Chelsea Henderson is a journalist, author, and climate policy expert.
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Decades of political battles, shifting public opinion, and evolving advocacy strategies shaped the path of U.S. climate policy from early scientific warnings to major federal investment.
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Chelsea Henderson is the author of Glacial: The Inside Story of Climate Politics, a detailed look at six decades of U.S. climate policy since the issue first reached the president’s attention. She has more than 25 years of experience navigating federal energy and environmental policy, working on and off Capitol Hill with lawmakers, administration officials, and a wide range of stakeholders, from regulated industries to environmental groups. She hosts the podcast EcoRight Speaks and serves as director of editorial content at republicEn.
Henderson previously served as senior policy advisor to the late Senator John Warner during his climate change initiatives and as professional staff for the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee under Senators John H. Chafee (R-RI) and Bob Smith (R-NH). She serves on the board of the Cheverly Community Market.Publications by this author
Glacial: The Inside Story of Climate Politics is the first Inside-the-Beltway account to lay bare the machinations of what went wrong in Washington—how and why our leaders failed to act on climate change as mounting scientific evidence underscored the urgency to do so. Glacial tells a story of behind-the-scenes infighting and power struggles that blocked or derailed federal legislative progress on climate change, even in times of bipartisanship and with polls showing most Americans favored action.
The good news today is that public opinion is at its highest level of support for climate action, from corporate boardrooms embracing sustainability for business reasons to movements led by passionate younger generations who can't afford to stand mute because it is they who will inherit the worst environmental catastrophes. If the missed opportunities in Washington are instructive, the path to doing so is clear. Our elected officials must use their offices not solely for the power and prestige it bestows upon them personally, but for the public good—and they must do so while there is still time.