by Maria Brogna

Created on: March 07, 2009

Though I support many environmental policies and changes in order to keep our planet healthy I cannot support the U.S. creating new legislation to combat any issues involving global warming. My reasoning for this comes from what I have witnessed my entire life as an American citizen, that legislation on theoretical problems only result in money gone and no one held responsible. Once regulations are put in place then comes the money, and there goes the money. The idea comes from good place but as we as Americans know, "No good dead goes unpunished."

The federal government will have to put out money in order to make it necessary for companies, schools and all public places to convert practices to the new regulations. So taxes will be raised and money will be missing. As a lifelong resident of Massachusetts I have see my fair share of taxpayers money lost with no one to blame. Not even the organizations who took the money, misused the money and spent the money on their personal sundries are held responsible. The corruption is too deeply ingrained into the state government of Massachusetts for anyone to ever be held accountable for the misuse of taxpayer money. Still the taxes are raised again and this is only to sustain raises and pay off which has been proved more this year than any.

If the federal government enacts such legislation, then the state officials in MA will complain that they haven't enough money in order to change to be up to par with the new regulations. When it reality is there would be plenty of money but in order to launder it they must raise taxes. The new regulations would fall on the backs of the working people of MA and the boys on Beacon Hill who just appointed themselves pay raises to congratulate themselves for having one of the highest foreclosure rates in the country, will just syphon more money. Leaving us struggling citizens to try and pay the utility bills as well as buy food which for many of us in MA has become a luxury.

Instead I propose that the U.S. enact a grant given to all schools in order to add a class or even a weekly assembly to the curriculum. This class would be "Environmental Issues in America." The class could focus on anthropological, sociological and environmental history, reasoning and explanation as to why we are in peril today. Also the class would provide answers for the problems, bring awareness to the issue and teach children the importance of having respect for our resources. Providing such an education would change the views of children and their parents if they may not have understood how serious the problem that we face on this planet with the abuse that it has endured. Such education can pave the road and light a fire under the chair of children who could become our new scientist and government officials that may actually care about the environment as opposed to the "Al Mighty" buck.

Education is necessary to make any real change, but making new laws that only serve the government will not go down well at all. Though I am aware that the grant money that would be sent to the schools would be skimmed by those in power than never seem to be held responsible, but it is better than the money going to them and nothing ever really coming of it. New enforced regulation would be a grave mistake with no positive results in view. In Massachusetts the only that would change if such regulations were enacted is the number of residents.

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