There Is Still Hope for Climate Action

Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA)

The year 2020 was a difficult one for our planet. a global pandemic raged, social and political upheaval bubbled to the surface in frightening new ways, and economic collapse put many millions of people out of work and countless more in danger of hunger and homelessness.

Climate disruptions became more severe than ever before. Catastrophic brush fires in Australia, flooding in Indonesia, super cyclones in Asia, followed by flooding in Kenya, locust swarms across Africa, and fires across Central and South America decimated land and consumed lives.

The United States saw our own share of natural disasters, as well. Massive wildfires in California burned as much land in a year as had ever burned in the modern history of the state — five of the six largest fires recorded. Colorado faced similar battles. In the Midwest, farmers endured yet another year of unprecedented, unpredictable weather. To the south, thousands of birds fell from the sky, starved by climate disruption.

Yet for all the turmoil and pain 2020 brought, it also brought us hope. That’s because, for a short time while communities across the globe took measures to slow the spread of the virus, we were offered a glimpse of the world as it could be. Greenhouse gas emissions dramatically fell. The smog that enveloped many cities dissipated for the first time in decades. Wildlife abounded in urban areas, and dirty rivers ran clean again.

The pause was fleeting – not enough to alter our troubling trajectory. But it demonstrated that it is still possible for us to re-examine and change our impact on the planet, and it offered us a glimmer of hope, if only we could break our addiction to fossil fuels.

I believe climate change is an urgent threat to our planet, and it is easy to focus on all of the destruction in the world around us. But to spur the kind of action needed to address climate change, we need to foster not just a sense of panic, but also one of optimism and possibility.

Since I was first elected to serve as a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, climate has been at the forefront of my priorities. I am proud of the work that many Massachusetts companies are doing to mitigate their carbon footprint and grow green energy technology and production. Clean, sustainable energy will be the key to energy independence and turning away from nonrenewable energy sources. I know these efforts will only continue to grow and I look forward to supporting them.

When looking at our country’s future, I am hopeful for the Biden Administration’s commitment to addressing climate. On day one, President Biden signed a number of executive orders to halt the construction of Trump’s U.S.-Mexico border wall, end the ban on travel from some Muslim-majority countries, declare his intent to rejoin the Paris Climate Accord and the World Health Organization, and revoke the approval of the Keystone XL oil pipeline. To me, this is the beginning of a new era of climate realism where the fight for our future is shaped by the choices we make and the principles we uphold.

Plans from our new president face challenges throughout the legislative process: a filibuster in the Senate, a conservative Supreme Court, and a wide range of opinions from my colleagues in the House. This may mean that climate action in America to tackle things like fossil fuel money in politics, public disinformation, and the appropriate funding may come gradually rather than through sweeping legislation. That doesn’t mean progress isn’t being made. I hold myself and my colleagues accountable to holding out hope while tackling one of the greatest challenges our planet has ever faced.

Not only is addressing climate change a moral imperative, but tackling it also offers a chance for economic growth and opportunity. “When I think about climate change,” President Biden has said, “the word I think of is jobs.” And as companies make commitments to decarbonization, even policymakers blinded to the humanitarian case for reform have come to see solving the climate crisis as an investment.

Unfortunately, in 2010, the Supreme Court’s dreadful Citizens United decision opened the floodgates for a handful of rich and powerful individuals and corporations to pour unlimited amounts of money into influencing our politics – poisoning our democracy and drowning out the voices of everyday Americans. These dark unchecked corporate campaign contributions allow fossil fuel money to strangle any real climate policy. This is why addressing the climate crisis will require major action to get dark money out of politics.

The support of these corporate entities also causes Members of Congress to deny the realities of climate change out of fear of not being re-elected. Their disinformation is a tactic that delays progress – but years of extreme weather, scientific consensus, and public activism have begun to end the age of climate denial. Moving forward, it is our responsibility to better communicate that while these changes are good for the environment, they are also good for American workers and families.

Climate promises are not new, but the history of climate action is littered with uncashed checks and unfulfilled commitments. We have learned that awareness of the climate crisis is nothing without action. This is made more challenging because the climate crisis doesn’t respect borders or boundaries —its solution lies in collective action and requires governmental responses like treaties, taxes, and further investment in climate action.

Solving climate change is a challenge unlike any we have ever faced, and although our global timeline towards the point of no return continues to shrink, I am hopeful because it is not too late to radically change our trajectory. In 2021 and beyond, we must act, individually and collectively, with the urgency and scale the climate crisis demands. If we act now and continue to share the hopeful message that there is still time to change course, I believe we can reclaim our climate future.

Congressman James P. McGovern represents the Second Congressional District of Massachusetts in the United States House of Representatives. He is the Chairman of the House Rules Committee, Co-Chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, and Co-Chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission.