By Leah Devorak | Photo Editor
The world is beautifully diverse, especially in its wildlife. The United States is the perfect example of this, where animals abound and nature ranges from towering, snow-peaked mountains to soft, grassy plains. But under President Trump, it could all disappear.
Trump released a partial outline of his 2018 budget on March 16, revealing huge cuts to environmental protection.
According to the New York Times, the proposed cuts will remove a total of $22.9 billion in funding from the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Commerce, the Department of the Interior and other state and development plans in order to: defund the enactment of the Clean Power Plan, a bill that would help regulate greenhouse gas emissions from factories; defund internal and international climate change programs run by the EPA; eliminate all United States funding for all United Nations climate change programs; reduce funding for the National Forest System; eliminate the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s grants and programs for coastal and marine management, research and education; cut funding for programs like the National Wildlife Refuge Fund and more.
In other words, under the new Trump budget, the U.S. will suddenly stop its progress and take leaps back to once again become the tree-slashing, oil-guzzling, nature-polluting glutton it was 100 years ago.
Maybe that’s just what happens when the ex-CEO of Exxon Mobil becomes Secretary of State, but something must be done about this.
The world still needs protection. One hard look at it can instantly reveal all the environmental degradation that rapid industrialization has caused thus far.
With these photos, you can see for yourself how nature already needs our help. It’s not always in the best condition. The country’s environment is still hurting, and since private industry isn’t stepping up to solve the problems that it started, the government must. If anyone wants a future in this country – meaning an actual place to live in 30 years – then Trump’s budget cuts cannot be approved. If they are, life as we know it will be doomed.
All photos by Leah Devorak, photo editor.
