The Republican Party's Shift on Climate Change: A Case of Missed Opportunity?
In 1988, the US was hit by a devastating drought, with crops withering in fields nationwide and dust storms sweeping across the midwest and northern Great Plains. The disaster resulted in an estimated $60 billion in damage, and unrelentingly hot temperatures killed between 5,000 and 10,000 people. Amidst this chaos, then-Ronald Reagan's vice-president George HW Bush met with farmers in Michigan, promising to be the environmental president if elected.
Bush acknowledged the reality of climate change, attributing it to the burning of fossil fuels, which released excess carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. However, he also emphasized that there were those who thought they could do nothing about it, and instead chose to "forget about the White House Effect" - sound environmental policy for leading consumer of fossil fuels.
This clip appears early in The White House Effect, a new documentary examining how Republicans changed course on climate change. The 96-minute film is now available on Netflix, exploring the evolution of the climate crisis from non-partisan reality to divisive political issue.
The documentary takes its name from Bush's unfulfilled promise of environmental action during his presidency. It examines the forces that eroded such purpose, including corporations that downplayed scientific evidence and White House chief of staff John Sununu's power games.
Through meticulously edited archival footage, the film illustrates the politicization of climate change. The filmmakers sorted through 14,000 clips from over 100 sources, including VHS tapes stored in a former Exxon Mobil publicist's garage.
The film highlights Bush's equivocation on climate change by 1990, when he spoke at a White House conference, stating that scientists had "two diametrically opposed points of view" on the issue. This marked a turning point for the US, hamstrung by political division.
Today, nearly three decades later, William Reilly rues the missed opportunity to address climate change during Bush's presidency. The film aims to create rage and intolerance for denial of truth, encouraging viewers to take action at the ballot box.
Ultimately, The White House Effect shows us a what-if moment from 1988, asking viewers to consider the choices they can make in this current moment.
In 1988, the US was hit by a devastating drought, with crops withering in fields nationwide and dust storms sweeping across the midwest and northern Great Plains. The disaster resulted in an estimated $60 billion in damage, and unrelentingly hot temperatures killed between 5,000 and 10,000 people. Amidst this chaos, then-Ronald Reagan's vice-president George HW Bush met with farmers in Michigan, promising to be the environmental president if elected.
Bush acknowledged the reality of climate change, attributing it to the burning of fossil fuels, which released excess carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. However, he also emphasized that there were those who thought they could do nothing about it, and instead chose to "forget about the White House Effect" - sound environmental policy for leading consumer of fossil fuels.
This clip appears early in The White House Effect, a new documentary examining how Republicans changed course on climate change. The 96-minute film is now available on Netflix, exploring the evolution of the climate crisis from non-partisan reality to divisive political issue.
The documentary takes its name from Bush's unfulfilled promise of environmental action during his presidency. It examines the forces that eroded such purpose, including corporations that downplayed scientific evidence and White House chief of staff John Sununu's power games.
Through meticulously edited archival footage, the film illustrates the politicization of climate change. The filmmakers sorted through 14,000 clips from over 100 sources, including VHS tapes stored in a former Exxon Mobil publicist's garage.
The film highlights Bush's equivocation on climate change by 1990, when he spoke at a White House conference, stating that scientists had "two diametrically opposed points of view" on the issue. This marked a turning point for the US, hamstrung by political division.
Today, nearly three decades later, William Reilly rues the missed opportunity to address climate change during Bush's presidency. The film aims to create rage and intolerance for denial of truth, encouraging viewers to take action at the ballot box.
Ultimately, The White House Effect shows us a what-if moment from 1988, asking viewers to consider the choices they can make in this current moment.
they're talking about how the republicans changed their stance on climate change from 1988 to now & it's crazy to think that george HW bush used to be all about being the environmental prez but then things just got messed up 
corporations started lying about science & stuff and before u knew it climate change was a total party foul 
i mean can u even imagine what could've been if they'd actually done something back in 1990?!? 
anyway i'm gonna keep watching & trying to spread the word cuz this doc is giving me LIFE 
I'm still shaking my head about Bush's climate change flip-flop, from acknowledging it to actively ignoring it. 
. It's not too late for us, though - I think what this doc is trying to say is that our choices can make a difference 
.
If Bush had followed through on his promise of being an environmental president, maybe things wouldn't be as bad now? Like, climate change is still a huge issue and we're only getting worse 
. The documentary seems super interesting btw 
I want to watch it ASAP, can you stream it for me? 
. If only Bush had stuck to his guns back in '88, who knows what could've been achieved 
#FossilFuelRevolution #SustainabilityNow. I mean, the US just experienced a devastating drought and Bush's response was all about business as usual 
#ClimateActionMatters
that it took almost three decades for Republicans to acknowledge climate change. I mean, come on, $60 billion in damage and over 5,000-10,000 deaths? It's like they just waited for people to die before making a move 
. I wish more people would be holding politicians accountable for their actions and demanding change now 
. The documentary seems like a solid watch, I'd definitely check it out and see if I can learn from history 
. Maybe now that we're feeling the heat (literally), some people will wake up and take action 
.