Tara Chattoraj, a student at Wheaton Warrenville South High School and a co-president of Verterra.

The America in George Washington’s Day was abundant, full of opportunity and freedom. The America in Lincoln’s Day was certainly lively, but the importance of resources lay more in how it could help either side win the Civil War than in the conservation of seemingly endless reserves. But what about America this President’s Day?

A lot of things are expanding, from our debt ceilings to our joblessness rates – but one thing that is certainly not? Our resources. Oil prices are on the rise, global warming is rendering meteorological chaos on our continent, and pollution has become a threat so legitimate it deserves its own speech. But, unfortunately, in the midst of all the other questions surrounding our future, it seems we’ve lost sight of one of the most essential things in our nation, the thing that made us great: our planet.

But that being said, action is being taken. There is talk of President Obama issuing rules on the carbon emissions of power plants that go beyond the EPA’s new regulation. A bipartisan Task Force on Climate Change that will be active in both houses of Congress was formed hardly a week ago, promising progress on climate change bills, that “will move us forward and focus on green jobs, energy efficiency and making sure that we get the carbon out of the air,” according to Chairman Barbara Boxer.

“For the sake of our children and our future, we must do more to combat climate change,” Obama reminded us in his State of the Union Address. Global climate change is no longer a maybe – those affected by Sandy, hit by blizzards in Boston, or celebrating a green Christmas in the Windy City, can attest to that. But while most representatives have stopped sitting on their hands, progress has met continued resistance due to partisanship and funding restraints. Obama proposed “an Energy Security Trust that will drive new research and technology to shift our cars and trucks off oil for good,” but it isn’t so easy.

Why? Well, our representatives aren’t just creating new bills – they’re also fighting (surprisingly they’re generally on the same side though) against budget cuts that threaten environmental programs, like Senate Bill 13, which would cut federal funding for many area environmental programs. But dispersing our massive debt is also crucial to America, because if that doesn’t happen, then it will be impossible to sustain a healthy relationship with the environment in the future. Success, both economically and ecologically, requires a balance – perhaps a balanced budget, but at the least a balance between two important issues.

And it’s not just monetary limits. Restrictions on fracking, emissions, mining, and so much more are all vehemently opposed by super PACs, who use their money and power to resist smaller, more grassroots environmental groups. And with constituents still worried about balancing the budget and growing the economy, our representatives have less reason to fight for long-term benefits when the short-term ones are far more rewarding.

So what can you do this President’s Day? Well, Congress is just beginning its session, so spend a few minutes letting your representative know how important you think caring for the environment is. Write a letter or email, call, post on Facebook… whatever floats your boat (water levels are rising drastically after all… you might need to figure out how to float that boat haha). You could even get some friends or your ACE team to do it with you like my ACE team did. Have fun with it.

Not your thing? Well there’s a million things you could do to restore American resources to their former abundance. Turn off the lights, bike if it’s warm enough, use reusable containers, knock a couple minutes off your shower, unplug your cellphone charger… you know the speil. The little things make the biggest differences in the end.

It’s time for the people to save their planet. Each President’s Day marks another year of caring for our environment. Let’s make this one the best year yet.

We may do different jobs, and wear different uniforms, and hold different views than the person beside us. But as Americans, we all share the same proud title: We are citizens. It’s a word that doesn’t just describe our nationality or legal status. It describes the way we’re made. It describes what we believe. It captures the enduring idea that this country only works when we accept certain obligations to one another and to future generations; that our rights are wrapped up in the rights of others; and that well into our third century as a nation, it remains the task of us all, as citizens of these United States, to be the authors of the next great chapter in our American story.

~ President Obama’s State of the Union, 2013