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WILKES-BARRE — Jeff Dreier wanted to spread a message about the use of plastic bags, so he showed up at the Luzerne County Courthouse on Saturday clad in 500 of them, pronouncing himself as “The Bag Monster.”
Dreier, of Dallas, was just one of over 100 individuals that came out for the Rally for the Planet and March for Science, joining thousands of others across the nation — and the globe — on Earth Day in an attempt to shine a spotlight on environmental hazards and advocate against funding cuts for the Environmental Protection Agency.
Holding a sign that read “1 year + 1 shopper = 500 bags,” Dreier said he and his wife, Diane, have attended numerous rallies and marches since Donald Trump became President in January. The couple will be traveling to Washington, D.C., to further promote their cause next month.
“We’re pretty active with a lot of issues that have come up since January,” he said as he waved to arriving attendees.” (The issues) got me off my couch since Donald Trump was elected.”
Representatives from local colleges and government agencies, spoke to the crowd on a number of environmental and scientific issues. Attendees had opportunities to sign petitions that would be sent to state and federal lawmakers representing the region and all of Pennsylvania.
State Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, D-WIlkes-Barre, reminded the group of basic necessities humans need to survive. After telling the crowd that one can only live a few minutes without oxygen, or a few days without water, he noted that many diseases that once plagued the planet have been eliminated due to advances in science.
“Through science, research and technology, we’ve been able to change things and extend our lives and improve our lives,” he said. “Science is absolutely imperative.”
Bringing the world’s environmental issues a bit closer to home, Pashinski emphasized what Northeastern Pennsylvania is best known for: coal.
Growing up at a time where coal reigned king and waterways — including the Susquehanna River — ran orange from acid mine drainage, he admitted that the country would not have advanced through the Industrial Revolution as it did without the use of anthracite coal.
However, legislators and other officials at the time failed to take action to protect the environment from harmful chemicals and pollutants. Now, generations and billions of dollars later, Pashinski said, people in the region and beyond should be listening to scientists and making changes to protect their environment and secure the future of their descendants.
“We are here because we care about our planet, because this is the only planet we’ve got,” he said. “Science is the truth.”
Numerous attendees brought handmade posters, holding up signs that read “Science, not silence,” “Cell-ebrate Science”and “I’m with her,” with an arrow pointing to Mother Earth.
Harveys Lake resident Mark Eckert, held a poster with a scene from “The Lorax.” An engineer specializing in renewable energy, Eckert said plans on how to conserve energy and preserve the environment are something he closely follows.
“Natural gas is kind of like the ‘go-to’ thing right now,” he said as he explained the difference between America’s natural resources versus other countries such as Europe and Germany, where biomass, wind and solar energy are used. “But, there’s only so much of it.”
Another topic covered was disease, something Misercordia University professor Maureen Pascal takes seriously.
Pascal warned attendees of numerous ailments, illnesses and diseases linked to air pollutants. Explaining that science has linked many of these health problems to pollutants, Pascal said this alone should be enough cause for concern among America and its governing officials.
“Air pollution is linked to cancer, it’s linked to asthma, its liked to allergies. And all of that has increased in this century, as has global warming and climate change,” she said. “There is a direct link between those things. Our government — especially Mr. Trump and Mr. Pruitt — have decided they want to ignore the scientific evidence, but they can’t ignore that fact that there are more and more people who are getting sick from the diseases that could be preventable and seem to be linked to the environment.”
President Donald Trump has been criticized for approinting Scott Pruitt, who has been called a climate change skeptic, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
Pascal urged attendees to do a number of things to help reduce their carbon footprint, challenging each person to be more aware of what they’re putting into the environment around them. She recommended carpooling or taking the bus, as well as reducing the amount of plastics they buy and throw out. She ended her speech by noting Rwanda’s ban on non-biodegradable polythene bags and the drastic, positive impact the ban has had on the nation’s environment.
As Pascal stepped away from the microphone, Dreier came forward in his plastic-bag suit to show the crowd what 500 plastic bags look like.
Karen Attanasio, who attended the rally with friend Susan Roese, expressed her concerns about cuts to the EPA before joing a march to Public Square.
“There’s going to be an awful lot of things that aren’t going to have the money they used to,” Attanasio, of Shavertown, said. “With so much taken away from the EPA’s budget, it’s a shame we have to fight our government just to keep our Earth.”
