UNCW environmental science professors discuss climate change under Trump

Megan Romanchok | Contributing Writer

President Donald J. Trump has caused concern for environmental advocates, scientists and citizens across the globe with his stance on climate change and the environment.

Approximately 61 percent of United States citizens were either “very” or “somewhat” concerned about rising temperatures, according to a survey done by the Yale Programme on Climate Change Communication and George Mason University Centre for Climate Change Communication.

On top of that, 97 percent or more of actively publishing climate scientists agree that warming trends over the last century are likely due to human activities, according to NASA.

More than half of the general public concerned about rising temperatures, and a vast majority of climate scientists, agree that humans are the cause.

While he was still campaigning, Trump, under his Twitter handle @realDonaldTrump, posted, “The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive.” Here, Trump began to make it known that he does not believe in the science behind climate change.

Since entering office, President Trump has continued to make decisions that concern environmentalists.

“Within moments of his inauguration,” The New York Times reported, “the official White House webpage deleted all mentions of climate change,” with the exception of President Trump’s vow to eliminate any climate change policies made by the Obama administration.

Within his first week in office, Trump also reinstated the Keystone XL and Dakota Access oil pipelines, projects that had previously been blocked by the Obama administration.

This move angered both environmentalists and those who had previously protested the pipelines. Tom Steyer, president of environmental group NextGen Climate, gave this statement to CNN: “The pipelines are all risk and no reward, allowing corporate polluters to transport oil through our country to be sold on the global market, while putting our air and water at serious risk.”

Media outlets in countries all over the globe are currently talking about Trump, his actions and the future of his administration. Closer to home, similar discussions are also taking place.

On Jan. 27, the environmental studies department at the University of North Carolina Wilmington held a faculty meeting where one of the topics discussed was the outlook of environmental conservation, policy and well-being under the Trump administration.

Dr. Jeffrey Hill, chair for the department, summarized the meeting’s discussion, stating that many environmental scientists see reason to be “guardedly optimistic.”

Dr. Hill and the environmental faculty believe that the American people, both for and against the decisions made by the current administration, will make their interests and concerns known to the government through their representatives allowing the system to “protect a balance between the aims and desires of all citizens.”

“The best-case scenario,” Dr. Hill goes on to say, “would be one in which the administration works in tandem with sound science to produce the best public policies possible, for the long run.”

To those who are not so optimistic, and still fear the outcomes of President Trump’s environmental policies and attitudes, Dr. Hill and the Environmental Studies Department offer this advice: be engaged in the political process and make your voice heard, because “in democracy, engagement is critical to building the world we want.”

Some ways the environmental studies department suggests to stay engaged include staying informed on the issues and remaining vigilant, contacting your elected officials, attending public meetings, joining organizations, running for an office and, most importantly, voting.

If you have any concerns or would like to get involved in this discussion, contact North Carolina Senator Richard Burr at his Washington, D.C. offices at (202) 224-3154, write a letter to 217 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 or visit his website at www.burr.senate.gov.