It’s rare that I get angry or buy into doomsday evangelism. But following the recent news that the House of Representatives is planning to revoke the EPA’s ability to regulate greenhouse gas emissions and movement to begin granting off-shore drilling permits and lift the ban on mountaintop removal, I couldn’t prevent my blood from boiling. Whatever happened to “change we can believe in” or “Si se puede?”

These thoughts occurred after I got home last week from witnessing the wreckage of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. There were two specific events that reminded me why my work so often revolves around climate change.

First, it was the incredible sight of where the levees and storm walls broke along the Mississippi River and Lake Pontechrain that caused much of the hurricane’s destruction. Second, it was a visit to the State Museum’s exhibit on Katrina and the sight of a tiny 2′ by 3′ poster on the role of climate change in it. It drew a stark contrast to today, when just a few years after Obama campaigned on the promise of a “new green economy,” he is hiding behind the curtains of back door deals rather than providing leadership on clean energy and climate change (vis-à-vis the budget).

What concerns me most about this is that Obama is turning his back on major energy and environmental campaign promises and that many people just don’t realize it, or at least aren’t acting like they do. Even media moguls from the unabashedly liberal Huffington Post say, “Obama’s greatest accomplishment may be his public dedication to clean energy–words that resonate, even if they don’t do.” Words don’t help us reverse or adapt to climate change. Obama, it turns out, may be the biggest greenwasher of them all, and that, friends, is a most dangerous situation.

For energy and environmental advocates like ourselves, this means that we need to hold Obama accountable for all the green promises he’s made. You can keep tabs on these promises at www.politifact.com and stay up to date about greenwashing vis-à-vis these resources. Most of all, you can take leadership in a campaign that you believe in, from alternative transportation to climate action to sustainable business.

Then again, maybe Obama should have joined me on my visit to New Orleans and seen the heart-wrenching visuals of what happens when you don’t have the courage and leadership to prioritize the well being of your constituents over your poll numbers. He could have joined in for some Mardis Gras celebration while he was at it.

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About Aaron Desatnik

Aaron is a research analyst at Iridian Asset Management, an equity management firm in the New York City area. Part of his work is to investigate mid- and large-cap energy efficiency and renewable energy companies to evaluate their investment potential. Previously Aaron was the Director of Marketing at the Sustainable Performance Institute in Boston, MA. He is also active in the community and has organized campaigns to increase awareness about the benefits of purchasing local food in the Greater Boston Jewish community as well as to develop a growth strategy for the transportation advocacy group LivableStreets Alliance. Ping Aaron if you want to talk about strategy, investing, energy or cycling. hello@aarondesatnik.com @aarondesatnik www.aarondesatnik.com

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