Push or Pull

I watched the Frontline film 'Hot Politics' and I can say with near certainty that something will be done to help the environment based on what I saw. Despite what others may think, I feel as if the political system is working exactly the way it is supposed to and this is why something will happen. In the early nineties people cared about their jobs being shipped overseas and other economic concerns, much as they do today. The difference is that climate change was not as large of a priority. Because of this, no legislation was able to be enacted and no change was able to be made. The government was trying to pull us into a direction that people did not think was necessary and frankly did not want to go in. People were not willing to pay a tax as Clinton had proposed because climate change was not affecting anyone and no other nations were really going to do anything about it. But today, the tides have seemed to turn. People are willing to pay more for renewable energy, pay more for hybrid cars, and President Bush has acknowledged that global warming exists and we need to stop it. The people in California were fed up with the speed at which the federal government was enacting climate change so they pushed the state government to do something about it. Now, industry is scared about state regulations that differ and is pushing the federal government to step in, with the help of the states and the people. Everyone seems to be frustrated that we have to push the government to do something but this is the point of a democracy. Our elected leaders do what the people tell them to, and if they don't, we vote for someone else. If people are not ready for a change but the government tries to pull us into one, it will not work. Politicians did not go along with the previous attempts at climate change because they were scared of losing their constituents. Now, that the people are pushing the government to do something, the politicians will be scared to do nothing. This is why a change is going to come.