It seems like the news has centered around President Trump’s recent policies, some of which concern the environment. This is leaving many conservationists, including me, wondering what exactly is going to happen as our beautiful outdoors is left vulnerable to small budget cuts.

Throughout his campaign, Trump promised to put more funding towards the military and planned to slash the budget for the Environmental Protection Agency by 30 percent, according to LiveScience.

This cut that Trump proposed would defund Energy Star and Targeted Air Shed Grants, organizations which research new energy efficient options and reduce air pollution, according to LiveScience.

Letting this happen would mean more greenhouse gas emissions and a warmer climate, which Trump has claimed to be a “Chinese hoax.”

This along with countless other articles and claims made by our president, however, may not be true. With the media blowing everything out of perspective, it is important to distinguish what is fact and what is most definitely false news.

As of now, only a few changes are actually in effect. Trump has attempted to make changes to the Obama-era regulations regarding methane emissions, but his propositions were rejected by the U.S. Senate, according to National Geographic.

What is currently the biggest threat is our president’s review of national monuments and offshore drilling sites, both of which would be exploited for industry, according to National Geographic. This process is not instantaneous, however, and will take around 5 years to process.

All of this leaves the public with a window of opportunity. This does not mean we should sit idle. Our voices need to be heard.

If there is anything the liberal west coast is good at, it is peacefully protesting for what we want.

Even if our current president is not putting the environment first, other political figures are offering a hand. French President Emmanuel Macron wrote an open letter to the U.S, stating how he is welcoming American scientists and entrepreneurs in France to help fight against climate change, according to The Washington Post.

Just in the past year, numerous protests regarding the fight to preserve science and women’s rights have happened, resulting in new and old faces coming to light in the name of change.

Many protests have been put on to fight for justice. The March for Science happened in multiple cities include San Francisco, New York and Washington D.C.

Television personality Bill Nye arose as prominent public figures through this movement, and “will not shut up about climate change” until the nation does something about it, raising awareness in young adults through his new television series Bill Nye Saves the World.  

Nye’s show is working to dispel myths about climate change, and is inviting guest stars such as Karlie Kloss and Rachel Bloom to help make his case for science.

All of these efforts are what is driving conservation forward at the moment, and we need to keep that energy moving. We are, after all, in an energy crisis.

Abstaining from fake news and analyzing the facts of what is happening right now is what will keep us on the right track to a greener tomorrow. In the meantime, we must continue to keep our voices heard.