We need a power shift

Even as thousands of young environmentalists descended on Washington, D.C., from around the United States this weekend, a case is heading to the U.S. Supreme Court that could have enormous consequences. It could at best allow groups and states to sue power companies in order to force them to reduce their carbon emissions. At the very worst, it could strike a blow to the legitimacy of the argument for climate change protection and set a dangerous precedent.

Unsurprisingly, the Obama administration has taken the conservative position against the environmental groups who are suing. The administration’s argument is that the federal courts are not the place to make a type of regulatory decision that should be left to Congress or the Environmental Protection Agency. Environmentalists agree to an extent but say the case is their last hope now that the prospect of no substantive legislation or regulation has become a reality after the 2010 elections.

I’m inclined to agree with the environmental groups. Congressional Republicans have made it a priority to stop the EPA from regulating carbon dioxide, and there’s certainly no way any type of real legislation could get through the lower house. President Obama does have the option of directing the EPA to regulate carbon dioxide without the approval of Congress, but that isn’t his leadership style.

If the president directed the agency to act on its own, it is a quite probable scenario that Congress would react by barring the agency from doing so with the help of the remaining conservative Democrats.

If that happened, the next recourse would be the courts. This case has high rewards to match its high stakes. As much as I would like the 2012 elections to sweep Congress back into the hands of the Democrats, redistricting across states could easily thwart that plan. With the House in the hands of the Republicans for the foreseeable future, environmentalists need to confront Obama on the legislative, executive and judicial fronts in order to make headway on climate change.

They’re doing a good job so far. Thousands of young people participated this weekend in Power Shift, a massive conference designed to train them in the art of environmental activism and arm them with the skills to hold the government and corporations accountable.

These are the young people who will continue the fight regardless of the outcome of the Supreme Court case. They’ll be a thorn in Obama’s side in 2012 if he doesn’t make a commitment and show an effort to take on Republicans and work
to address climate change.

Activism by young people is sorely needed. It hasn’t been very long since we were fighting so workers could have the right to unionize and demand a living wage and decent rights. And only recently in history have women been able to legally obtain birth control and abortions.

These rights, just like the rights to clean air, water and a stable climate, are rights we often take for granted. These rights were hard fought for; many activists have died to give them to us. Yet all of them (and more) are under assault from conservatives in state houses and the federal government.

I applaud the Hoosier students who attended Power Shift, and I ask that other progressive groups on campus reach out to them to hear what they learned. As individual interest groups we’re weak, but we’re strong as a unified voice for change. Let’s work together to hold the Obama administration and Republicans across the nation accountable.

­— cdbabcoc@indiana.edu