July 25, 2023
Biden Reneged on His Climate Promises. Can 2024 Be Any Different?
By Peter Lucas
The climate movement needs to remind President Biden that he won’t earn our vote by bargaining away our futures.
(Paul Morigi / Getty Images)
Week after week, the United States has experienced “unprecedented” climate events: choking wildfire smoke painted East Coast skies red, thunderstorms with hurricane-force winds tore through the Midwest, and heat advisories impacted millions across the country. Our generation has been forced to normalize this seemingly apocalyptic existence, constantly careening toward the point of no return.
The 2024 election will be the first time many students are of age to vote, but we’ve carried the burden of advocating for a livable planet long before we had the electoral power to incite change.
In the wake of the 2016 election, high school students founded Zero Hour, demanding climate justice through protests and lobbying. We’ve rooted our work in the belief that we have a right to a safe and healthy future—for ourselves, our families, our most vulnerable friends and neighbors, and future generations. But how can we be expected to continue staking our futures on the empty promises of politicians?
