The coronavirus spread rapidly across the globe and the world seemed to be at an abrupt halt.
This crisis is now seemingly slipping away. A new global crisis has emerged with a new vengeance: climate change.
Ironically, The Plainsman Editorial Board had planned to publish an environmental edition a few months before the pandemic.
We have now experienced one global crisis and realized that waiting another day could prove to be a mistake.
According to NASAs Climate Change, How Do We know?, there have been trends in global warming since the 1940s. Although there have been some movements in the direction of environmentalism since then, this crisis is still something we collectively ignore.
Climate change is a serious issue. This edition is not intended to scare people into putting their feet on the ground.
It’s meant to bring attention to an issue that is often ignored, and to show how people can help and how we can all be part of the solution.
We encourage you to take some chances as you read this edition.
These stories will touch you.
We students have a tendency to be apathetic and cope by being indifferent. There is so many things we need to be worried about, so many that require our attention at all hours. The Earth is already there, it already takes care for us. So it can feel like another chore or another thing on our list of things to worry about, when we have to find the energy to care for the Earth.
We need to feel the not-so-pretty emotions, and use them for fuel. It is easier to ignore our emotions and focus on the problem. But, the real solution to this problem is to allow people to feel the effects.
The drive to continue with action can be aided from care.
We know that empathy is not always possible when dealing with global issues.
There is always so many things going at once. However, we can cultivate and direct our emotions. Instead of focusing on the things we cannot do, we can concentrate on the one thing we can do.
We can also respect what others can do because we all have different resources and abilities when it comes to how to care for the Earth.
We cant, or shouldnt, shame people for not being able to make environmentally-conscious changes in their lives.
We hope this issue will help you to care for yourself, others, and the environment. We hope you will be inspired to make a difference for a healthier planet.
We can make a brighter, cleaner and more healthy future. All we have to do is get rid of our bad habits.