If you think that it seems like the kind of year when we shouldn’t be praising anybody who’s involved in government at all, then we mostly agree with you. We, like just about everybody who may read this article, have been nothing short of disgusted by the complete lack of effective action that government, particularly at all the top levels, has taken this year. That’s even truer when it comes to environmental issues. Environmental issues, particularly things like the Keystone Pipeline, are a huge dividing point among American constituents. Add to that the fact that many particularly “non-environmental” groups are big funding sources for many politicians and you’ve essentially got what we’d refer to as a good old “hot mess.”
But with that said, especially when things aren’t good, it’s important to pay attention to the people who are really fighting hard to make things better when it’s against all odds and certainly frustrating on a daily basis. That’s why we wanted to be sure to give recognition to the politicians whom we think did the most to fight for the planet this year.
Henry Waxman (House Representative, Democrat, California)
Henry Waxman has the benefit of coming from a state where his constituents generally support good environmental policy (though not always!). We don’t think that diminishes his hard fight though. As the ranking Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Waxman has fought hard for green energy subsidies. He’s also not afraid to speak his mind and actually called Republicans to the carpet for turning Solyndra into an energy scandal to garner support for coal and oil companies. His biggest argument, and one we think in light of recent events the general population may begin to agree with, is that green energy is important to protect America from further weather disasters. As a bonus, Waxman also advocates for the Lead Contamination Control Act and is a huge proponent of pesticide legislation.
Rocky Anderson (Former Mayor, Salt Lake City, UT)
Often, politicians on a local level can impact change more directly than national government. That’s certainly true of Salt Lake City’s former Mayor, Rocky Anderson. Anderson committed to decreasing the city government’s carbon dioxide emissions by twenty-one percent from 2001 to 20012. Guess what? He achieved the goal six years before the target date! Under his governance, all new buildings in Salt Lake City had to be LEED certified. If you’ve ever been to Salt Lake City, then you know that it is naturally stunning. With good government and people who support wanting to maintain that natural beauty, big changes have been achieved.
Mike McGinn (Former Mayor, Seattle, WA)
Mike McGinn has been following in the footsteps of former Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels. Nickels started the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, which involves 500 US mayors agreeing to comply with Kyoto Protocols to decrease emissions of greenhouse gases. McGinn has been leading Seattle’s city council in their attempt to make Seattle entirely carbon neutral by 2050. We hope we get to see that happen! McGinn also works diligently to raise awareness of transportation plans that worsen global warming.
Michael Bloomberg (Former Mayor, New York City)
Bloomberg may have taken a lot of mocking for his anti-soda legislation (though we loved it), but he’s known as New York’s first sustainability mayor for good reason. Under his leadership, the greatest city in the world adopted a policy of all-hybrid taxis and, more importantly, embraced a twenty-five year sustainability plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2030. People either love or hate Bloomberg, but if you’re basing your opinion on environmental issues, it’s hard not to love him (at least a little bit).
Bill Richardson (Former Governor, New Mexico)
Since ending his term as New Mexico’s governor, Bill Richardson has continued to advocate for environmental issues and, particularly, green energy. His activities are varied, but he’s made our list mostly for the respect he garners when discussing the issue of climate change, sustainability and green energy.
Did we miss a politician who deserves recognition? Tell us about it. Comment below or tell us about it on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram.
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Photo Credit: sivi steys via Flickr
