Hope, recaptured

I left the United States four years ago in the midst of a destructive (in so many ways) war and on the verge of the re-election of Dubya, knowing I would be held accountable for the actions of my country and my government.

Now, I can easily endure the jokes about overweight Americans, the ridiculous over-consumption, and our incessant optimism. I myself indulge in gratuitous use of the word awesome and ubiquitous high-fiving. However, my country’s lack of moral direction in politics is always something I struggled with. A presidency seemingly scripted for satirical fodder, forced this good ole boy from the Midwest to toughen up if he was going to endure the Europeans.

The election of Barack Obama has changed things for an American abroad. Running on a ticket of hope, breaking the racial barrier to the White House and motivating the disenchanted youth of the states to get out and vote in record numbers, restored the world’s faith in Americans. At home, record numbers of volunteers from all over the country, spurred on by hope and change, got into all the corners of the nation to get people registered and informed. This tech-savvy youth base kept the momentum going to the end with celebrations in streets across the nation, including an unprecedented one outside the White House gates.

So, how does this affect the sustainability agenda? The current administration has left the environment in a terrible state across the board. However, Obama seems to be into more than just quick fix solutions to these long-term issues. He knows that changing the light bulb is good, but changing mindsets is better. Most promising for sustainability is his ability to look at the whole picture and determine the impact, big or small, before making a decision. Obama has received accolades for both his views on the environment and his energy plan, and his campaign showed that he embraces new technologies and sees their potential for impact. This bodes well for the burgeoning renewables industry of the states. Most importantly, his grassroots-style campaign recognised and embraced the power of community, the best tool available to talk and listen to people, and help instigate change.

The world is in love with Barack Obama and is eager to usher in a new era of collaboration. He has substantially bolstered the American image internationally, with celebrations from Beijing to Bogotá, and Kenya announcing a national holiday. But Obama has a lot on his plate from the get-go. With two wars, an economic meltdown and a restructuring of the world’s superpowers, the environment will have difficulty getting to the top of the agenda. Expectations are running high and it is hard to see how he can be the superman some people are expecting.

I am sure the celebrations are as much for the president-elect as they are for the end of the Bush era. I personally have faith in the new leader of my country to put America back on the right track and not shrug off the importance of action for the environment, society and the wellbeing of the world. But, for now, I’ll just revel in the audacity of hope and attempt to harness the energy Obama-mania has created to bring about real change.

Tim Nichols is an intern working on the Futures Programme