President-elect Donald Trump has struggled with believing if global warming is a serious threat or not. During public appearances he has often denied to comment about it or state a plan of action. Even on his website donaldjtrump.com there is a lack of information regarding the issue. It only states that his administration plans to discard President Barack Obama’s policies meant for helping with global warming. When asked about consequences our planet might be facing if Trump continues to ignore the important issue of global warming, biology professor Mike Farris said, “This certainly is a major setback. We have slowly been moving in the right direction, but further progress is unlikely during the next four years. Even without Trump’s election, the impact of climate change would have continued to increase for decades.” Some students and faculty have wondered whether our planet would have been in better hands had Hillary Clinton won the presidency. “Clearly a Democratic president would have been more sympathetic and would have built upon the progress of the Obama administration,” Farris said. “The changes made so far are merely baby steps compared to the giant strides that are necessary. Our society is unwilling to accept the changes needed to seriously address this problem.” Regardless of our country’s president, global warming is a matter many are concerned about and the consequences have already begun and will continue to grow. According to the National Geographic website, “The stakes for the United States, and the world, are enormous: if humankind does not reduce its greenhouse gas emissions immediately, climate scientists say, Earth could face as much as 11 degrees Fahrenheit of warming by 2100 relative to preindustrial temperatures, leading to increases in droughts and wildfires, rising seas and major disruptions to global agriculture.” When asked what students and faculty can do to help combat global warming around campus, Farris said, “Reduce consumption. It’s as simple as that. Of course the actions [of] a small group isn’t going to change the amount of carbon dioxide generated in any significant way. It’s the change in mindset that’s important, and until we accept the idea, for example, that it’s unnecessary to wash our hair every day, all of the recycling that we do is irrelevant.” Aside from the actions that can help our planet, professor Farris considered students and faculty raising awareness and spreading hope around campus to be just as important. “Students can also talk to friends and relatives about the difference between fact and belief. Believing something does not make it true, and the Internet allows people of all political stripes to live in an information bubble that does not challenge their beliefs in any way. Global warming is a fact, and the consequences are clear,” Farris said. It is not just up to our president to take action. There are engagements that can be taken around campus in the meantime to help our planet. Students can get involved with Hamline Environmental Action League (HEAL) or Minnesota Public Interest Research Group (MPIRG), both Hamline community organizations that focus on aiding the environment. Regardless of difference in political views, as students we should at least put plastic bottles into the recycling bins rather than the landfill ones on campus.