[Pages S236-S237]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

VERMONT ESSAY WINNERS

<bullet> Mr. SANDERS. Mr. President, since 2010 I have sponsored a
State of the Union essay contest for Vermont students. The contest, now
in its fifth year, is an opportunity for Vermont students to articulate
what issues they would prioritize if they were President of the United
States. A panel of Vermont teachers reviewed all of the essays
submitted and selected the top twenty. I am proud to say that more than
400 students wrote essays for this year's State of the Union contest.
I would like to congratulate each and every finalist, and to
specifically acknowledge Leo Lehrer-Small as this year's winner of the
contest. I would also like to recognize Ryan Taggard for placing second
and Craig Pelsor and Hadley Menk for placing third. I ask to have
printed in the Record the winning essays.
The essays follow.

LEO LEHRER-SMALL, MOUNT MANSFIELD UNION HIGH SCHOOL (WINNER)

As we enter the year of 2015, there is one issue in
particular that our government, in conjunction with global
policy makers, need to address with attention and urgency.
This issue, quite simply, is the safety of our planet: global
climate change is already affecting the environment through
droughts, increasingly frequent heat waves, and rising sea
levels. It is a scientific fact that climate change is man-
made, even though some politicians still deny the part that
humans play in the issue.
As the most powerful country in the world, the US must be a
driving force in halting global climate change. The question
is: how do we go about doing this? In order to fix our
growing crisis, we must first understand the roots of the
problem. Last year's report released by the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change showed that the recent rise of
temperature is due to an excess of greenhouse gases that
humans have released into our atmosphere. And to quote the
Environmental Protection Agency, ``The largest source of
greenhouse gas emissions from human activities in the United
States is from burning fossil fuels for electricity, heat,
and transportation.'' So it is clear; the root of our problem
is our overuse of fossil fuels.
We must take drastic measures to reduce our fossil fuel
consumption. Congress must make and pass bills that finance
green energy projects. Government subsidies which are
currently being given to the oil and gas industries should be
given to the renewable energy industry. This boost would
allow renewable and clean energy sources such as wind and
solar to provide more of the nation's energy, and in return
lower our usage of fossil fuels. The growth of clean energy
usage in the US would not only play a role in climate change
reversal, but also provide millions of safe jobs for American
workers.
Furthermore, our government should heavily tax the large
greenhouse gas producers; companies that burn cheap fossil
fuels to make massive amounts of money. These are the main
contributors to climate change. These are the corporations
that we must limit through a tax on carbon dioxide. Such a
tax would not only discourage the burning of fossil fuels,
but the money may also be invested in the redevelopment of
clean energy.
And as one of the leaders in our global economy, the rest
of the world will look to us to initiate the transition
towards clean energy usage. We have the opportunity to

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globally legitimize renewable energy, which is a vital step
towards ending climate change. The action that our country
takes on this problem will be a model for the rest of the
world, which makes it the most important issue that should be
addressed by the United States. Not taking care of the planet
is not taking care of the people.

RYAN TAGGARD, BRATTLEBORO UNION HIGH SCHOOL (SECOND PLACE)

The state of our country has seen marked improvement over
the last year. Unemployment is at its lowest level since
before the recession, the stock market is setting record
highs, and a manufacturing sector that has added jobs for the
first time in nearly two decades. But we're working to regain
lost ground, while neglecting the importance of innovating,
creating, and aspiring--the very aspects that once made our
country great.
Throughout the 60's and 70's, America was the planet's
premier superpower. Despite the threat of an aggressive
U.S.S.R. looming on the horizon, campus unrest, the conflict
in Vietnam, and the civil rights movement playing out in
confrontations on the street, we found time to dream about
tomorrow. The engine of this growth was the relentless
advancement of science and technology. Our crowned jewel,
NASA, was among the most powerful agencies the world had ever
seen, and promised us a future full of plenty. We didn't
outsource jobs, because no other nation could do what America
could. We spawned entire industries built around new
inventions. And most importantly, we gained a technological
edge, strengthening our military, infrastructure, and
economy.
MRIs, GPS receivers, cochlear implants, Lasik surgery,
catalytic converters, the first fuel cells, cordless tools,
cell phones, and the microprocessors that enable our lives
are all direct results of our first forays into the abyss of
space. Due to our curiosity, hundreds of thousands of lives
were saved. Patients who were born deaf were given the
ability to hear. The blind could see. The environment was
restored in numerous and invaluable ways, and communication
became constant and universal. Curiosity enabled our nation
to perform miracles.
Unfortunately for our nation, NASA was formed in the midst
of a panic induced by the launch of the Soviet's Sputnik.
Once the American government saw that the U.S.S.R. wasn't
ready to go to the moon, they ceded their push to move
forwards. Today NASA's spending represents 0.49% of our
federal budget. This half a penny off the tax dollar pays for
all of NASA's operations: the International Space Station,
Hubble telescope, Curiosity rover, all the astronauts, and
more. With only a slight increase in funding, we could go
back to the moon, send men to Mars, and journey on to explore
asteroids and alien worlds.
The incentives for raising NASA's budget are diverse,
powerful, and irrespective of party. As well as providing an
opportunity for our government to assume a leadership
position, the economic stimulus that accompanies a revived
space industry would create new jobs, the technologies
developed would improve our lives, and the cultural shift
that occurred in the 60's and 70's would once again become
the norm. Students would aspire to become scientists,
engineers, mathematicians, and technologists. We as a nation
would reclaim our former spot at the very forefront of
innovation. And America would reap the benefits of an
educated, industrial, and forward thinking workforce.

