More Optimism in the Face of the Trump Presidency

I thought I’d reproduce this conversation I’m having on Facebook.  2GreenEnergy associate Dan Sturges makes a really good point that shifted my way of thinking on what we can expect over the next four years vis-a-vis the environment.  The discussion begins with another colleague, Steve Vachss:

Steve Vachss:  I am surprised to see people who are usually intelligent and thoughtful, catastrophizing about imaginary future events. What’s more, I see people basing their supposed view of the future world on BS said during an election campaign.  REALLY?

Craig Shields I’d like to see it this way, but Trump has ALREADY shown what he’ll actually do, by announcing the people he’ll be appointing including, my personal favorite, one the few remaining fanatical climate deniers to transition the EPA. I’ve taken a lot of criticism on my posture here, i.e., that we should all be terrified of the damage that can be wreaked in the next four years (plus the lifespan of the SCOTUS justices he appoints), but simply I can’t see the silver lining that everyone else is talking about.

Dan Sturges The silver lining could be that the T presidency “activates” us, the opposition, in such a big and unexpected way. Like waking up a “Godzilla”, a massive force, that the unfortunate people backing T could never have imagined. Those with more love for their neighbor and a responsibility to transform how we live environmentally and all.

Craig Shields I really like your enthusiasm, and there is no doubt that this will spawn more activity among people like you and me. But hasn’t this election cycle shown how feckless all that is? How about this. You take over my blog and consultancy for the next four years and I go bass fishing. 🙂

Dan Sturges – The point is you and I are concerned about climate change as are millions of other people. And if Hillary had won, we likely would’ve just gone back to our business, and expected her and the new administration to make the world we want. At least to some extent. But in reality, addressing climate change and the behavior change needed and the transformation of our country, I just don’t think we were in the right mindset nor the right position to really, really change things up. And yet most all of the Trump supporters don’t even seem to think about climate change. They are like a patient with cancer who just does not believe the doctors. So yeah, I think this could be a wake up call, I think we need to make it a wake up call, and people like you with your blog and consultancy and myself we need to figure out how to become far stronger. Because ultimately one quarter of the United States that voted for Trump doesn’t seem to think climate change is even real.

Craig Shields Excellent points here my friend; you are entirely correct. Let’s get ‘er done.

Steve Vachss I would argue that President Obama damaged the environment more than other candidates–Democrats or Republicans–would have. Instead of working with the Congress for permanent legislation in significant environmental areas, he issued executive orders that are effectively temporary and may now disappear. In other words, he chose the symbolic political “lip-service” route, instead of a gradual path to a future based on renewable energy. Would Hillary have been better? We’ll never know. But she lied to us so many times that you might not even have known what she was doing. Would she have horse-traded with her big money backers? Furthermore, she is so unlikable outside of California and New York that she couldn’t lead the mainstream American public. What will Trump do about environmental issues? I don’t know, and neither does anyone else. Guesses based on election campaigns don’t count.

Craig Shields Interesting point about Obama, though a) I don’t see how you believe that he didn’t do his best to work with Congress, and b) I’m sure he was counting on a Democrat to win in 2016, and, with a change of leadership in Congress, a serious US commitment to environmental protection almost certainly would have resulted.

To say that this is in jeopardy at this point is an understatement; it seems more like a pipe-dream.

Having said that, I’m going with Dan’s viewpoint above, i.e., that this will inspire an enormous grassroots movement.