I was stuck in an airport with flight delays last week returning from being an expert witness in a water dispute. It was an interesting case valuing hundreds of millions in water where the other side was making the argument that the value of water would drop because the climate of the Southwestern United States was all going to mysteriously revert to cool and wet with a plethora of water. In other words, Arizona was going to become temperate and wet and that climate change was not a thing.
Never mind that Arizona has not been cool and wet since the Eocene Epoch and Mid-Cretaceous era, a mere 40 million and 70 million years ago (respectively). Never mind that there is no scientific support for such a belief, and never mind that people in the water industry are smarter than to believe such fantasies.
As I sat waiting for the World Series to start at Elways in the Denver airport (great burgers by the way), I happened upon a new documentary on Netflix entitled The White House Effect (2024, Directed by Bonnie Cohen, Pedro Kos & Jon Shenk). It’s a multiple award winning documentary on the history of the climate crisis. The documentary explores climate change, identified by both Republican and Democrats alike in the 1980s as a reality that could not be ignored (including then President H.W. Bush, whose background as a Texas oilman, didn’t preclude him from pledging to tackle what he labeled a crossroads that the nation had to address). And yet, that opportunity to confront the problem championed by EPA Administrator Bill Reilly and President Bush was undermined by the president’s own Chief of Staff John Sununu and industry.
It is a fascinating story of lost opportunity. Publilius Syrus, a writer-philosopher in 60 BC during the reign of Julius Caesar, wrote “A good opportunity is seldom presented, and is easily lost.” Such was the case.
In 1970, an astonishing 10% of the entire population of America marched on Earth Day in support of addressing environmental concerns. In the space of four short years, between 1969-1972, a bipartisan Congress passed the National Environmental Policy Act (1969), the Clean Air Act (1970) and the Clean Water Act (Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1972). There were few nay votes. How did a handful of lobbyists defeat the will of the people, President, and Congress?
The answer is told well in the film. And, it is a timely story in today’s debate over the environment, civil liberties, and the role of the three branches of government. It all comes down to voice. The loudest and most persistent voice is unfortunately the one most people listen to. And, it is a story of how, in our democracy, everyone’s voice should and does matter. See it. It is inciteful no matter where you stand on the issues.