The president was getting an earful about protecting the atmosphere from harmful emissions.
The
president heard all the reasons for doing nothing. The problem isn't
real. It is a liberal hoax. There is too much scientific uncertainty.
We should wait for more research. Our economy depends on the products
that cause the emissions. There is no feasible substitute for the
products. Government limits on emissions will kill jobs. Et cetera. Et
cetera.
At the end of the day, however, the president decided
that protective measures were called for. He dismissed ideologues
opposed to action and sided with his administration's scientists and
diplomats. He ordered his negotiators to work towards a strong but
balanced treaty to phase out products causing the emissions. After the
treaty's ratification, the president called it a "monumental
achievement."
The president was Ronald Reagan. Thanks to him, a
treaty to protect the upper atmosphere's protective ozone layer from
damaging chemical emissions was signed in 1987 and ratified shortly
afterward. The treaty was the most significant international
environmental agreement ever negotiated.
It was not inevitable.
The treaty was fiercely opposed by politicians and commercial interests
that put short-term political and economic considerations ahead of
reducing long-range environmental risks. Arguments that the treaty
would kill jobs in exchange for uncertain environmental gains in the
future held powerful sway among nervous officials and lawmakers.
Reagan,
however, took the conservative approach by taking prudent measures in
the interest of good stewardship. He saw that strong U.S. leadership
informed by good science could deliver an international agreement that
successfully balanced environmental and economic considerations.
The
results from the treaty show that he was right. Emissions have fallen,
the ozone layer is beginning to repair itself, and businesses made
money developing viable substitutes for ozone-depleting chemicals.
The
lessons for today's debate about climate change are clear. Take science
seriously and don't use scientific uncertainty as an excuse to avoid
prudent action. Adopt policies that use market forces to stir up
technological innovations that both reduce emissions and create new
business opportunities. Look for flexible approaches that accommodate a
wide range of interests. Above all, lead.
Ronald Reagan showed it could be done. Today's congressional Republicans would do well to follow Reagan's example.
In the best of
circumstances, winning 60 votes for a climate bill will not be a rose
garden, but good faith from the Senate's Democratic leaders and serious
proposals from Republicans will improve the odds.
Too much is at
stake for politics as usual to drive the process. The longer that
Congress waits to enact an effective climate policy, the more risks
that the nation's leaders are taking with our country's economy,
security, and way of life.
As Ronald Reagan used to say on the great public policy questions of his time: "If not us, who? If not now, when?"
