Politics and the Environment

I’ve always wondered why concern for the environment within the U.S. government is usually considered a political issue. In my opinion, it makes more sense for people to be conscious of the Earth regardless of their political beliefs. Yet, this is not the case in the United States. In the 1980s a new philosophy came about that said everything the government does is inefficient. Some people believed that too much government intervention jeopardized the freedom of the American people. The conservatives were especially opposed to what they believed was excess government intervention. The Conservative Movement began which basically fought anything that would help the government’s sphere of influence. Movements concerned with environmental aspects and sustainability usually need the influence of the government to make them successful. This is why often conservatives compared with liberals are not as focused on environmental aspects. I believe we have come to an era when global warming is so evident that everyone should make combating climate change a priority. In Europe, almost all of the political parties have made new environmental ideas and improvements a large part of their political platforms. In the next few years, the United States is going to need to make many environmental advancements and improvements to catch up with Europe.