Letter to the Editor: Thoughts on the environment and Nov. 3 election

To the Editor:

Our planet Earth has everything necessary to support all its life forms. We humans are screwing this up royally. We’re overpopulating, while limiting aid to mitigate this problem.

We’re polluting our world, fouling our air, water and land with too many chemicals, from toxic emissions to herbicides and pesticides.

Our sea life  is being severely threatened by our plastic waste and chemical run-off from yards, golf courses, agricultural lands, etc. We are over-harvesting many species of ocean flora and fauna.

We are destroying many species of living things daily by over-use and over-indulgence. Do we need pristine lawns? Do we need perfect looking fruits and vegetables? Do we need the latest synthetic fashion apparel? Do we need to use so much throwaway plastic? Do we need to consume inordinate amounts of meat? Do we need to drive when we can walk?

It helps to ask these questions and evaluate our priorities. What matters to us most as world citizens? What kind of example are we setting?

In the last four years, Federal clean air and water standards have been lowered. Regulations of coal, oil and gas emissions have been cut. We have pulled out of the Paris Climate Agreement. We have left the World Health Organization (WHO) for our delayed action to control the pandemic.

Our Federal government wants to do away with the Affordable Care Act (ACA) with no replacement. All this in the midst of a devastating pandemic attacking peoples’ lungs!

Is this the kind of government we want? Is this a government of, by, and for the people? Do we want to leave an increasingly inhospitable environment for our kids, grandkids and generations to come? Do we want to continue damaging our Earth and killing it’s inhabitants? Or do we want to show other countries a better way?

This is the harsh reality we face.

Please keep these questions in mind when you vote. Our fate is in their hands and ours. We can do better!

Jill Stephenson
Waukon