A Northwestern environmental politics professor explains why Earth Day is important and why policy will be drastically different under the Obama administration.
By Cassandra Blohowiak
The environment is a hot-button issue, especially with a president in the White House pressing for swift change. But the federal government isn’t the only entity demanding stricter emission caps, promoting alternative energy or educating the public. Yael Wolinksy, an environmental politics professor at Northwestern University and an expert in both domestic and international environmental policy-making, explains that the rapidly growing environmental movement is gaining momentum in DC and in city halls. This 39th Earth Day (April 22) may provide the perfect opportunity for individuals to take action. I sat down with Professor Wolinsky to talk about Earth Day and how individuals can get involved. [Excerpts]
Why is Earth Day important?
It’s an occasion where people can express their concern and their desire for change in government policy in a semi-organized way. And it’s an opportunity for people to participate and try to be part of a fairly rapidly growing environmental movement.
Do you think that this Earth Day is going to be different, or perhaps more intense than previous Earth Days, because of this rapid growing movement?
There are different theories about when people participate. You can think that if the government is not doing much people will try to participate more, or when the government is very enthusiastic about it people will feel like they want to be part of it too. Maybe this Earth Day will solve the puzzle and tell us which theory is right. But I do think a lot of people are going to be doing something that symbolizes their connection to the Earth and their concern about it.
How do you think environmental policy is going to be different under the Obama administration?
By a lot. There are some key issues when you think about these changes. One is the openness of the Obama administration to science. He has scientists in his administration who know the consequences of what we’re doing now and the consequences of inaction. Obama himself is also a different generation. He’s a younger president who’s more aware of environmental issues personally and who’s also more open to not just science, but also public preferences—especially those of younger voters. And we’ll be seeing a very significant shift in climate change policy, and that’s not a day too early.
What about alternative forms of energy?
Absolutely. It’s part of climate change both in terms of international commitments the U.S. is willing to make, and in terms of serious consideration of alternative energy production methods at the domestic level.
How can local governments and local organizations get involved in the overall plan?
Many are drafting, or have already adopted, climate action plans. Local governments are doing more than anybody had expected under conditions where the federal government has been doing very little, and state governments have been doing some, but not much.
If you could suggest one thing that an individual could do in order to help the cause, what would it be?
To think about their daily activities in terms of possible emissions effects. Think about your transportation choices. Think about your home consumption of energy. Think about how you use water. Water consumption on average has grown 30 to 35 times over the last several hundred years, so per capita, if you consider population growth, water has much more pressure placed on it.
Anything else?
It’s not sufficient to see just policy change. It’s also a matter of education and participation. Universities have a responsibility to lead environmental education much more than they do. Today’s students are going to have to deal with the mess that’s left. They’re going to be the leaders making decisions, and they’re going to lead a different everyday life when the climate changes. Universities have a special role, and they should see it as an opportunity for social leadership and not just as a requirement or part of the curriculum.
