The results of the midterm elections are troubling for many reasons, but nowhere are the effects more devastating than on the environment. So for those of you concerned about climate change, I suggest you buckle up and prepare to be hit with bad news at about 90 miles per hour. The Republican-controlled 114th Congress and newly elected conservative governors are poised to set the environmental movement backward and block reform at any opportunity.
There are now 61 senators supporting the Keystone XL Pipeline. Though they still lack sufficient votes to override a presidential veto to a bill approving the pipeline, it is unclear whether or not President Obama would even veto the bill. At this point, neither the president nor Secretary of State John Kerry have publicly stated opposition toward the pipeline. Many presidential advisers expressed that the issue is just a small part of the problem and that regulation of coal plants is a priority. With the Republicans in control of the Senate, Obama claims he is willing to compromise. It seems unlikely that he would even put up a fight.
Obama has proposed two major Environmental Protection Agency regulations. These proposals require coal-fired power plants to cut carbon pollution and end the construction of new coal-fired power plants. These regulations are a prime example of what the Republicans call “the war on coal.” It’s no coincidence that an end to the war on coal is of particular interest for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, whose home state of Kentucky is a major coal producer.
Concerning the issue of renewable energy laws: Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback (R) has stated that he would like to “phase out” his state’s renewable energy standard. New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez (R) claims that the EPA overstepped its authority with the Clean Power Plan. Not surprisingly, oil and gas industries were some of Martinez’s biggest financial backers. Ohio Incumbent Gov. John Kasich (R) led his state to become the first in the country to freeze its renewable energy and energy efficiency standards in June.
Scientific America predicted that if Republicans took the senate, Oklahoma Sen. James Inhofe would likely take charge of the Environment and Public Works Committee. Inhofe, author of “The Greatest Hoax: How The Global Warming Conspiracy Threatens Your Future,” is one the country’s most vocal climate change deniers. If given control of the Senate committee responsible for climate change legislation, his radical ideology will prevent progress.
The prospect of a green America is looking obsolete, and this is unacceptable. It’s unacceptable to elect officials who, without any background in scientific research, deny the existence of a problem that 97 percent of scientists recommend we address immediately. Ideology aside, we must hold our elected officials to higher standards. We don’t allow medical doctors to act in opposition of scientific fact, so how can we possibly allow our elected officials to make important environmental decisions without scientific proof or understanding? Even if these officials are simply catering to the interests of their supporters, it is clear that in the next two years, our leaders will do little to protect the environment.