Education Power

Education plays a significant role in people’s lives. It provides us the opportunity to become a productive member of a civilized society by acquiring all the necessary skills. School is indispensable in order for people to earn skills and knowledge. However, the problem is it costs too much.

According to Texas Tribune, the tuition in Texas went up by an astounding 147% between 2002 and 2015. From upper-middle class to poor are struggling with paying for their children’s college. The Texas government provides Bobcat Promise which guarantees free tuition and mandatory fees. Yet, It is required that family income is lower than $35,000 per year. Therefore, the middle-class family still struggle with their children’s high-cost tuitions. It seems there is no hope for them.

My classmate Luis Hurtado posted his blog talking about the Senate bill 32 and 33. Senate Bill 32 would provide free-tuition for Texas students whose annual household incomes are less than $100,000. It is called the Texas B-On-time Loan. The purpose of the Texas B-On-Time Loan program is to provide eligible Texas students zero-interest loans to attend colleges and universities in Texas. If the student meets specific goals, the entire loan amount can be forgiven upon graduation. Senate Bill 33 would provide tuition-free, in-state access to Texas community colleges. According to the Texas Promise Grant Program definition the main requirements are students must be a Texas resident, have graduated from a high school or received an equivalent certificate within the last 12 months, be enrolled in an eligible associate degree program or certificate program, be enrolled at least part-time, apply for financial aid, and keep their GPA at least 2.5, and so on.

I consider these requirements are decent and fair. These bills have not passed the state legislature yet due to state budget problem. If they pass the legislature, Texas will be a great state because I believe that high education creates great people, and great people create a bright future.

Cherish Mother Earth

The Earth, which is the only human habitat,is warmed by sunlight and the temperature of the earth is kept comfortable by greenhouse gases. If there are no gases, the earth’s average temperature would be negative 19 degrees Celsius, so greenhouse gases are necessary for human beings and other organisms to survive. However,Greenhouse gases have been increasing from human activity since the early twentieth century. The world’s population has been steadily growing, so carbon dioxide production and the burning of fossil fuels has grown alongside it and is extremely high. These emissions increase greenhouse gases and excessive gases raise global temperatures. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),Texas' coal-fired power plants are one of the largest polluters in the state, even ranking ahead of oil refineries and natural gas-fired power plants. Electricity generation and transportation are the two large sources of greenhouse gas emissions in Travis County. The total amount of greenhouse gas emissions for Austin-Travis County in 2016 was 13.7 million metric tons. Electricity generation accounts for 41 percent and transportation accounts for 36 percent of the total number of greenhouse gas emissions. Compared to 2013, the greenhouse gas produced from electricity generation decreased by 5 percent and carbon dioxide from transportation decreased by just 1 percent. Furthermore,greenhouse gas that was emitted from industrial processes increased by an astounding 68 percent. 

Greenhouse gases can cause global warming, which in effect, has many negative impacts on humanity, such as health issues. Rising temperatures from global warming can also negatively affect children. Higher temperatures increase death, especially among fetuses, toddlers, and young children. When temperatures increase with other conditions, such as high humidity,disease, or pollution, it can directly cause heat exhaustion and worsen other conditions, such as asthma, yellow fever,onchocerciasis, and trypanosomiasis. Unfortunately, these conditions often have long term consequences. Therefore,children must stay indoors and stay cool during the hottest time of the day or hottest season of the year (Graff and Shrader,2016).

The Texas green budget is provided by the EPA. However, the Trump Administration is going to cut 31 percent of the EPA budget by 2020. It is obvious that it will affect the Texas environment. Therefore, the Texas government ought to reconsider the state’s budget in order to protect the Texas environment and Texans.

Another reference 

Zivin Joshua Graff and Shrader Jeffrey “Temperature Extremes, Health, and Human Capital.” Spring, 2016. pp. 31-50