North Texas Daily

The internet was set amok at the recent news that the Great Barrier Reef is dying. This seems to be just another notch in the never ending list of things that humans have ruined. We destroy everything we touch, and it’s not getting any better.

In addition to climate change ruining the ozone layer and the polar ice caps, now we have the Great Barrier Reef on our conscience as well. Think about that when you go to sleep at night.

According to the Mother Jones magazine, of the nine processes that support life on Earth, four are already at unsafe levels. These four processes are human-driven climate change, loss of biosphere integrity, land-system change and the high levels of phosphorus and nitrogen flowing into our oceans due to fertilizers.

If we don’t start taking care of our planet soon, the effects will be irreversible. That’s why it’s so important not only for American citizens to be involved in environmental change, but politicians as well. Barring the talk surrounding a 2012 Donald Trump tweet where he claimed climate change was a hoax invented by the Chinese, the current political election has seen very little talk about the environment.

In this crucial time in our planet’s history, we need to be doing all that we can to make real change. If politicians aren’t pushing an eco-friendly agenda, no change will occur. This is why it’s important to know a presidential candidate’s stance on climate change before voting for them. Even Hillary Clinton hasn’t said much about the environment, which should be incredibly alarming to early voters this week.

We are at a time when everything we do matters. Every choice we make will affect the future of not only our country but our planet. It’s vital we create legislation to protect our environment.

The real problem seems to be that without citizens prompting politicians to care about the environment and draft legislation, nothing will happen. We are more focused on all of the wacky things the candidates say and do than worrying about the policies they plan to implement.

Although the Environmental Protection Agency regulates matters like vehicle emissions, it won’t be enough as there isn’t any real regulation on climate change. We can’t just tell the Earth to stop getting warmer.

Ninety-three percent of the Great Barrier Reef has experienced bleaching due to changes in temperature and sunlight, according to Australia’s National Coral Bleaching Task Force. That doesn’t mean it’s lost forever, though. If we want to save it, we need to act now.

The only way we can change the damage we’re doing to this country is by electing a president that will make environmental changes. Lobby your government to save our planet. We’ve only got one, and we’re not taking very good care of it.

Featured Illustration: Samuel Wiggins