Today is seems that the country is trying to deal with many issues that have been ignored for too long. Climate change, green technology, pollution, infrastructure and healthcare. Since the 60’s 70’s these things have been brought up by various groups and political parties and then just buried when the next crisis came along.

Acid rain was talked a lot about in the 60’s and 70’s. We knew back then what we were spewing in the air was not only harming the environment but our own health.We have known the cause of acid rain but have we done enough to stop it? Many people will say yes and many people will say no.  In the 1980’s they did come up with ways of burning fossil fuels more efficiently and less harmful to the environment.  The fact still remains that 50 years of knowing the effects of acid rain we are still very dependant of burning  fossil fuels that we know are harming the planet. People are driven by both fear and greed when it comes to green technology. I guess in some ways I am too but my biggest fear is that we are not doing enough. We have future generations to think about.

Global warming is another issue that has been talked about since the 80’s. Global warming was always the wrong term for it. What we really are talking about is climate change. The data has shown us that our temperatures are rising, the polar ice is melting, our oceans are rising and our storms are getting more powerful. These are not good things for the planet but maybe they are even worse for our survival on this planet. The bulk of our populations live along the coasts.  I was born and raised in Wisconsin but now live in Florida. Some say that most of the State that I live in now will not even be here much longer. The price tag for trying to fight the rising seas will be astronomical.  Who is going to pay that price tag? Do you think that it will be those climate denying  corporations? Do you think that it will be those climate denying politicians? No, the people that are going to have to pay are me and you. They make all the money lying to the American people and the world but when it comes time to pay they will say they bear no responsibility to the whole thing. We just spent four years with a President that did not believe that climate change was real. Do people really think that climate change isn’t real or are they too greedy and corrupt to admit it. Just like we have seen with the Covid-19 we have seen people in power put money before people’s lives.

As I have stated I grew up in Wisconsin where water pollution has been a big problem. When I lived in Kenosha WI I lived close to the American Brass pumping station that took water straight for Lake Michigan and used it in the fabrication of copper products.  As a kid I remember the green slime bubbling up right there by the pumping station where I suspected that they dumped contaminated water into the lake.  Now, as an adult that has sailed much of Lake Michigan I can see the progress that has been made in the Great Lakes. Some of that is because of Clean Water Legislation but also some of this is because of the closing of many of the industries that made the Great Lakes Region such a great industrial area and such a big polluter.

I have stated that I live in Florida now. When I read the paper I swear to god that every politician in this state is an environmentalist until it comes to actual action. If they are all environmentalists then why are we like a toilet ready of over flow? Its number one industry is tourism and much of that is tied to the water. Our problems with water pollution have made national news. It seems that Florida’s well being is tied closely to the environment but its politicians not so.  I once read an editorial from an Orlando newspaper where the author said that you can’t treat your state like a toilet and be then surprised when it backs up.

We have to stop living for today and start thinking about what we are leaving future generations. Do we still have a chance to change things around? I don’t know but I think we should try. A Green Economy is the Economy of the future. We can either lead or we can follow. We use to be leaders.