Trump vs Nature
My heart is full today. Yes, I have anxiety about the upcoming election. I am well aware of what is at stake should Donald Trump wind up back in the White House. But I just spent three days immersed in the natural beauty of the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument, one of our nation’s public lands. This wild landscape of aromatic sagebrush, pinyon pines (loaded with a bumper crop of pinyon nuts this fall), and the magnificent Rio Grande River Gorge were a balm to the worries that are trying to weigh me down with less than ten days until Election Day.
Along with my wife Helene, we camped, hiked, biked, prepared and ate simple meals, watched birds, gawked at the colorful evening sky, basked in the silence, and were blown away by a night sky filled with a billion stars, the Milky Way, and Comet A3. What a difference those few days made.
It is far from lost on me that the very place that brought me some respite from the anxiety about the upcoming election is one of the many things that is very much threatened should Trump become president again. Being a person who loves spending time in wild Nature, I am keenly aware of the danger Trump and his allies pose to the public lands where so much of our nation’s wild Nature resides.
In fact, shortly after Trump took office in 2017, the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument was on his list of public lands – along with Bears Ears National Monument, Grand Staircase/Escalante National Monument, and nearly two dozen others – that underwent unprecedented “reviews” that threatened to undo their federally protected status. The Rio Grande del Norte managed to avoid losing its protected status that time. All bets are off if he becomes president again.
Anyone who pays half attention to the what is happening to the natural world knows that Trump is no friend to Nature. Wilderness Society President Jamie Williams said of the Trump administration in 2019, “Trump is the worst President for the environment in our history. No amount of spin from this administration can hide its legacy of abuse, neglect and corruption that threatens our health and the health of our environment.”
In 2020, Former Defenders of Wildlife President and CEO, Jamie Rappaport Clark stated, “It’s clear that the Trump administration fundamentally does not value wildlife, wild places, clean air and water and a livable climate. Rather than build on America’s extraordinary conservation legacy, this administration has placed the power of the federal government at the disposal of those who seek to exploit and degrade our land, water, air, wildlife and people.”
I, and many others who care about Nature, are confident that a second Trump presidency will be just as bad, and very likely even worse than his first term, for public lands, for the climate and biodiversity crises, for wildlife, for Nature.
A few weeks ago, I learned about Vote for Nature, a campaign by beloved conservationist, author, and scientist Jane Goodall. Goodall is a leading voice in the fight to protect our planet, and she recognizes the importance of electing leaders who will protect our planet. The opening window on the Vote for Nature website reads: “Vote like our planet’s future depends on it—because it does.”
Please take to heart this sentiment by Jane Goodall, “As I enter my 90th year, one thing is clear: we are the stewards of our planet, and we haven’t done enough. Elections around the world are not just about policies—they’re about our survival. The leaders we choose will shape the future of our planet… VOTE! Vote for leaders who protect our natural world, fight for clean air, water, and a stable climate.” “Every vote matters – more this year than perhaps any time in history.”
Please, Vote for Nature!
Magnificent piece Dave and without a doubt certainly warranted. Loveds your photos as well. My dad and step mom often would collect pinion nuts in that area of which I received and enjoyed
Yep, all that and more. The choice in this election is so stark for so many reasons, it truly boggles the mind how so many in our country don't see it clearly. So many slaves voting for the Overseer.