“It is horrifying that we have to fight our own government in order to save the environment.”
The above quote by famed photographer Ansel Adams has been attributed to a statement that he made in conjunction with the first Earth Day, in 1970. In any event it is an apt sentiment as we mark the 4oth Earth Day as our environment is once again imperiled by our government.
Earth Day 2009 was entirely different from today. In spite of the economic situation, people remained concerned about the environment. Climate change was a major concern, with high hopes for a positive outcome from the 2009 United Nations Convention on Climate Change (COP 15). But in December the international Copenhagen conference turned into a shambles. The COP 16 Convention, held in Cancun, Mexico in 2010 was practically invisible, making no substantial progress toward renewal of the Kyoto Protocol set to expire in 2012. Little noticed, but highly significant, COP 16 marked a shift by the 194 nations represented from prevention of climate change to mitigation and adaption to climate change.
In the United States, the 2010 elections resulted in a dramatic shift toward the right, with a Republican take over of the House of Representatives and gains in the Senate. On April 8th the government finally reached a budget agreement for Fiscal 2011 (which began October 1, 2010), which in addition to providing funds for this year also provides indications of future government policies. The budget drastically cut programs for wilderness protection, conservation activities associated with agriculture, and climate change research. The budget for the Environmental Protection Agency was cut 19%, but on the basis of a 50 – 50 vote in the Senate retained the ability to regulate air polluting emissions. Clean energy research was reduced from 2010 by $1.2 billion. Significantly a “rider” attached by the House overrode the science required by law and removed Timber Wolves from the endangered species list in 5 western states.
The U.S. 2011 budget reductions do not bode well for the future. When you couple the actions of Congress with the inaction of the President, whose election campaign included numerous promises of action on climate change and who now cannot bring himself to even say the words “climate change”, or “global warming”, it is clear that there is little hope for effective government action on climate change, at least in the United States, for the foreseeable future.
Thus we must return to the words of Ansel Adams and renew the fight with our own governments to protect the environment. This is not a one day a year, Earth Day task but continuing, year-round responsibility. At the very least, make the 22nd of every month your Personal Earth Day, and on that day let your leaders know of your concerns regarding climate change and the environment!
