Glacial
The Untold History of Climate Politics
It took nearly sixty years for a meaningful climate change bill to run the political gauntlet from Capitol Hill to the Oval Office. Why?
From mavericks to party standard-bearers, U.S. Senators, members of the House of Representatives, and presidential candidates have campaigned for four decades espousing their intentions to address the impacts of climate change.
Glacial: The Inside Story of Climate Politics
is the first Inside-the-Beltway account to lay bare the machinations of what went wrong in Washington—how and why our leaders failed to act on climate change as mounting scientific evidence underscored the urgency to do so. Glacial tells a story of behind-the-scenes infighting and power struggles that blocked or derailed federal legislative progress on climate change, even in times of bipartisanship and with polls showing most Americans favored action.
The good news today is that public opinion is at its highest level of support for climate action, from corporate boardrooms embracing sustainability for business reasons to movements led by passionate younger generations who can't afford to stand mute because it is they who will inherit the worst environmental catastrophes. If the missed opportunities in Washington are instructive, the path to doing so is clear. Our elected officials must use their offices not solely for the power and prestige it bestows upon them personally, but for the public good—and they must do so while there is still time.
Chelsea Henderson has worked in environmental policy on Capitol Hill for more than 25 years seeking bipartisan solutions to the threats of climate change. She was senior policy advisor for Sen. John Warner (R-VA) during his long-term effort to enact climate change legislation, and she staffed the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee; her tenure spanning the chairmanships of Senators John H. Chafee and Bob Smith. Currently, Chelsea hosts the environmental podcast, EcoRight Speaks, and consults on pro-climate solutions for Washington-based advocacy groups. Her op-eds in support of clean energy and robust climate change solutions have been published in The Hill, Washington Post, Baltimore Sun, and other publications. A cum laude graduate of Boston University’s College of Liberal Arts (B.A.) and School of Education (M.Ed.), Chelsea has two adult sons, two perpetually hungry cats, and lives in the Washington, DC metro area.
