Our collective action on COVID-19 shows us what’s possible in fighting climate change
As we watch the COVID-19 Pandemic sweep across the globe, it remains abundantly clear that we are living in unprecedented times. The spread of this deadly disease has taken its toll in a number of ways, whether that be in regards to our health, our families, or our finances, damage has been done. In our lives, the problems of today take priority over the problems of tomorrow, as they should. However, we can’t allow the war we wage against this invisible enemy devastate us without learning a few lessons from these strange times to help our country rebuild.
Over the course of the past months, American’s have been paying more attention to science and professionals in scientific fields than ever before. Whether it be in regards to social distancing guidelines, potential treatments, or medical advice, it is clear that the American people have, at large, put their trust in science and those who know it best. What I ask, then, is that after COVID-19 and all of the devastation that follows it has been eliminated from our country, that we maintain our trust in scientific experts and the objective facts that they report to us in good will.
Since its emergence as a public concern, climate change, an issue rooted in objective scientific facts, has been politicized. Some political leaders, similarly to their initial responses to the COVID-19 epidemic, have underplayed the consequences of man-made global warming. However, in both of these situations the vast majority of scientific professionals within their respective fields have expressed concerns about the dangers of ignoring projections in regards to the danger of humans continuing to contribute to the problem. The difference is, when the CDC told us to practice social distancing, we listened and adapted, but when the EPA and 12 other government agencies released a detailed report in 2018 explaining the true threat that climate change, caused primarily by man-made carbon based pollution posed to our planet, our country’s emissions rose the following year. The COVID-19 pandemic is a priority right now, as it should be, but we must ask ourselves what would happen if we ignored the experts and allowed the virus to reach its maximum potential devastation.
Aside from the damage dealt to public health, COVID-19 has equally plundered our economy. With unemployment skyrocketing, and the federal government already tacking $2 trillion dollars onto the national debt, and expensive solution to this complex problem is the last thing our country needs. If my peers and I want any prayer of receiving social security benefits when we become eligible, and also want our elected officials to address the climate crisis, we need politicians to get creative. Thankfully, a creative solution has been proposed in the form of H.R. 763, The Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act. By placing a price on carbon at the source, and giving the money collected back to the American people, the government has an opportunity to boost the economy with help from the free market while also saving our planet.
While COVID-19 has sparked great fear and uncertainty in this country and across the globe, it has also shown us that as Americans, we can still come together and unite around a meaningful cause. Whether we see it in widespread loan forgiveness or retailers repurposing their factories to craft supplies for medical workers, there is proof that the United States still has the ability to truly unite. After this is all over, lets keep uniting, listening, and fighting for our safety, the safety of generations to come, and the safety of our planet.
Stephen Hillenmeyer is a junior at Western Kentucky University studying political science and English and currently serving as a conservative student fellow with the Citizens’ Climate Lobby.