Mike Tidwell makes a strong argument, in The Global Warming Reader, that legal change is needed in order to push our country towards progressive change, giving the civil rights movement as an example of how a grassroots movement worked in sync with President Lyndon B. Johnson's efforts resulting in Congress passing new laws.
He also went on to argue that most people today want carbon emission reductions to be mandated through laws, but that Congress isn't budging, so the people must call their government to action alongside leadership from President Obama.
This semester I've learned a lot about just exactly how ridiculous Congress acts and why, they don't want to work across party lines and compromise. There's even a 'Gang of 6' among Republicans in government that have the sole goal of working to oppose anything Obama suggests. The polarization among our political parties and the corruption involved from our 'pay-to-play' system has made passing any environmental or climate change regulation basically impossible.
That's why if businesses through Transition movements and other community grassroots groups ban together to just voluntarily make changes in the economy and business on their own, without any need for laws to pass through Congress, then that could be promising. It would bypass a major kink in our system by not requiring bi-partisan politics or for citizens to vote.
The other end that Tidwell brought up, leadership from Obama to pressure Congress... This is what made me so nervous about the November elections.
I though it was interesting Tidwell uses Johnson as an example because President Lyndon B. Johnson had outline six principles on how to successfully pass legislation. Obama seemed to follow those same principles with healthcare reform, and was able to sign the Affordable Care Act into law. This had me concerned that Obama might have used up a lot of his good graces on healthcare reform, leaving climate change on a back burner. Now that Democrats lost the majority, I was afraid that Obama would try to get some other issues resolved by conceding on environmental concerns. My initial thought after the election was 'there goes the climate".
Instead, Obama is being anything BUT a lame duck through the end of his term. He met with China and was able to make a Climate Pact (I've also seen it be called the Obama's Climate Accord), an agreement with China to partner closely on plans to fight climate change. This is HUGE, because now oppositions to climate change regulation in Congress won't be able to use the argument that the US shouldn't take any action if China and India aren't doing anything. (Which is a childish argument to begin with if you ask me.)
I hope I'm right by thinking that Obama isn't caring about playing nice anymore since he can't run for the next term, and has decided to JUST GO FOR IT. It has been pretty cool to watch a 'lame duck' take charge on immigration, net neutrality, and this Climate Pact. I hope that when he is out of office these efforts to make a difference won't have been in vain.
Word Count: 520
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