The Current | Vol. 31 Issue 6

September 15, 2020 | nsucurrent.nova.edu 10 Opinions Too early for fans On Aug. 24, the Miami Dolphins announced that 13,000 fans will be allowed to attend the first home game at the Hard Rock Stadium on Sept. 20 against the Buffalo Bills. With the ongoing pandemic and Miami alone having had over 2,000 deaths due to COVID-19, it may be too soon to bring fans back. I can see the immense changes made to the stadium to ensure the safety of the fans. From food payments to bathroom toilets and faucets, everything is being molded to be as contactless as possible. Even the air conditioning filters are being upgraded to match a hospital standard. They’re doing everything to bring fans back, which I understand because fans are what bring the adrenaline that athletes feed off of to energize themselves physically and mentally. However, all sports teams are struggling with a loss of fan support. Many are in closed- off areas, but they’re going through the pain because they’re putting safety first, for both themselves and their fans. In a hot stadium where people can only take their masks off when eating or drinking, I just think many people will choose to “eat” the entire time. Now, this announcement didn’t say anything about this new change and how it will apply to all future 2020 Dolphins games. It only clarifies that there would be 13,000 fans for the first home game. Therefore, I think they’re going to see how the first game goes, and then decide what is the best thing to do. Even though I’d rather be safe than sorry and hold off on the fans, at least they are taking things slow and waiting to see the outcome of the first game. However, I’d personally rather play it safe and wait. I wouldn’t bring fans back yet because this pandemic may have diminished a bit, but that doesn’t mean it’s gone. I disagree with this decision because I think they are overall putting their own team and fans at a dangerous high risk. By: Bella Ameiorsano Contributing Writer Environmental policy “relaxation” poses health concerns amidst pandemic At the end of August, the Trump administration and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) “relaxed” Obama-era regulations on coal-based power plants, claiming that it will save money. Money is all that the Trump administration cares about. They have no regard for the implications that this ruling will have on the surrounding area.All they care about is lining the pockets of the chiefs of the coal industry that fund their campaign. This is made even more clear when you realize who is running the EPA: Andrew Wheeler, a former coal industry lobbyist. Now, ask yourself, who benefits from the deregulations? The coal industry -- that is who. The new ruling would allow for the disposal of wastewater, contaminated with selenium, lead, mercury and arsenic, into surrounding waterways. When the original Obama-era ruling was enforced, it was projected to decrease the pollution output of coal plants by roughly 1.4 billion pounds each year. Wheeler claims that the new ruling would save companies $140 million annually in utilities alone. However, that comes at the cost of contaminating potable water for 2.7 million people. The Trump administration has removed limitations on the amount of pollutants that a coal plant can discharge into waterways. There DESIGNED BY E. COWAN By: Alexander Martinie Opinions Editor should not be a “safe” amount of pollutants in our drinking water. There just should not be pollutants in our drinking water. Along with heavy metals that are being disposed of into waterways, the regulations of the discharge of ash water used to clean furnaces and smokestacks has been cut. Frank Holleman, senior lawyer at the Southern Environmental Law Center, sums up the actions of the Trump administration with this ruling stating, “We’re using 21st century technology to remove air emissions, but if you don’t take the pollution out of the water before returning it to the waterways, you are defeating the purpose.” We need to move on from coal. Countries around that world have shown that clean and renewable energy is not only possible, but cheaper in the long run. Lobbyists can argue all they want about clean renewable energy sources being eyesores, but I would much rather see something that looks bad, yet is better for the environment then to watch the air fill with smog and our waterways be contaminated to the point where we cannot do anything to purify them. If the Trump administration and their cronies in the coal industry continue on the destructive path, they will hasten the way to the inevitable destruction that they put into motion all to satisfy their greed. Do internet memes spark awareness or belittle the issue? How about both? We live in a generation of memes and their creation for the purpose of going viral. Oftentimes, people don’t care who the memes may trigger or affect as long as they think someone will find it funny or relatable enough to share. Internet memes do belittle issues and even dehumanize those in the public eye, like celebrities, but they also can spark awareness. Like most people my age, I spend time on social media, where memes surface frequently. Body positivity and self-love have been an issue that I’ve had for the last few years. Khloe Kardashian, known to many, has recently become a meme that became viral that showcases a heavily photoshopped photo of herself she shared on her instagram account. This meme has allowed people to laugh at Khloe’s insecurities instead of trying to empower her for already being a beautiful woman. When people laugh and make comments about her unfiltered appearance, it only adds to her issues with body image and the need to be perfect. Even so, memes can also spark awareness, especially in the uncertain times we are living in now. Memes can be a great way of spreading information and awareness. These days, those kinds of memes consist of how to properly wear a mask, how to social distance and even spark awareness toward social injustices happening around the country today. It is simple to spark awareness when using memes because they can be shared within seconds on any social platform, allowing for instant information. The fast spread of memes can ensure that thousands of people are made aware of an important issue in a matter of minutes. An example of this could be the memes that showcase the proper way of wearing a face mask and ensuring that people know that the facial covering must cover the nose as well as the mouth to be made much more effective in the fight to end the spread of COVID-19. What I’m trying to say is that memes can both spark awareness just as they can belittle an issue or even a person, depending on how they are used. Most memes are made to facilitate laugher at someone else’s expense, but we can not shy away from the fact that they can be easily used to inform a mass majority of people on social media. By: Ana Maria Soto Contributing Writer MEME PROVIDED BY STUDENT MEDIA