Are you aware that New Orleans is projected to be submerged by 2100? There have been some thoughts on prevention tactics, but with a future president who fails to educate himself on the cruel facts of climate change or acknowledge its existence, those preventions may not be possible.
The Natural Resources Defense Council made that 2100 projection based on “the range of estimates of absolute sea level rise and subsidence of the local land.” The sea level is expected to rise anywhere from 1 to 4.6 feet, which could be the highest increase worldwide.
I’ve shared the fact that New Orleans may be underwater soon with several people, many of them New Orleans natives. Some seemed shocked and sad, but others gave an answer that made me cringe: “Well, we won’t be around anyway.”
That’s such a poor response. What about your kids, grandchildren and even your great grandchildren?
That’s the selfishness that put us in this predicament to begin with. People are so comfortable in their lifestyles that they’re unwilling to make environmental sacrifices to leave the world better than the way they found it.
President-elect Donald Trump tweeted in 2012 that “The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive.”
Not only did he express the belief that global warming was fake, but that it was a ploy.
In a recent interview with The New York Times, Trump expressed that there may be some connection between humans and climate change although he still hasn’t spoken in favor of research. He’s actually done the opposite. According to the Guardian, he plans to eliminate all NASA-conducted climate change research.
And his future chief-of-staff Reince Priebus told Fox News Sunday he still believes it’s a “bunch of bunk.”
As a native New Orleanian, it saddens me to know that my future family may not be able to experience my legacy firsthand because of something manmade. They won’t be able to trace back my family legacy the way I was. They won’t be able to drive through neighborhoods in the city and have their parents tell them that’s where their great grandparents lived or went to school.
And I’m sure people who live in small towns along the coast line feel the same exact way. But people who don’t live in areas that may be affected, like our president-elect, should be more empathetic.
According to the Huffington Post, “Trump has vowed to undo President Barack Obama’s signature policy achievements on the issue, including mandating lower carbon emissions from power plants, preserving more public land and negotiating the landmark United Nations Paris Climate Change Agreement.”
There are too many people in this country who hold the same views as Trump, and that’s concerning.
Climate change is very real, and it’s been proven, so how can you not acknowledge it?
The president is supposed to be the leader. Unfortunately, people will look up to Trump as our president-elect. His ignorance has the ability to shape the mindset of many people.
Louisiana, a state that voted extremely Republican in the 2016 presidential election, is projected to be severely affected by climate change. It doesn’t make sense.
New Orleans is going to be Atlantis before you know it, and our future president couldn’t seem to care less.
According to NASA, “97 percent or more of actively publishing climate scientists agree: Climate-warming trends over the past century are extremely likely due to human activities.”
But I guess since Trump became a politician out of thin air, he thinks he could become a scientist too. Fortunately, that takes a lot of studying and certain degrees.
Climate change is real. Now, we need to figure out how to save our Louisiana coast without the support of our soon-to-be president of the United States. We have our work cut out for us.
Clarke Perkins is a 20-year-old political science sophomore from New Orleans, Louisiana.