As citizens of the United States of America, we find ourselves at this time confused and concerned about the many issues threatening our way of life.  We have a growing population, soon to breach 300 million.  There is a conflict involving oil, which many are calling a world war, occurring in the Middle East.  Global Climate Change is on the minds of many.  What is to be done, and who is responsible to make a change?

     Our country’s founding document is silent concerning the environment.  I believe this is because the founders of the Constitution could not have foreseen the incredible growth the Industrial Revolution would bring, and as consequence, the unintended damage to our air, water, and land systems.  The only place in the U.S Constitution that seems to allow for environmental protection is that of the Tenth Amendment.  That the States retain rights not specifically prescribed to the National Government suggests that the burden of environmental control rests upon the shoulders of state and local governments.

     Following the Second World War, our country saw increases in many areas, and one was disposable packaging.  Because these products were being dumped at an ever-increasing rate, the naturally self cleansing ecosystem was under serious threat.  Pollution had largely gone unchecked, and people were being hospitalized and many had died from exposure to harmful chemicals.  Many people spoke out on this issue and as a result, local and state entities implemented strategies for solving the crisis.  April 22, 1970 is a day that will stand out for many as a critical turning point in our Nation’s ecological history.  This date was the first ever “Earth Day.”  A Democratic Senator from Wisconsin, Gaylord Nelson proposed Earth Day in 1970.  In his 1980 article for the EPA Journal, Senator Nelson describes his goal: “My primary objective in planning Earth Day was to show the political leadership of the Nation that there was broad and deep support for the environmental movement. While I was confident that a nationwide peaceful demonstration of concern would be impressive, I was not quite prepared for the overwhelming response that occurred on that day. Two thousand colleges and universities, ten thousand high schools and grade schools, and several thousand communities in all, more than twenty million Americans participated in one of the most exciting and significant grassroots efforts in the history of this country.” (Nelson, 1980.)

     Because the President has power to create bureaucracies, President Richard Nixon consolidated elements of several agencies to create the Environmental Protection Agency in 1972.  Administrator William D. Ruckelshaus first led the EPA.  Shortly after his appointment, he spoke to the National Press Club, emphasising responsibility of the individual.  He said, “An environmental ethic is needed. Each of us must begin to realize our own relationship to the environment. Each of us must begin to measure the impact of our own decisions and actions on the quality of air, water, and soil of this nation.”  (Wisman, 1985.)

     I assert that one person can make a difference.  A person’s actions in a community cannot help but touch others’ lives.  That is to say that, for example, Mayor Rocky Anderson’s personal efforts to make his yard both beautiful and water conservative will extend further than his property lines.  Others will emulate his style and realize benefits that can encourage others to do the same; namely, lower water bills and more time spent with family rather than mowing the lawn.  Simply put, environmental leadership is and must be a grass roots operation.  The average citizen must feel responsible for her community’s well being, and by extension her own.  I applaud Mr. Anderson for his policies, and encourage others to follow his direction.

     I believe that our quality of life exists as a continuum wherein if our actions are positive and effective we are immediately heading toward the desirable end.  Conversely, simply doing nothing does not leave us in the middle of the continuum, but instead in decay and headed quickly to the undesirable end.  There is no fence sitting with regard to quality of life.  This is true with regard to our ecological health.  Efforts to become more “green” are possible because of our agency in local government.  Opposition by leaders on a national level is not a sufficient excuse to surrender.  Take the example of two cities affected by the severe hurricane season of 2005.  It is my opinion that Huston is rebuilding quickly, and without much media attention, because they are not holding themselves hostage by whining.  They are made of strong, truly American communities, unafraid of hard work.  On the other hand, I have become weary of the excuses and complaints of citizens of New Orleans.  I believe if our grandparents who held on during the Great Depression were here, they’d slap us in the face for the way we expect to be coddled.  We must be more willing to take charge of our situation.

     Another element of our nation’s quality of life that is cause for alarm is our dependence on fossil fuels.  Speaking from a perspective of principle, we cannot truly expect to maintain an independent lifestyle if we live on fuel sources that are finite.  This is true whether the source is within or without our country.  The United States should release herself from this addiction to oil before we are forced to by natural law.  To say that we should end our dependence on foreign oil as a way to avoid war is to place blinders about our eyes.  Certainly we should avoid war, and especially for those reasons that would threaten our economy.  But the continual wars in the Middle East are more complicated than a product of energy crises.  Remove oil from the equation and the conflict continues.  For purposes of this paper’s topic, let’s focus on our interior.  We should take immediate and progressive steps to production of efficient energy.  I’ll come back to this later.  Many have suggested a ten-year timeframe for our graduation from foreign oil sources to self-sufficiency.  I wonder if this is too long a time, but am glad that there is such forward thinking happening.  Local governments, as well as individual states must take a proactive stance, budgeting for innovative technologies that will pay out in the future.  Financial encouragement will be especially fruitful in the private sector, as entrepreneurs seek to make their monumental mark on this generation.

