What happened?

One of the chief reasons I voted for Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election was because of his promise to take positive action for the environment. I was absolutely giddy about the prospect of a presidential candidate who was willing to stand up to Big Oil, dirty coal and a whole slew of other environmentally degrading groups — a candidate who assured many concerned people like myself that the plight of the environment would not fall on deaf ears. Especially considering former President Bush’s “eight-year pattern of delay in attacking the creeping, but momentous, climate problem,” as The New York Times put it, Obama’s presence as a candidate was a refreshing one.

President Obama started out strong by promising to pass comprehensive climate legislation such as cap and trade — an idea first implemented in the 1990 Clean Air Act — to set limits on greenhouse gas pollution. There were other advances too, such as the establishment of more stringent gas mileage standards and also the setting of emission limits for mercury, the toxic metal produced as a by-product of power plant operations. And who can forget the disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, which occurred in April 2010? Throughout and upon the conclusion of the disaster, Obama continued to prove his willingness to stand up for the environment by first attempting to issue a six-month moratorium on drilling in the Gulf — though it was later shortened — and later by establishing more stringent safety requirements for oil companies undertaking future domestic drilling projects.

I admired the courage and initiative Obama displayed in combatting and demanding retribution from Big Oil, an extremely powerful entity in this country. Even as recently as March 2011, the Obama administration held firm on its belief that global warming is a reality, and as a result it denied requests for domestic offshore drilling projects. The idea was that the United States would wean itself off its fossil fuel dependence and invest more time, energy and money into renewable energy sources. Possessing rare oratory powers and quite a lot of gusto, Obama seemed the man of the hour.

Unfortunately, we since have seen the steady decline of Obama’s once solid political stance on those issues about which he proclaimed to care so much. This has been the result of constant pressure from powerful industries and his political opponents. Most recently, Obama caved into GOP and big industry demands to take a new clean air regulation off the table that was aimed at reducing harmful smog buildup and health costs attributed to smog. Republicans balked at the new regulation, labeling it as a “job-killer” because of the EPA’s estimate that it would cost around $90 billion a year. This is despite the fact that it supports a public health standard.

When did Obama start relinquishing his beliefs? The November congressional election of 2010, which may lend an explanation, marked a new shift in political power and party dominance. The Republicans won the House while Democrats maintained the Senate. Republicans now had more power to affect legislation and exert more partisan pressure.

Let us not forget the economic downturn either, which began in December 2007 and has had lingering effects such as high joblessness and low growth that have provided the Republican Party ammunition to hurl at the White House. Republicans have used the country’s precarious economic position to cast doubt on Obama’s effectiveness as a president.

The American people began to lose faith in the man who made thousands head to the streets to celebrate his victory on election night. One can surmise fairly confidently that the state of the economy has hurt Obama severely and continues to cast a shadow on his presidency. As recently as Sept. 2, a new report announced the unwelcome news that few jobs were added in August and the unemployment rate had not budged from a pitiful 9.1 percent.

Despite Obama’s major economic setback and his concern for the upcoming 2012 presidential election, he cannot continue this frightening trend of caving in to GOP pressure and big industry. What happened to the man who promised change not only for the future of the environment, but also for the country? Obama once again must stand up for those issues that propelled him into office. He must restore the faith of those who elected him because at the moment those supporters question the validity of his promises and his words.

Though the business of politics is precarious, you have to know where you stand and how far you are willing to go to sacrifice your own political principles for the appeasement of those enemies who would see you fail. President Obama, take note or another will take your place.