America's Global Environment Crisis or Not, Is it really important

Wikipedia on climate change says, "The United States is the second largest emitter, after China, of carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels. The energy policy of the United States is widely debated; many call on the country to take a leading role in fighting global warming.

  

Red Sky at Morning by James Gustavo Speth is a great read about this topic.

 ^{James writes, "Pollution.Pollutants of many varieties threaten biodiversity.}

^{Toxic substances; oxygen-demanding wastes; nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and} 

^{phosphorous overfertilization; acidification; and photochemical oxidants (ozone)}

^{all degrade the structure and functioning of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems."}

<sup>In the US alone the Gulf of Mexico is toxic with oil, we’ve caused earthquakes in the midwest when Fracking for natural gas, and 
we’ve blasted the tops off mountains in Virginia looking for coal.
When we turn non-renewable resources into energy we’re releasing toxic gases into the atmosphere, driving climate change and creating a hazardous issues around for all living beings.

Red Sky at Morning talks about the Eight Steps to Sustainability by having citizens engage and individuals doing things to promote each of these eight steps towards sustainability. Transition 5 on Sustainable Consumption is already an on-going effort today where it focuses on greening consumer purchases.It also touches on Center for a New American Dream an organization giving useful resources on "lifestyle shifts" including guides on how to buy green, parent in a consumer society and they advocate for changes that support more sustainable consumption as the author wrote.

So with recent executive order directing the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency  to withdraw the Clean Power Plan  although concerning as far environment activist are, inn lieu of all the organizations and work in place through the years,</sup> “The Trump administration has to go through the same process of putting in a regulation as the Obama administration [did],” Orts noted.
http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/trumps-executive-order-means-environment/

In conclusion, the threat on America and the Global Environment is real. Hence, we have to be pro-active as citizens on protecting the environment and working towards sustainability.  The US however has been a leader on environment science, and any action to damage this would risk climate science so it is imperative we continue to advocate for environmental issues.

Alex Esguerra

ADLE International