Acknowledgement from two of the most powerful politicians in our country – Vice President Joe Biden and President Barack Obama – has made January hopeful for climate change activists. That hope should remain a powerful impetus for environmental action for their terms in office.

From those outside the activists’ realm, it may seem obvious to have hope in executive recognition of climate change, both in Biden’s message at the Green Ball on Jan. 20 and Obama’s second inaugural address Jan. 21.

But many environmentalists point to past presidencies, especially Obama’s first term, reminding us that actions speak louder than words.

Both perspectives hold truth, especially after such a long, winding struggle toward environmental goals. But focusing on hope or action alone is not what our country needs. We need a combination.

The past has been disappointing thus far. No legislation has been passed to start the American fight against global climate change. The presidential race was vacant of any serious climate discussions.

With disappointment, climate change advocates reacted, most noticeably on Twitter with the explosion of the hashtag #climatesilence. Groups such as 350.org continue to organize rallies and protests to address the issue. Many of these rallies are filled with college students, most commonly stereotyped as the classic generation of hope.

Even though evident climate silence has persisted, improvements have been made.

Looking back, Obama’s first term started with a massive stimulus plan that provided $90 billion for green technologies. Though this stimulus was mainly aimed at job creation and rejuvenating the economy rather than combatting climate change, headway has gradually occurred in our nation.

Though this did not tackle the big issues, the stimulus was passed at a time when climate change was not openly recognized and discussed in government.

Addressing the issue has predominately occurred outside of Congress, like the increased fuel efficiency standards the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Transportation adopted in 2012.

The EPA began tightening air pollution standards last year, pushing to reduce the use of coal. Carbon emissions in the United States have actually fallen in the last four years, though predominantly due to switches to lower-emission fossil fuels.

With open acknowledgement and discussion, hope and action can work together to make better strides toward a sustainable climate. At Vice President Biden’s surprise appearance at the Green Ball, his message encapsulated the sentiments of environmentalists today.

“I’ll tell you what my green dream is: that we finally face up to climate change … I don’t intend on ending this four years without getting an awful lot more done. Keep the faith,” he said.

Though some activists were shocked into disbelief after the president and vice president’s announcements, environmental organizations that have kept the fight alive are now working to capitalize on executive branch recognition. They are also calling for continued work outside of Congress.

Legislative director of the Sierra Club, Melinda Pierce, has been quoted saying, “Congress has proved to be the place where good ideas go to die.”

While past disappointments may teach environmental advocates to hope with a grain of salt, we must use a hope to drive our actions to solve our climate woes.

As Obama said in his inaugural address, “The path … will be long and sometimes difficult. But American[s] cannot resist transition. We must lead it.”

Meg Callaghan is a junior environmental studies major at SUNY-ESF. Her column appears weekly. She can be reached at mlcallag@syr.edu.

Published on January 30, 2013 at 2:00 am