Frolicking in the green forest, a little deer still marked with youthful white patches explores his territory, munching on the lush plants and basking in the sun’s heat. Mother Nature protects him with her comforting warmth, blanketing him with love and safety. Life is good. That is until a giant jackhammer rips apart the young creature’s home in search for the liquid gold hidden beneath the surface. Buckle up, United States (U.S.) citizens— apparently, it is go-time to ramp up energy production.
On Jan. 20, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump announced at his inauguration that the U.S. is under a National Energy Emergency, allowing the government to increase energy production in the nation. Doing so to protect/restore economic security, Trump has taken great pride in this movement; however, it is not pride that is flowing through the U.S.’s veins nowadays: it is fear. In the government’s eyes, quick progress energy-wise, including the increased production in fossil fuel energy, oil and gas, will help to bring the country out of its economic unrest, pumping greatness into the centuries-old republic. Even so, many have viewed the emergency as a threat to the planet, destroying the air we breathe, the land we dance on and the animals we love. Gaining fuel only 200 years ago, the metaphoric wildfire plaguing the earth is growing more deadly by the minute, its only catalyst being the very thing that created it: humanity.
“We will drill, baby, drill. America will be a manufacturing nation once again, and we have something that no other manufacturing nation will ever have — the largest amount of oil and gas of any country on earth — and we are going to use it,” Trump said.
In a world where money makes the world go round, the oceans, rivers and lakes pay the debt from society’s yearn for economic success, the oil and fuel driving the global market only darkening the blue water with crude blackness. Never mind that, though. After all, it is not like this is the only planet suitable for human life—oh, wait. As part of the national energy crisis, the U.S. will continue to create more power plants, oil lines and fuel pipelines, allowing the nation to produce more energy for exportation and U.S. citizens’ use alike. Even so, environmentalists have posed this as a threat to the planet that has housed humans even before written history, urging that our wetlands, ponds and streams will soon suffer from our actions. Though it is unclear if the current administration will overlook set-in-stone environmental regulations, there has certainly been talk of doing so, only intensifying worries everywhere.
“[The emergency] could disrupt the environment’s peace and destroy some of our land,” Harper Shultz, freshman, said.
Though the looming environmental threat has cast figurative smog over the U.S., activists are determined to do whatever they can to protect the air, earth and oceans, hoping to make it possible for even future generations to reverse the damages hurting the globe today. Organizations including Climate Action Network International, Friends of the Earth, Wetlands International and more have continued to speak up for the environment, urging citizens to pay attention to how their everyday actions affect the globe. Additionally, environmentalists including Swedish activist Greta Thunberg are doing everything in their power to raise their voice against harm to our land, as they know their words, no matter how many people truly listen, count.
“The U.S. energy crisis has not affected my area much, but I know many others are severely struggling and facing major impact,” Nicholas Wright, sophomore, said.
From the tallest mountains to the deepest valleys, earth has given every living being a home. Even though our home is strong, it is not immortal, and there really is no planet B. If we want to continue walking outside without the need for hazmat suits and gas masks, we need to put aside the price tag we have placed on the globe, letting earth recover from the smoke and ash to come back better, healthier and safer than before. You have a voice, and right now, your planet needs you to use it.
