This post has been contributed.
You could argue that the statement “green technology is more important now than ever” always renews its accuracy. Green technology is always increasing in importance. Because despite all the advances that we’ve made with environmental awareness and technology? Things are still getting worse. Green technology will be even more important next month than it is right now. It seems that we’re not actually taking that many positive steps towards eco-friendliness these days. Even the Paris Agreement, historic as it is, doesn’t quite do enough.
I know, I know: not the most optimistic way to open an article. But we’re not exactly living in optimistic times at the moment, it would seem.
As I’m sure you’ve heard, Donald Trump is now the President-elect of the United States. I’m not about to embark on some anti-Trump tirade. He was villainized by the general media much more than his behavior or his policies actually warranted. But whoever you rooted for in the Presidential campaign, there’s one thing that’s for sure. We definitely got the worst candidate for the environment.
For all her flaws, Clinton could perhaps have been much easier to push to the left on the whole climate change issue. The media and scientists at large seem to have been thoroughly, almost arrogantly convinced of a Clinton win. What this means is that few people out there know what to do now that the 45th President is a climate change skeptic. No-one was really prepared for this.
Trump himself denied that climate change is a thing back in 2012. His Presidential policies included a defunding important environmental research. He’s also hinted at trashing the recent and historic Paris deal. (Fingers crossed he can be dissuaded from this, if only for diplomatic reasons.)
A recent interview sent a lot of mixed signals about Trump’s view on climate change. He made a lot of very vague comments. He even seemed to suggest an acknowledgment that humans “might” be causing climate change. (One step at a time, now, Donald.) But, in general, he seemed dangerously ignorant of climate change’s damaging implications. Yes, the media exaggerated Trump’s anti-humanist tendencies. There’s little evidence his Presidency would be a danger to human rights. But there’s one thing for sure: his Presidency could definitely be a danger to the environment.
This is why it’s more important than ever that residences and businesses invest in green technologies. We need to take this sort of action on a widespread scale. Green technology and business practices need to become part of the status quo. Events like the Andes Renewable Energy Conference should take on an added significance. If we all become more aligned with environmental causes, we can help keep this green economy strong.
And strong it certainly is. If Trump is as shrewd a businessman as he likes to claim, then he should soon recognize the foolishness of going to war against the war on climate change. Because if you remove the environmentalist concerns from the equation? You’re still left with something amazing. Clean energy and green practices have been helping boost the economy for years. Hopefully, he’ll change his mind soon. After all, the International Energy Agency predicted climate change to be irreversible by 2017 back in 2011. I can’t quite remember how far away 2017 is, let me go check my calendar…
...oh.