are not there in support of our president. Do not despair. Trump can do and say whatever he wants, but so can we.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
ross geller
YouTube

As college students, we are all familiar with the horror show that is course registration week. Whether you are an incoming freshman or selecting classes for your last semester, I am certain that you can relate to how traumatic this can be.

1. When course schedules are released and you have a conflict between two required classes.

Bonus points if it is more than two.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

12 Things I Learned my Freshmen Year of College

When your capability of "adulting" is put to the test

2518
friends

Whether you're commuting or dorming, your first year of college is a huge adjustment. The transition from living with parents to being on my own was an experience I couldn't have even imagined- both a good and a bad thing. Here's a personal archive of a few of the things I learned after going away for the first time.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

Economic Benefits of Higher Wages

Nobody deserves to be living in poverty.

301713
Illistrated image of people crowded with banners to support a cause
StableDiffusion

Raising the minimum wage to a livable wage would not only benefit workers and their families, it would also have positive impacts on the economy and society. Studies have shown that by increasing the minimum wage, poverty and inequality can be reduced by enabling workers to meet their basic needs and reducing income disparities.

I come from a low-income family. A family, like many others in the United States, which has lived paycheck to paycheck. My family and other families in my community have been trying to make ends meet by living on the minimum wage. We are proof that it doesn't work.

Keep Reading...Show less
blank paper
Allena Tapia

As an English Major in college, I have a lot of writing and especially creative writing pieces that I work on throughout the semester and sometimes, I'll find it hard to get the motivation to type a few pages and the thought process that goes behind it. These are eleven thoughts that I have as a writer while writing my stories.

Keep Reading...Show less
April Ludgate

Every college student knows and understands the struggle of forcing themselves to continue to care about school. Between the piles of homework, the hours of studying and the painfully long lectures, the desire to dropout is something that is constantly weighing on each and every one of us, but the glimmer of hope at the end of the tunnel helps to keep us motivated. While we are somehow managing to stay enrolled and (semi) alert, that does not mean that our inner-demons aren't telling us otherwise, and who is better to explain inner-demons than the beloved April Ludgate herself? Because of her dark-spirit and lack of filter, April has successfully been able to describe the emotional roller-coaster that is college on at least 13 different occasions and here they are.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments