Climate Change Is Real
Climate change has been thrust into the spotlight this year with President Trump’s decision to withdraw the US from the Paris Climate Agreement. Additionally, the new EPA chief Scott Pruitt has been complicit in his refusal to acknowledge that humans play a primary role in climate change. And, we can’t forget that information on climate change was removed from the government’s website this year, as well.
This year, displays of extreme weather have made us all more aware of the widespread destruction that climate change can wreak. Rightfully so, the termsclimate change, global warming, and carbon dioxide all showed up in our trending searches this year.
Power and Sexual Assault
This year, allegations of sexual assault were made against several powerful men, resulting in the resignation and firing of people in positions of authority across multiple industries. Numerous women spoke out against former film executive Harvey Weinstein, in particular, which inspired other survivors of assault to come forward with their own stories. These powerful men could not have harmed so many people for so many years without the complicity of their associates and the established practice of “turning a blind eye” to misconduct.