HADLEY MENK, CHAMPLAIN VALLEY UNION HIGH SCHOOL (THIRD PLACE)

The future of our great nation is being threatened at this
very moment, and the foe may not be what you suspect. The
current states of our agricultural practices are harming our
country's future in catastrophic ways. Before a country can
focus on issues like health care, gun control, abortion, or
even the functioning of its own government, it must make sure
the people's basic needs are met. And nothing is more basic
or essential than food.
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization
estimates that the world's population will reach 9 billion
people within the next 40 years. To meet this need, global
agricultural production must increase by 70%. Elected
officials of the United States must take this seriously.
Fortunately, agriculture is a subject in which Vermont is
well versed. It is time for Vermont to lead the way in
advocating for more efficient, effective, and sustainable
agriculture. Investing in agriculture is one of the simplest
but most effective ways for the United States to protect its
future as a nation and as a world leader.
There are several interconnected issues currently facing
our agriculture industry, the most important of which are
affordability, water, and land management. Food prices tend
to fluctuate depending on the price of oil, as petroleum
products are widely used in almost all aspects of food
production. From trucks and equipment to synthetic
fertilizers and pesticides, petroleum plays too large a role
in our food. Emphasis must be placed on finding more natural
alternatives to petroleum. Water and land management are also
major issues. As is evidenced by the crisis in California,
more needs to be done in terms of finding ways to better
conserve water for agriculture. According to the Index Mundi,
in North America in 1961, the amount of arable land per
person was 1.1 hectares. In 2009, that number had decreased
to .61 per person, due to land misuse. Legislators on a
local, state, and national level need to work with scientists
to solve these potentially catastrophic problems.
Without agriculture, it is impossible for any country to
survive. Widespread food shortages can cause not only
starvation but also corruption in the government. Investing
in food production benefits everyone, regardless of race,
gender, socioeconomic status, or political party, and yet
agriculture is not treated with as much attention as issues
like gun control and immigration in the media.
In order to preserve the future of the United States, we as
Vermonters must lead the way in urging legislators to endorse
measures that will improve agricultural methods and help
farmers be more sustainable. In a letter to George Washington
dated August 14, 1787, Thomas Jefferson stated that
``Agriculture . . . is our wisest pursuit, because it will in
the end contribute most to real wealth, good morals and
happiness.''

CRAIG PELSOR, MILTON HIGH SCHOOL (THIRD PLACE)

The United States of America is without a doubt in a better
position now than it was ten years ago. The economy has
rebounded and the few lingering effects of the ``Great
Recession'' are being mended. The national unemployment rate
stands at 5.9% as of September, the lowest it's been since
2008. The United States is producing more oil, natural gas
and energy from renewable resources than ever before, which
seeks to further the eventual dream of an energy independent
America. In addition, rates for violent and property crimes
continue to decline and our national GDP continues to outpace
every other nations.
Even with the future seeming so bright, there remains still
pressing issues to which we must give our full attention.
As the economy has recovered and grown, so has the gap
between the rich and the poor, and even the rich and the
super-rich. We hear of the wealthiest one percent's still
growing fortunes while those in the 30th or 10th percentile
are still waiting for the wealth to trickle down. That has
not worked, and we must do something to stem the tide of this
growing inequality. To do this we must raise the minimum wage
until it is a livable wage in all fifty states, as well as
reorganizing our tax structure so that those with the most
wealth are contributing more than those without. There is
also the issue of massive student loan debts which dampen the
potential success of graduates. With the average student loan
debt growing, there are a number of steps we could take to
make paying for higher education less of a financial burden.
Expand the federal student loan program to grant more money
to those who need it, while at the same time ensuring public
colleges and universities do not raise their tuitions. The
system of federally subsidized Universities used in Canada
and some Europeans nations could easily be adopted in the
United States in order to keep the working costs of our
colleges and universities at a level where they will not need
to raise their tuition costs every year.
On a global front, there continues the troubles in the
Middle East and abroad, for which America has a duty to
respond with both humanitarian aid and military force to
ensure a lasting peace in the region. The arming of so called
``moderate'' rebels in conflicts in Syria have proven of
little aid to America or its interests as well as the weapons
and intelligence we provide ending up in unintended hands.
Also, the billions of dollars of military aid to countries
such as Israel which has become a massively unnecessary
expenditure. In light of this, America should adopt a renewed
focus on bettering education opportunities and the general
standards of living in the Middle East and avoid joining any
new conflicts. The containment and destruction of ISIS should
remain a top priority, although the commitment of ground
troops to the area should be withheld unless the situation
gets far worse.
A chasm of trust has grown between American citizens and
those put in charge of their protection, law enforcement, due
to a lack of transparency and discretion. To that end, the
United States government must provide the states with
incentive to equip local law enforcement with things such as
body cameras instead of armored vehicles and assault rifles,
as well as further training in dealing with the mentally ill
and minorities where it is most needed. Until the people feel
like police officers are being held accountable for their
actions, we cannot expect to further improve the nation.
Another small change which may help stem the continuing
rise in prescription drug abuse would be the outlawing of
television, radio and internet advertising for all
prescription drugs. With this people will be less likely to
believe that they need all of the drugs that they see on
television and that they are all safe because they are being
publicly advertised.
There is no one solution to all the nation's problems, but
through many small steps and congressional efforts like the
ones that I have mentioned can make the United States of
America a much stronger and prosperous nation.<bullet>

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