I have always been the kind of person that does everything they can to avoid getting involved with political discussions. I don’t know if I consider myself a democrat or a republican and I am completely fine with that because I have absolutely zero tolerance for the drama of politics, at least that is what I thought until we began our discussions on environmental politics. I did not realize the severity of decisions made by the government concerning land. For example, our class read a case study about Utah’s conflict with the Native Americans. The Native Americans want to allow for the disposal of dangerous wastes in their community. They accepted the offer without the consent of the rest of the state due to the fact that they live on the reservation. They were willing to take the toxic waste because the price was right and they are one of the poorest communities in America. The rest of the state of Utah is pissed off because they will not receive any of the benefits for the cost that they will be paying (what if something breaks during transport). The argument is valid but very hypocritical. Why would the Native Americans want to share the money—they so desperately need—when the state of Utah has not even attempted to aid the reservation. So Utah decided to make the area that the train would pass through a wildlife refuge or a protected area of some kind. This move eliminated the ability for the Natives to receive this toxic waste, which, in turn, cuts off the money supply that they so desperately needed. THIS is the kind of reason that I dislike politics. However, even though I despise political topics, I feel that they are sometimes necessary in order to preserve and protect various ecosystems throughout the world.
