Sunday, Feb. 18, 2018 | 2 a.m.
View more of the Sun's opinion section
View more of the Sun's opinion section
In his State of the Union address, President Donald J. Trump talked about “beautiful, clean coal,” and how America is now “an exporter of energy to the world.” He boasted about the jobs created in the Rust Belt and how coal is still a main source of energy for this country. This is not something to be proud of.
Jobs produced from a temporary energy source will be gone before long. With more emphasis being put on nonrenewable energy sources, such as coal, we are taking away emphasis on actual “beautiful, clean” renewable energy that is especially important to Nevadans. More than one-fifth of the electricity generated in Nevada is fueled by renewable energy and Nevada ranked among the top five states in solar electricity capacity.
Nevadans need to hold their elected officials responsible. This includes Sen. Dean Heller, who doesn’t support environmental protection policies, has apparent oil partnerships, and endorses the Trump administration’s stance on climate change. When politicians talk about climate change and the environment, Nevadans need to make sure their needs aren’t ignored. They need to push for renewable energy sources that will help this state and many others in the long term.
