The time has come for the US government and the world to enact immediate and highly effective change in the legal systems to stop the current environmental impact of people and corporations and prevent future harm as well. I want to call on large corporations, which are known to be the largest contributors by far to climate change, and the entire US government as a whole, especially the state of Connecticut, where I do my part in fighting for environmental change.

The most effective courses of action that I’ve found over years of research from reliable, scientific sources include, but are not limited too:

- Banning wasteful products that significantly impact general pollution, chemical pollution, and landfills. (For example, ban plastic straws/bags and replace them with paper bags/reusable straws, or ban plastic water bottles and replace with fully-recyclable aluminum cans). The most common forms of plastic waste are likely wrappers, plastic bottles and caps, disposable cups and lids, shopping bags, straws, stirrers, disposable cutlery, and containers. Plastic pollutes for it's whole lifetime (production to disposal) and it NEVER goes away.

- Taxing corporations on CO2 output to encourage a decrease in harmful emissions AND to make other, CLEANER forms of energy more economically competitive, affordable, and practical to the public and to corporations.

- Propose laws or regulations against the revolting amount of food waste and general product waste enforced by corporations, possibly to donate or recycle it instead of throwing it away.

- Require companies to increase the quality of their products in order to help them last longer and keep them out of landfills.

- Find alternatives for plastic and other extreme pollutants in every available fashion.

- Hold corporations highly responsible for FIXING damage to the environment that they have already done and PREVENTING further damage permanently.

- REQUIRE schools to THOROUGHLY educate students of all ages on how to decrease their carbon footprint and how to hold their government accountable as the government can make the most dramatic changes.

- Regulate the production of red meat to decrease the amount of carbon emissions and animal cruelty that occurs. Additionally, decrease the amount of meat provided/promoted in schools, workplaces, restaurants, etc. wherever possible, especially red meat. Consumption of red meat is factually linked to type 2 diabetes, cancer, and heart disease, the number 1 cause of death in the US according to the CDC. Livestock is also one of the biggest ways people and corporations harmfully contribute to climate change, just behind carbon emissions and deforestation.

- Promote change in the public by acting on change yourselves. Go vegan (or just have meatless Mondays!), drive less, buy local, travel less, talk to friends and family about changes they can make, support zero waste companies and movements, support environmental change outside of the legal system and within, and more. Action inspires action.

Some of the worst offenders in the food industry (according to Recycling International) include 1. Nestle, 2. Tim Horton's, 3. PepsiCo, 4. The Coca Cola Company, and 5. McDonald's Corporation. I'd also like to call on any other companies, food-related or not, to do their best (their REAL best) to decrease waste and pollution that they contribute to. Gas/Oil companies (including but not limited to: Saudi Aramco, Chevron, Gazprom, ExxonMobil, and National Iranian Oil Co) are a staggering majority of CO2 emissions. Famously controversial billionaires Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson both recently participated in space flights, which each emit 100 times the amount of CO2 than regular flights, yet some want to start an INDUSTRY of space flights because of this poor, wasteful example. The reason I call attention to these corporations and their behavior is because we, as individuals and as a collective, should do our best to avoid supporting them until they do what is right and make serious, effective, and immediate changes to prevent or fix the environmental damage that they cause.

Not only has the US government decidedly remained nearly inactive on the subject, but there have also been several disgusting and counterproductive actions taken as well in the past. This past decade has become one of the worst for climate change and we are long overdue for the simple and tremendously important fixes we've been demanding for years. Don't be on the wrong side of history; help citizens, who as a whole barely make a dent in the harm that has been done, by demanding responsibility from legal systems and corporations that abuse their power and take more resources than necessary or practical.

The weather is becoming more extreme NOW. The fires caused by heat and extreme weather are happening NOW. The massive amount of waste, pollution, and entire species dying by the second is happening NOW. It is no longer a matter of prevention. It is a matter of well deserved responsibility for the decades of inaction and WILLING ignorance on the conscience of the most powerful people and corporations today.