United States
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It took nearly sixty years for a meaningful climate change bill to run the political gauntlet from Capitol Hill to the Oval Office. Why? From mavericks to party standard-bearers, U.S. Senators, members of the House of Representatives, and presidential candidates have campaigned for four decades espousing their intentions to address the impacts of climate change.
Glacial: The Inside Story of Climate Politics is the first Inside-the-Beltway account to lay bare the machinations of what went wrong in Washington – how and why US leaders failed to act on climate change as mounting scientific evidence underscored the urgency to do so. Glacial tells a story of behind-the-scenes infighting and power struggles that blocked or derailed federal legislative progress on climate change, even in times of bipartisanship and with polls showing most Americans favoured action.
The good news today is that public opinion is at its highest level of support for climate action, from corporate boardrooms embracing sustainability for business reasons to movements led by passionate younger generations who can't afford to stand mute because it is they who will inherit the worst environmental catastrophes. If the missed opportunities in Washington are instructive, the path to doing so is clear. America's elected officials must use their offices not solely for the power and prestige it bestows upon them personally, but for the public good – and they must do so while there is still time.
Author's note
Prologue: At last
Presidents past passed the buck
Lyndon Johnson: A startling briefing
Richard Nixon: The reluctant environmentalist
Gerald Ford: Let's save gas
Jimmy Carter: Wear a sweater
Ronald Reagan: Fixing the ozone
The 1980s: Congress studies the greenhouse effect
Al Gore: Neither first nor last
A new priority
Undeniable
Meanwhile, Exxon knew
The 1988 election: The White House effect
Plankton man
Three men and a baby
The Global Change Research Act
The Rio Earth Summit
The 1990s: Made in the USA
The 1992 election: The comeback kid chooses Mr. Ozone
Democrats get btu'd
Clinton and Gore meet the "contract with America"
International climate talks heat up
Coal's great flex
Toothless in Kyoto
One lawyer's frustration
A death in the Senate
The early 2000s: Mavericks and beachheads
McCain dons a cape
Say what?
A dynamic duo
Try, try again
Katrina blows it for Bush
An unlikely climate champ
On bark beetles
Making history
The dirty dems
Laying a beachhead
Tthe 2008 election: drill, baby, drill
2009 to 2010: The old college try
Two out of three
Partisanship on display
Victory
Fumble
A new maverick
Sausage-making
Interception
The 2010s, Part I: The decade of disastrous disputation
Deep polarization takes root
The clean power plan
The ecoright surges
"I'm not a scientist, but..."
We'll always have Paris
The 2010s, Part II: Despair
The 2016 election: but her emails . . .
Trump thumps climate
McCain saves the day, one last time
States step up
Climate voters clap back
The Green New Deal
Gen Z activates
One trillion trees
2020 and beyond: The green lining
The 2020 election: A sigh of relief
But first, unfinished business
Build back better
Advocates flex new muscles
The manchin roller-coaster ride
"Keep negotiating, Chuck!"
BFD
Postscript
Acknowledgments
References
Index
Chelsea Henderson has worked in environmental policy on Capitol Hill for more than 25 years seeking bipartisan solutions to the threats of climate change. She was senior policy advisor for Sen. John Warner (R-VA) during his long-term effort to enact climate change legislation, and she staffed the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee; her tenure spanning the chairmanships of Senators John H. Chafee and Bob Smith. Currently, Chelsea hosts the environmental podcast, EcoRight Speaks, and consults on pro-climate solutions for Washington-based advocacy groups. Her op-eds in support of clean energy and robust climate change solutions have been published in The Hill, Washington Post, Baltimore Sun, and other publications. A cum laude graduate of Boston University's College of Liberal Arts (B.A.) and School of Education (M.Ed.), Chelsea has two adult sons, two perpetually hungry cats, and lives in the Washington, DC metro area.
"Armed with her experience working on federal climate policy, Henderson artfully presents the narrative of six decades of Congressional attempts – including a few times when we almost got it right – to respond to the threat of climate change. Glacial is a must-read for anyone hoping to help solve this global crisis and for that, I'm grateful Chelsea wrote this book. Understanding the history of climate politics is important to stimulating more progress in the future."
– Former Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman
"It's hard to capture 60 years of federal efforts to understand and respond to climate change, but Chelsea expertly takes us through each decade, highlighting the unlikely champions who gave it their all – both in front of the camera and behind the scenes – to solve this global threat. You might think you know everything there is to know about the politics of climate change, but Glacial likely will give you new insights."
– Former South Carolina Congressman Bob Inglis
"Rarely is a nonfiction book about climate legislation referred to as a gripping page-turner, but I found Glacial by Chelsea Henderson to be so. Glacial is compelling, well-researched, and riveting insider storytelling-the perfect climate change book for these times. When one learns of yet another raging thousand-acre fire or deadly drought [...] and wonders how did our government not protect Americans from this horrible crisis, well, this book tells the heartbreaking story. I wish every American, no matter their politics, would read this book. It's a good reminder, with factual detail, that for many, power and money are more important than a healthy, sustainable environment for people and wildlife, and we must reject this every time we vote."
– C. K. Westbrook, environmentalist, activist, and science fiction author of The Impact Series
"Chelsea is a natural born storyteller who takes 60 years of complex climate policy history and distills it into a very engaging and meaningful read. In Glacial, she highlights both the unsung heroes of attempts to pass climate legislation and elevates a bipartisan cast of champions who might surprise you. You'll be excited and intrigued about climate politics!"
– Sara Beth Aubrey, founder of Elevate Ag & IN-CLIMATE
