Above the Waterline

Celebrating a bittersweet climate victory

Above the Water Line

Sally Bethea

Sally Bethea is the retired executive director of Chattahoochee Riverkeeper and an environmental and sustainability advocate.

“It’s late. It’s deeply compromised, and it’s also a great victory for all who have fought so long and so hard,” tweeted Bill McKibben, author, activist, and founder of 350.org, a global grassroots movement to solve the climate crisis.

McKibben’s succinct, if seemingly contradictory, words describe the first major climate legislation in U.S. history. Dubbed a welcome shock, a turning point, the floor (not the ceiling) of our ambition, and a sign of concession by those in power, the victory can largely be attributed to the relentless demands of climate and environmental justice groups over many years.

Without a doubt, the legislation represents a major shift from previous U.S. climate policies in terms of tone, funding, and priorities. By 2030, it’s expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. by forty percent from 2005 levels, using nearly $400 billion over ten years for clean energy tax credits, climate justice initiatives, and other incentives. Importantly, the significant climate investments are hoped to invigorate similar efforts by other nations.

Named the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 (for political acceptance), the legislation has also been a great disappointment to many scientists, activists, officials, and progressive businesses. They know, and have known for decades, that time is fast running out to avoid or even minimize the catastrophic consequences of a heating planet for nearly eight billion humans, particularly and unacceptably the disadvantaged. They know that we will not prevail in this fight unless we end new investment in fossil fuel projects, phase out production, and make a speedy transition to clean, renewable energy sources.

Now, the real work begins. Whatever we do collectively—or don’t do— in this decade will likely determine the ultimate fate of billions of people, including our own families, and other species.

“What is the use of a house, if you haven’t got a tolerable planet to put it on.”

HENRY DAVID THOREAU Decades of Delay

Despite being advised of the seriousness of the climate crisis thirtyfour years ago, when then-NASA scientist James Hanson so testified to the U.S. Senate, our elected officials have failed to take necessary actions. Instead, they have preferred delay and obfuscations like blaming the behavior of individuals, while pandering to the executives, lawyers, and lobbyists for Big Coal, Oil, and Gas, collectively Big Carbon.

A 2010 Supreme Court decision (Citizens United) removed reasonable political campaign contribution limits. According to the New Yorker’s Elizabeth Kolbert, “Fossil-fuel companies quickly figured out how to funnel money through front groups, which used it to reward the industry’s friends and to punish its enemies… Bipartisan activity on comprehensive climate legislation collapsed [after Citizens United].”

In a sudden reversal of position that was stunning, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) agreed, in late July, to support a climate and health care bill, despite his deep ties to the coal industry. With a slim margin— Democrats in favor and Republicans opposed—the measure passed Congress and was signed by President Biden in mid-August. Not surprisingly, Manchin’s support came at a cost: major concessions to Big Carbon that include gas pipelines, more drilling on public lands (national forests and recreation lands), and a possible