Back in March of 2016, Jonathan Toews publicly discussed climate change and stated that he believes it’s sad that the topic is still a debate in this country. Following Donald Trump’s decision to pull the United States out of the Paris Climate Agreement, Toews once again sounded off with his views on the climate and what he believes is a major global problem.
Below is a post from Toews’ Instagram account:
Here’s the full caption from the photo above:
“Do you believe in climate change? Whether you’re super pumped that we are putting ‘Americans first’ or you are absolutely outraged at the idea that we are taking yet another step backwards in dealing with a major global problem, the only way to solve this argument is to try and set your own agenda aside and see how this affects everybody. The only lie we tell ourselves is that we are more special than other life forms on the planet. Well, we’re not. Even if we weren’t responsible for any major climate catastrophes heading our way, shouldn’t we still do our part to preserve what we have left? The same way that we shouldn’t wait till our bodies break down completely to start doing the right things to stay healthy, let’s not wait till it’s too late to do something. I am not saying I am perfectly ‘green’, but the first step is to keep an open mind and try to learn what you don’t already know.”
Toews, who is fully living up to his Captain Serious nickname, makes some good points regardless of which side of Trump’s decision you find yourself on.
Scanning through the comments on the post, many users praised Toews for opening up about an issue that many athletes are steering clear of in public settings. Others slammed Toews for taking his position while enjoying a large contract which pays him millions annually.
Either way, it’s refreshing to see an athlete open up on such a personal level. Players are routinely ridiculed for showing personality out on the ice, so it’s nice to be reminded that these are in fact real people and some aren’t afraid to share their personal views and opinions.
