Making my voice heard

       My final class in Global Government is Policy. We've thus far spent our time learning about the Legislative branch of the government. This has included studying various bills passed throughout US history, speaking with an alderperson of the Chicago city council, speaking with Iyana Simba or the Illinois Environmental Council, and partaking in a labor relations demonstration with DePaul University. To put our knowledge to use we were given the opportunity to write to one of our representatives and discuss a bill/resolution that they are going to vote on. As an Illinois resident, I am represented by Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durban in the United States Senate. A resolution was recently proposed by Senator Menendez that addresses environmental crimes in the Caribbean and Latin America. I have written the following letter to Sen, Duckworth to vote to pass this resolution.

PC

GCE Lab School

9 W Washington

Chicago, IL 60603

pchambers@gcelabschool.com

May 21st, 2023

Tammy Duckworth

US Senator

524 Hart Senate Office Building

Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senator Duckworth,

    The world feels the effects of climate change and these effects worsen daily. As a policymaker, I urge you to use your power to enact change and protect the future of humankind. A resolution has been proposed by Sen. Robert Menendez that could bring awareness to the effect of environmental crimes in Latin America and the Caribbean. This is S.Res.142 and as your constituent, I believe you should vote to pass it.

    Environmental crimes are a contributing factor to climate change. Due to the corruption in governments, countries in Latin America have been targeted for these crimes. This region is rich in biodiversity, which is another reason why these countries are targeted. The region is unfairly affected by climate change which is primarily caused by the actions of the rest of the world. The consequences of these environmental crimes span further than the natural effects. The economic loss due to the crimes are estimated to be between 1 & 2 trillion USD. This resolution also addresses the fact that environmentalists are being killed for speaking against the corruption that allows these malfeasances to continue. Latin America is the region that faces the highest amount of deaths of environmental activists and defenders, which should be brought to an end.

    Climate change must be stopped as further temperature increases will have disastrous effects. A stable and equitable future should be guaranteed for the next generations and policy action is needed for that. You have made history as the first senator to give birth in office, so you have a child whose future will cause you concern. It is important that steps are taken to address this problem now to protect future generations.

    As someone whose future is at risk due to climate change, I want to fight for better possibilities. At my school I have founded, and continue to run, an environmentalist club in which we often pick up trash and have also collectively used our voice to encourage the protection of the environment. Specifically, we have written to President Biden and his cabinet encouraging them to vote no on the Willow Project. I am constantly an advocate for conservation and continuously educate myself on the subject. I refuse to let the earth be destroyed and encourage you to do the same.

    While this is only a resolution it is still important for it to be passed because it will bring awareness of the level of corruption and crime regarding the environment in Latin America and the Caribbean. Additionally, part of the resolution is the request for action by these foreign bodies. Hopefully, this resolution will lead to future action by the United States and perhaps resources could be allocated to help these countries with the environmental crisis that is being faced.

    It may seem counterintuitive for the United States government to address issues being faced in other countries but the effects of climate change are having worldwide consequences. In order to guarantee a safe and possible future for further generations it is imperative to have change enacted by all governments, as one country cannot solve this problem alone. The United States has much political power and should allocate its resources to help address this issue across the globe; especially in underdeveloped countries.

    As your constituent and an environmentalist, I hope I am able to count on your support for this resolution in Congress and all other future bills that will work towards conservation, species protection, and sustainability that is accessible to all. Thank you for reading my letter.


Sincerely, PC

Sources:

Coordinator, Jorum DuriResearch, et al. “Corruption and Environmental Crime in Latin America.” U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre, www.u4.no/publications/corruption-and-environmental-crime-in-latin-america#impact-of-corruption-on-law-enforcement-bodies.

“Forestry Crime.” INTERPOL, www.interpol.int/en/Crimes/Environmental-crime/Forestry-crime.

“Illegal Logging in Latin America and Caribbean Inflicting Irreversible Damage.” INTERPOL, www.interpol.int/en/News-and-Events/News/2022/Illegal-logging-in-Latin-America-and-Caribbean-inflicting-irreversible-damage-INTERPOL.

“What Does the Paris Agreement Hold for Latin America? Challenges and Opportunities.” ECPAmericas, ecpamericas.org/newsletters/what-does-the-paris-agreement-hold-for-latin-america-challenges-and-opportunities/.