Chair Deatrick Joins Democrats Abroad ECCC Panel on The White House Effect
Chair Deatrick joined the Democrats Abroad Environmental and Climate Crisis Council for a livestream discussion of The White House Effect, the acclaimed documentary from filmmakers Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk. The film chronicles the pivotal years of the George H.W. Bush administration — 1988 to 1992 — when the United States stood at a crossroads on climate action, and traces how political maneuvering and industry pressure led to decades of policy stagnation.
The panel drew parallels between that critical moment in history and the climate challenges Democrats face today. Filmmakers Cohen and Shenk shared the lessons they drew from years of research and what the history they uncovered means for the fight ahead. Democrats Abroad ECCC Chair Dana Freling moderated.
Chair Deatrick argued that the corporate influence depicted in the film has only deepened in the decades since — and that, unlike in the Bush years, the climate crisis is no longer a coming threat but a daily reality. She pushed back on the idea that Democrats should downplay climate as a political issue heading into the midterms, calling that a mistake on both policy and electoral grounds, and urged the audience to organize, communicate climate in plain language tied to people's lives, and hold their elected officials accountable at the ballot box.
