In 1970, the first Earth Day was propelled into existence by alarming images: pictures of dead, oil-soaked, birds, and seals from an oil spill off the coast of Santa Barbara; an Ohio river so polluted it caught fire; Los Angeles smog so toxic that “unhealthy to breath” days reached 200 that year. Millions of Earth Day demonstrators demanded action. Congress quickly established the Environmental Protection Agency and put in place national air and water quality standards.
Crucial to the success and endurance of these policies has been broad bipartisan support. While initiated under President Nixon, both parties have contributed to strengthening environmental legislation, that is, until recent years.
Today’s political polarization has set the parties on radically different approaches to environmental, energy, and climate policies. Republicans now align themselves closely with fossil fuel interests, favoring increasing support for coal, oil, and gas exploration, production, and distribution. Democrats have set goals to phase-out fossil fuels and are advocating a rapid transition to clean energy. Their landmark climate legislation, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) provides billions in subsidies and incentives to decarbonize our lives, homes, and transport.