Airing Grievances about Environment
Thursday, November 17, 2016
ST. LOUIS – Things have been pretty charged in this country since the presidential election, and many people are worried about the future when it comes to the economy, health care and the environment.
The Sierra Club and Webster University held a forum this week to let students, environmentalists, lawmakers and others air their hopes and concerns.
Kelsey Wingo, a sustainability planner at Webster University, helped put it together.
"A chance for us to rally all that energy into a direction that's actionable and focused on goals that we can achieve, whether we're doing it through community organization and grassroots movements or if we're trying to influence politicians at the decision making level," she explains.
Wingo says the country is in uncharted waters because people don't know how the Trump administration will deal with environmental issues. She says that means everyone has to work together to protect air, water and natural resources.
Ross Hunt, chair of the Missouri Sierra Club Political Committee, says a big priority is seeing the Clean Power Plan move forward, and he's worried the Trump administration will scrap it. He says some issues need to be moved forward in Missouri as well.
"Clean Line Grain Belt Express would take wind power from the Flint Hills of Kansas all the way to Indiana, except that the Missouri Public Service Commission is creating roadblocks,” he states. “We really need to have people contact the Pubic Service Commission and let them know we want to have wind power powering Missouri."
Hunt says it's important that people let state leaders and members of Congress know they support clean-air safeguards, including policies that will reduce carbon pollution from power plants.
"We're all in it together and I'm reminded of Hillary Clinton's campaign phrase, ‘Stronger together,’” Hunt stresses. “We have to think in terms of not just the individual states but of all the nations of the world, that we're all in this together and we have to be concerned with each other."
Hunt hopes if Trump is continually given information about the dangers we face because of global warming, he might be moved to protect the environment.
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