Seriously, how can I--a climate and environmental activist with a Bachelors of Science--NOT weigh in on the asinine anti-science rhetoric that our elected officials spout from Capitol Hill? From Mitch McConnell telling states to ignore the President's directives on carbon emissions, to the Senate taking up valuable time to vote on whether or not they believe Climate Change is real or not. What what...WHAT?! Aren't our roads and bridges falling apart? (You can check out the bridge in Pittsburgh built under a crumbling overpass in order to catch pieces of concrete that are falling off). Don't we have a budget to balance and government overspending to rein in? Or a campaign funding mess that takes the people out of the election equation and allows corporations to buy elections?
The War on Science continues to rage on, and its epicenter can be found in Washington. The House of Representatives is getting
ready to pass legislation that would prevent the foremost scientific experts in our nation, and from around the world, from being consulted on any studies or policy meetings by the Environmental Protection Agency. That's right! The EPA will no longer be allowed to ask the most qualified people in the world when they need to understand the best way to protect the environment. That's down right crazy, if you ask me. It is akin to creating a department to oversee National Security and then refusing to fund it. (Wait, what? Congress is doing that right now with Homeland Security? Oh, umm...).
We are now to the point that we have a senator throwing snowballs on the Senate floor to prove climate change "isn't real" while failing to acknowledge that the entire Midwest (including his home state of Oklahoma) broke all time record highs in the days leading up to his ridiculous display. Congress recently passed a bill that authorized the construction of the Keystone Pipeline, which President subsequently vetoed. The new EPA rules, which will most likely pass the House and Senate, will quickly be vetoed by the President as well. Congress knows this! Yet, they continue to attack all things environmental and ignore the nations highways, air and water quality, national security (DHS funding was finally approved and signed by the President), and the growing gap between the rich and the poor. The remain focused on passing legislation that is sure to be vetoed. In other words, they are wasting our time! The GOP promised that they would get things done once they controlled Congress, yet they are fighting amongst themselves and dropping the ball. Where's the outrage?! Where are the protests? Hey, America...are you awake out there?
So, what you end up getting from me, (instead of cool solar projects that are popping up around the world or do-it-yourself green projects for your home) is my bewilderment and frustration with a group of people trying to turn the calendars back to 1500's Italy. Today's scientists are being turned into modern day Galileo's, people who are pretty smart and worked really hard to provide some answers to scientific questions that effect all of us, yet are being muzzled by a movement to keep fossil fuels alive at all costs. Free speech, freedom of religion and the quest to understand our natural world through science and innovation are being squashed for special interest and profit.
Believe me, I would much rather share with you the feel good stories of environmental progress and innovation instead of standing on my soapbox to rail against this slide backwards toward the Dark Ages. But, I can't ignore it and neither should you. Contact your Congressman and Senators. Demand that they stop with the partisan bullshit and get back to work.
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