     Oil is not the only vocabulary on the lips of the nation.  Global Warming has become a household term.  As stated from Al Gore Jr.’s website, “Global warming refers to the rise in the average temperature of the entire Earth’s surface due to increased levels of greenhouse gases.” (Gore, 2006. Rodale.)  Mayor Anderson follows Mr. Gore in stating the severity of global climate change, using phrases such as “rapid deterioration” and “catastrophic climate change.”  CBS reported clearly our President’s denial of the issue. “We do not know how much our climate could, or will change in the future,” President Bush said in 2001, speaking in the Rose Garden of the White House. “We do not know how fast change will occur, or even how some of our actions could impact it.”  (Herrick, 2006) 

     In his 2006 documentary “An Inconvenient Truth,” Al Gore shows us that great changes have been taking place from Patagonia to Mount Saint Helens, and Greenland to Antarctica.  He asserts that, “If the warming continues, we can expect catastrophic consequences.  Deaths from global warming will double in just 25 years….  Global sea levels could rise by more than 20 feet…worldwide.  Heat waves will be more frequent and more intense.  Droughts and wildfires will occur more often.  The Arctic Ocean could be ice free in summer by 2050.  More than a million species worldwide could be driven to extinction by 2050.”  (Gore, 2006.)  Whether or not Global warming is the disastrous phenomenon that Al Gore says it is, we should take steps to reduce the footprint we make on our planet.  I personally doubt our ability to make such a difference in the Earth’s makeup, but I recognize that we can certainly destroy ourselves.  We should work to provide a world in which our grandchildren’s children can breathe freely and enjoy life to its fullest.

     If I were a member of my State’s government, I’d do my best to implement and support several programs and policies to improve the quality of life.  On the subject of energy, I would push for alternative energy research.  Technology such as solar and wind power is already in use and could be used more universally.  Our Universities would be given a special mission to lead the way in this research to make biofuels, hydrogen power and other solutions more viable.

     Crime would be next on my list.  It is my belief that in the commission of a crime, a citizen gives up some of his or her rights, and especially their luxuries.  I would support a set of policies under the banner, “Crime Must Not Pay!”  Prison should not be enjoyable.  I have heard cases of previous offenders committing a crime so they could return to prison.  I also support the idea that good gun safety education and the encouragement of citizens to bear arms legally does much to dissuade others from breaking the law.

     Any person interested in politics knows that addressing health care is important.  Again, I support the action of the average individual in creating the solution.  Insurance companies have little or no checks against their actions.  If I were in office, I would encourage participation in prepaid legal services.  If a member of a particular group experienced difficulty in getting the care that they needed, they’d have a network to work through.  This leverage would in turn keep the insurance providers honest.

     Recycling should be a greater focus throughout my state.  I understand that every resident within Salt Lake City has this program available.  I submit that recycling does more than protect our environment.  It binds communities together in common purpose.  A citizen who recycles is everyday more aware of the difference one person can make.  This realization will spill over into better citizenship and will create a better America.

     Finally, I believe the most significant improvement to our quality of life will come from our investment in education.  Because good education garners future benefits in well balanced, productive citizens, we would be remiss to ignore this area.  Among the many ways one can support education, there is one that stands out as immediately effective.  I would support a program for itemized voluntary donations from the parents of students in grade schools.  A parent could choose which programs in the school for which the money be used.  In this way, a parent has a direct link to the success and quality of their child’s school experience.  As a follow-up to this program, donors would be eligible for a tax credit matching up to $500 dollars of their gifts to the school.  Here the individual is making a marked difference on quality of life.

     With all these solutions comes intricacies that I may not understand, but the principles are sound.  One should not be relying on the mercies of those who have a nation to tend to.  Instead, local and State governments, who are more able to survey individual issues and solutions are to step up and make the difference.  We as communities can show good faith and create solutions that will shine for other communities and influence a broad change.
 
References Used

Gore, Al. 2006. Misconceptions About Global Warming. Rodale Inc.
     http://www.read-the-truth.com/home/Gore, Al. 2006. What Is Global Warming?. Paramount Pictures.
     http://www.climatecrisis.net/thescience/ Herrick, Catherine and Bill Owens. 2006. Rewriting The Science. CBS Broadcasting Inc.
     http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/03/17/60minutes/main1415985.shtml  Nelson, Gaylord. 1980. Earth Day ‘70: What It Meant. U.S. Environmental Protection
     Agency. http://epa.gov/history/topics/earthday/02.htm.Wisman, Phil. 1985. Background: Why EPA Was Established. U.S. Environmental
     Protection Agency. http://www.epa.gov/history/topics/epa/15b.htm

I am weary of the constant mudslinging between the Republican and Democratic Parties.  I have no confidence in either party.  I am ready for politicians who are willing to state their purpose and stick to it.  I want honesty, even if it hurts.  I want to have politicians who forget that they have to be elected to the job, and who are so passionate about bringing solutions to the table, that it eclipses every other aspect of their office.  I am certain that this nation is thirsting for honest consistent leadership; and thirsting to a degree that if a candidate for public office brought real solutions to our problems, they would have the voters they want.  This is where causality does play a part.  This is a time for real solutions.  Over the next few posts, I will be proposing several solutions to various problems.  I hope you enjoy!