It’s Getting Hot In Here

We know that in order to solve the global climate crisis, the necessary first step is bold, comprehensive, and urgent federal action from the United States. Because we continue to hold up international efforts and emit 25% of the world’s greenhouse gas pollution, no meaningful or long-lasting progress can happen without us. Up until now, it was a bit of a mystery as to how we would move forward with such an anti-environment and anti-science Congress. 

But with Democrats taking control of both houses of Congress, the path has become clearer. In the Senate, the incoming Chair of the Environment and Public Works Committee is California Senator Barbara Boxer who last year worked with Sen. Jim Jeffords of Vermont to draft and sponsor the most progressive climate legislation in the US Senate, the “Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act” – the only bill yet offered that comes even remotely close to the scale of federal action and investment demanded by scientific necessity.

After it was announced that she would become Chairwoman, Sen. Boxer said, “Nowhere is there a greater threat to future generations than the disastrous effects of global warming. Scientists tell us we must act soon to cut production of greenhouse gases. One of my top priorities will be to spotlight this issue with the help of colleagues from both sides of the aisle with the goal of ultimately bringing legislation to the Senate floor.” And initial evidence suggests that she means it. Sen. Boxer has already created two new subcommittees to deal with global warming directly – a “public sector solutions” committee that she herself will chair and a “private sector solutions” committee that will be chaired by Sen. Joe Lieberman.

This is a sea-change from the previous Chairman, Sen. James Inhoffe who infamously declared that global warming is a hoax and who refused to let any legislation out of his committee to confront it. He is so ignorant and dangerous on the issue that Sen. John Warner from Virginia – who understands that global warming is a real problem that demands action – is going to challenge him for the Ranking Member slot on the committee among Republicans.

All of this is only to say, there is a light at the end of the tunnel if we keep walking. As David Brower once said, “politicians are like weather vanes, our job is to make the wind blow.” No matter how good the politicians in office are, if there is not an overwhelming public demand for action – and consequences for not taking it – progress will not happen. Without renewed and strengthened commitment to local action over the next year, our wind will not be strong enough when we will most need it – in 2008. But if we continue organizing with focused determination, campus by campus, city by city, and state by state our collective wind from across the country will be able to blow into Washington with a strength that, when paired with leaders like Senator Boxer, can transform our country and show new direction for the rest of the world.