The environment is one of the most important discussion topics nowadays. With the conversations only getting more passionate, the question arises, are we doing enough? I believe that we are allocating our resources ineffectively and using money on things that could be better suited for the environment. We only have one earth. This is something that people struggle to understand when they talk about going to Mars or leaving for something greater in the stars.

It seems like politicians only use the topic of environmental change as a way to get votes then just disregard it when it comes time for policy changes and laws to be passed. They not only disregard it, they actively fight against environmental protections in favor of big companies who will pay them to pass laws that can inadvertently damage the world. It seems to also be a generational gap, as older individuals are less focused on the issue of pollution and global warming that younger people are. This is an issue because a vast majority of politicians are older, focusing on other, less important issues instead of protecting our earth.

Many people don’t bother recycling as they think that they can’t make a difference. They think that their little contribution can’t possibly make a difference in the grand scheme of things. The only issue with that mindset is the unbelievable amount of individuals who think this. If everyone who thought this actually did start recycling, composting or reducing their carbon footprint, the issue would be much easier to deal with. Everybody can make a difference if they choose to and it can just be little things, like riding a bike instead of driving or switching to LED lightbulbs.

I can’t put all the blame on people. I want to point out the real villain and show who really pollutes the most: big corporations. According to the Guardian, just 100 companies have been responsible for 71 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions since 1988. We need to start punishing these companies for killing the earth. Whether that be boycotting their products to hurt their wallets, or petitioning our government to pass laws that require them to pollute less, we have power and we can do something about this. We only have one planet and if we don’t start focusing on it now, things will only get worse.