Uniting for the planet

The Trump presidency can be defined as a combination of populism and nationalism. When people refer to the “elites” in a negative manner, they are making a populist appeal. The concept of populism frequently pits the “elites” against the common people.

The statement “America First” is an example of a nationalistic attitude. The argument that we must take care of our own first is a nationalist argument. Both populism and nationalism can have the negative effect of dividing rather than uniting.

And whether you believe climate change is caused by human activity or not, there is no denying that the way our climate is changing is having dramatic effects on our planet. We can only deal with the effects of climate change on a planetary level. So when we state that we must take care of our own first, when it comes to climate change, “our own” refers to all inhabitants of this planet.

The idea of saving our planet should be a uniting cause for the entire planet. When Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon, it was a giant step for mankind, not for America. It is an attitude that needs to be embraced now more than ever before.

Joel VanLuven

Spokane