All of the Above: Energy, Environmental Politics, and US Climate Change Policy Since the 1970s Oil Crises

Since the energy crises of the 1970s, the United States’ commitment to addressing climate change has been plagued by inaction. Ironically, during the 1970s, when the United States adopted landmark environmental laws in response to the modern environmental crisis, it also expanded its commitment to what is now known as an “all-of-the-above” energy strategy in response to the energy crises. Since then, whether led by Republicans or Democrats, the United States has put concerns about energy ahead of the environment. This commitment was most apparent during President Ronald Reagan’s administration in the 1980s, when Reagan dismissed environmentalists’ emphasis on conservation and restraint and, instead, began to champion energy abundance as a key plank in the modern conservative agenda. During his administration, the United States expanded offshore oil drilling and western coal mining. That pattern persisted through subsequent Republican administrations, culminating in President Donald Trump’s “America First” energy agenda. Although Democrats have positioned themselves as more concerned about environmental issues, they too have been complicit in the “all-of-the-above” energy strategy. In recent decades, even as Democrats have advanced key climate initiatives, they hedged their bets, pairing such initiatives with continued support for fossil fuel development, including fracking of natural gas and expanded offshore oil drilling. In a country addicted to energy, the “all-of-the-above” energy strategy forged in the 1970s has been common ground in the fractious landscape of American politics, much to the detriment of the planet.