\nto withdraw from discussions<\/a> with his Senate colleagues regarding climate
\nlegislation has been greeted by some well-meaning environmentalists as a reason
\nto bash President Barack Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.)
\nfor their alleged lack of commitment to climate legislation. I think this is a mistake. Instead, the environmental community should examine
\nits own limitations in trying to make sense out of this situation.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Graham blasted what he described as “a
\ndecision by the Obama administration and Senate Democratic leadership to move
\nimmigration instead of energy.” Instead of reflexively agreeing with Graham
\nand thereby placing themselves at odds with supporters of immigration reform,
\nenvironmentalists should reflect upon the reasons why immigration reform is at
\nthis moment a far more politically compelling issue than climate for Senate
\nDemocrats to tackle.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
There is actually a social movement associated with immigration
\nissues. Perhaps even two movements—one on each side. I don’t think
\nthose of us focused on climate issues have anything similar that we can point
\nto.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Four years ago, when there was a huge wave of pro-immigration
\nrallies, I was in Columbia,
\n S.C. There was a rally of
\nat least 5,000 people, overwhelmingly Mexicans and Central Americans, outside
\nthe state capitol. As a New Yorker who grew up believing that New York is the center
\nof the immigrant universe, I was quite impressed by two things. First,
\nthere are lots of immigrants everywhere now. Second, people who have a
\nlot to lose by demonstrating in public were willing to do so in one of the most
\nconservative states in the Union. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Immigration reform divides Republicans and helps Democrats energize <\/p>\n Not so for the Democrats, especially in the Senate. There are likely to be competitive Senate <\/p>\n But it’s not just Nevada. Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, and Illinois <\/p>\n Is there a single state with a contested race in which the Senate <\/p>\n So the Obama\/Reid political calculation that immigration should go <\/p>\n Environmentalists who complain about this misunderstand the nature <\/p>\n All four of my grandparents were immigrants. I would like to make sure that people looking <\/p>\n So complaining would be futile. <\/p>\n Finally, with no movement capable of forcing a <\/p>\n If we really believe that addressing climate change requires a <\/p>\n Those of us working to address climate change can learn some Related Links:<\/strong><\/p>\n ‘Green tea party’ closes out U.S. Earth Day celebrations<\/a><\/p>\n Obama climate agenda in turmoil after Republican pulls out of compromise<\/a><\/p>\n Graham says he’s going to bail on the climate bill<\/a><\/p>\n
\ntheir political base. Big businesses that depend on cheap immigrant
\nlabor have a very different orientation from that of the Lou
\nDobbs<\/a> crowd. So Republican efforts
\nto pander to the anti-immigrant portion of their party come with significant
\nrisks.<\/p>\n
\nraces in any number of states this November in which Latinos form substantial
\nportions of the electorate. Nevada is one of those
\nstates, and even a politician who is often as principled as Reid is driven in
\nlarge part by self-preservation.<\/p>\n
\nall have large Latino populations and races that may be close. The immigration issue will energize a portion
\nof the Democratic base in each of those states. <\/p>\n
\nDemocrats will truly be helped by a climate bill? I can’t think of one.<\/p>\n
\nbefore climate makes sense for them. The vast majority of politicians—and I have no reason to think Obama and Reid are exceptions to this rule—operate in the world of practical politics. By developing a vibrant movement that is backed up by electoral power,
\nimmigration-reform supporters have given leading Democrats a reason to believe
\nthat action on immigration reform will be politically helpful to them. We haven’t done the same on climate.<\/p>\n
\nof politics. Moreover, they are morally
\nwrong. <\/p>\n
\nfor a better life in the 21st century have the same opportunity to flee poverty
\nand oppression that my grandparents had.
\nI hope my environmental colleagues feel the same way. <\/p>\n
\nWe would be asking practical politicians such as Obama and Reid to place
\na higher priority on a policy that may be politically dangerous for them than on
\none that aids their political prospects. There may be many reasons why
\ndoing something worthwhile on climate is a political problem for many politicians,
\nbut one reason is the fact that we have not developed a true movement that
\ncould support them if they go down that road.<\/p>\n
\nrobust response to the climate crisis, the only way Sens. Graham, John Kerry
\n(D-Mass.), and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) could have gotten the Senate to pass a
\nbill would have been to appease the special interests at the root of the
\nproblem. All indications were that the
\nproposed bill would have propped up the coal and power industries with billions
\nof dollars while forcing low and middle-income Americans to pay higher energy
\ncosts. The bill also would have stripped
\nEPA and state governments of much their legal authority to implement innovative
\nclimate solutions. In short, I’m not
\nsure we’re missing much.<\/p>\n
\nmassive social change, it is naive to believe that we can make that change in
\nthe absence of a massive social movement.
\nThe beginnings of that movement are visible. We see it in the tremendously successful
\nefforts to stop development of coal plants and in the enthusiasm for green jobs
\nin many communities throughout the country.
\nBut this movement has not yet been built.<\/p>\n
\nimportant lessons from supporters of immigration reform. We should take this opportunity to learn
\nthose lessons, rather than merely express our frustration. <\/p>\n