Here's the Thing That Scares Me Most About Donald Trump

As a millennial, I’m concerned about the ongoing effects climate change can potentially have on our world.

That’s why the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States rang alarm bells for me (disregarding, for a second, all his other issues): his inherent lack of understanding towards climate change, including what it is, its causes and all its potential effects.

Only a month into his presidency, he is already drawing back on the strong stance his predecessor, Barack Obama, took on protecting the environment and paving a greener future for America, and the world, by investing in renewable, clean energy.

And that is exactly why I fear for the environmental future of the world with his appointment. Because the president of the United States—one of the most influential nations in the world—insists climate change is a hoax invented by China.

He’s also said “nobody really knows” if climate change exists or not, suggesting he’ll pose significant barriers to the progression of the world in preventing climate change, quite the same as Scott Pruitt, also a climate change denier and the newly-installed leader of America's Environmental Protection Agency (an agency dedicated to, among other things, preventing climate change).

"It’s surely our responsibility to do everything within our power to create a planet that provides a home not just for us, but for all life on Earth,” David Attenborough says at the end of Planet Earth II.

Despite the fact that the melting of sea ice, the rising sea level, and the increased occurrence of drought and extreme weather events do not directly necessarily affect all of us going about our everyday lives right now, they cannot be ignored, as they will severely impact the quality of life for future generations.

As such, I strongly support California's ever strengthening stance on combating climate change, the Paris Agreement, Google's plan to go completely renewable in 2017 and other environmental initiatives.

I think they’re a great start for other countries and businesses to look up to.

And in the meantime, we should all do our part in helping the environment by recycling, reducing waste and reducing our carbon footprint.

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