I called the 2016 election of Donald Trump. I bet my father inlaw $100 that Donald Trump would win during the Christmas of 2015. As negatively as I view The Donald as a person, much less the leader of a democracy, I think federal politics receives far too much attention. The majority of sustainability programs operate independently of national direction, funding, and even regulation.
Immediately after the 2016 election, I was in a staff meeting where leadership was sharing how we were in for a “rough couple of years in the sustainability space.” There is some truth to this statement. The Trump Administration has been a disaster from a lot of perspectives (over 100). Environmentally, the DOI and EPA leadership has been apathetic; in some cases, criminal (2). The missing piece of history is how unsupported climate change efforts have been throughout previous administrations. Republican administrations passed the majority of landmark environmental legislation.
Today (November 6th, 2020), we’re looking at the end of the Trump/Pence and the start of the Biden/Harris administration. It’s hard to understate the suite of obstacles this new administration is facing. A polarized nation, a raging pandemic, a sputtering economy, and deeply neglected institutions, to name just a few.
We’re also in a moment where Democrats acknowledging climate change is a progressive act. Biden does not support the Green New Deal and found it essential to defend fracking during his candidacy. His support for renewable energy is economically conservative. Coal can’t survive present-day economics despite subsidies (~$4B/yr), lax regulations, and significant royalty loopholes. Renewables have won the energy price war and will only become cheaper, with or without a carbon tax.
The last four years have been some of my most productive. My work did not depend on President Donald Trump. As excited as I am for President Biden and Vice President Harris, I can’t imagine what direct effect they’ll have on my next four years. I’d say the same for my peers and sustainability on the whole.
Don’t use federal politics as an excuse. The work is there no matter who is in charge.*
* You’re in charge.
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