Is economic development more important than protecting the environment?

No. The list you give includes the three that would be at the top of my list except I would put protecting the environment at the very top. The reason it should be at the top is that the survival of the planet itself depends on this one.

Americans have numerous issues they need to deal with. But they prefer to ignore those issues and instead involve themselves in other people's issues.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.