Well, it's official. Yesterday it was announced by the White House Budget Director that government agencies will no longer be funding research on Climate Change…It's honestly not the least bit of a shocker. After all, drastic budget cuts are being made in every department such as federal art programs, medical research, the Agricultural Department, the State Department, and of course, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Meanwhile, military spending will increase and $2 billion will be spent on the border wall. It's really comforting to know that we are no longer funding Climate Research, but spending billions on a wall between us and Mexico. But it's not like the people that work for the EPA can even combat against this, because there's a new leader in the house, and he doesn't believe in Climate Change either.

History of the EPA

The EPA was created in 1970 in order to put regulations on pollution to protect the health of the people and the environment. It was proposed and put into place by then-President Richard Nixon. It was a reaction from Congress that the people had been very concerned about high levels pollution due to human activity. Keywords: Human Activity.

Before the EPA was created, New York City could barely be seen due to heavy levels of smog covering the sky. Not just NYC, but most other major American cities like Cleveland, Houston, and Los Angeles. Rivers were filled every chemical and waste there was and the air was being pumped with copious amounts of CO2 and dirty fuels. There were Environmental Regulations before the EPA, but they obviously weren't strong enough.

The creation of the EPA was a great turning point for America putting many important environmental laws in place that drastically cut harmful air pollutants, regulated clean drinking water, tracked hazardous waste disposal and sewage, the list goes on and on.

So basically the EPA's whole mission, in essence, is to regulate Human Activity so that it does not harm our air, water, environment, and our health. This very mission is currently being threatened by the newly appointed Chief, Scott Pruitt.

Scott Pruitt: The Face of Climate Change Denial

One look at his track record and it is clear that he is arguably one of the last people anybody who cares about the environment would want as head of the agency. Pruitt has sued the very agency he is now the head of, on 14 separate occasions since 2010 when he became Attorney General of Oklahoma. For example, in 2009, the EPA made a study about the effects of greenhouse gases and fossil fuels on public health. The Clean Air Act required that the EPA regulate sources of pollutants coming from power plants, cars, and other sources that burn dirty fuels: coal, oil, and natural gas. Pruitt wasn't having it. He filed a lawsuit saying the EPA should not rely on Climate Change reports to create these regulations. In 2014, he even strongly opposed a Clean-up of Maryland's Chesapeake Bay. Why?!

So why would any good person sue against laws to pass regulations for cleaner air and water? The answer is fossil fuel money, which is unfortunately very prevalent in Republican politics. Pruitt has received hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign money during his time as Attorney General, and while he was the Head EPA nominee. Since 2002, Pruitt has received $300,000 in campaign contributions from the fossil fuel industry. In turn, he has screwed over the environment and the people's health by suing the EPA when they make regulations that would stunt the profits of oil companies.

So Pruitt and the oil companies' pockets get fat, while everyone else suffers basically. And it's not just Pruitt it's many, many, many Republican politicians. Trump's whole cabinet is full of oil money and Climate Change denial.

The EPA Now

It's really just so unfathomable that this guy is the head of the EPA, but anything is possible when Trump is President, I'm just waiting for pigs to fly. But anyways, as you can imagine, things are looking kind of bleak. People that have worked for the EPA for years have resigned because they can't stand for what's happening within the agency now.

When Trump was elected, EPA employees cried and called out sick due to depression. During Trump's first week of the presidency, he blocked EPA employees from posting on social media.

The U.S. EPA's Twitter has now been dubbed by many journalists as Pruitt's own personal PR site. Every other tweet mentions 'Administrator Scott Pruitt' is at this meeting or a quote of him saying this or that. No more mentions of Climate Change of course. There is now a Rogue EPA Staff twitter account, rebuking the horrors happening within the agency now.

So what are Trump and Pruitt's plans, do you ask? The budget for 2018 shows a 31 percent cut in the EPA's funds. And since you all know, Pruitt received lots of money from oil industries to secure his spot as the EPA head, what's he going to do? Do what's in their best interest, not the people.

Little old sweetie Pruitt wants to set back the fight on California's auto-based smog regulations. Now that you can somewhat breathe in L.A., he wants to make it so you can't again, just so the auto and oil industry can do what they want. Just last week he said that he believes human activity does not affect the climate. So spewing C02 in his opinion doesn't affect the climate, even though anyone who uses their brain and doesn't lie knows that it does. As I mentioned earlier, the whole reason for the EPA is to control Human Activity from damaging the environment.

So a guy that doesn't believe in Human Activity affecting the environment is the head of the agency that is supposed to regulate Human Activity from damaging the environment. Yeah, that makes perfect sense.

My Two Cents

Honestly, nothing I see on the news shocks me anymore. Trump lives in a backward world, and so does his cabinet. There is nothing he or his people are doing that is good he is not creating anything beneficial. All they are doing is destroying policies, laws, and government agencies that have benefited the environment and the people. Basically, if you're a monster, you can be in Trump's cabinet.

I highlighted the EPA because the issue of Climate Change is nearest and dearest to my heart. It's a very serious threat. Every year temperatures have been rising, sea levels are getting higher. The Ice caps are melting at a rapid rate. Forests are being cut down, in turn destroying habitats and ecosystems, endangering thousands of animals. Coral reefs are dying, excessive pollution, as well as oil and nuclear waste, are killing sea life and ecosystems.

The evidence is clear Human Activity is essentially speeding up our Earth's doomsday clock. Now that the EPA is in shambles, it's up to non-government Environmental agencies and the people to try and combat the effects.

Now is the time to fight: become a member of a local or state environmental group, get the word out, go to a protest near you, run for office, or get a job in the environmental field.

It's our only hope.