In 2019, during his campaign for president, University alumnus John Hickenlooper ’74, MA ’80, addressed the California Democratic Party’s convention. Hickenlooper used his speech to decry key pillars of the progressive agenda, such as the Green New Deal. In response, the crowd showered him with boos. Although Hickenlooper’s speech wasn’t a surprise—he’d positioned himself as a moderate during the campaign—it revealed something important about his climate policy: John Hickenlooper prioritizes small steps rather than policies that would bring about meaningful change. We disagreed with Hickenlooper’s approach then, and we disagree with him even more today. As we stare down the existential threat that is climate change, it’s become abundantly clear that cautious incrementalism will not suffice.
Last year, Hickenlooper ran for and successfully flipped a Senate seat in his home state of Colorado. This was an undeniable victory for Democrats and anyone on the left, as he ousted Republican incumbent Cory Gardner who voted in favor of President Donald Trump’s agenda nearly 90% of the time. However, now that Democrats are governing, the party must pursue a bold, liberal agenda to contend with climate change. In the same way that the country needed ambitious pandemic relief legislation to address COVID-19, the country now needs ambitious climate action legislation to address global warming. We worry that Hickenlooper (as well as other centrist senators) will impede necessary climate policy, and we can’t afford another eight years of failed efforts to achieve bipartisan legislation in the name of moderate governance. We need to act now.
Aside from the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change is the defining issue of our time. If we fail to act boldly and imminently, the consequences in Colorado and around the world will be catastrophic. Although Hickenlooper no longer verbally downplays climate change, his history as a supporter of fracking stands out. He has consistently opposed bans on fracking; as Governor of Colorado, he presided over a boom in oil and fracked gas extraction, and attempted to sue cities that tried to ban fracking at the local level. He has long accepted donations from fossil fuel companies. Hickenlooper has even publicly claimed that he has consumed fracking fluid to defend the practice despite its environmental concerns. These actions leave much to be desired in terms of actionable climate policy; pretending that the problem isn’t real obstructs actual progress. Even now, despite the mountain of evidence that fracking has adverse effects on the climate and health of neighboring communities, Hickenlooper continues to defend the practice as a senator.
Hickenlooper must center climate change in his work as a senator. That means pushing for limits and/or bans on destructive practices like fracking, investing in public transportation and renewable energy, rejecting donations from fossil fuel companies, and speaking out in favor of policies that will bring the United States to net zero greenhouse gas emissions as quickly as possible.
We are excited to see another University alumnus in the U.S. Senate, but we urge Hickenlooper to be a determined advocate for our planet and ordinary people. Hickenlooper is an accomplished public servant and a patriot. However, during these times of crisis, he needs to be bolder.
Eli Roche is a Co-Chair of Wesleyan Democrats and a member of the Class of 2021. He can be
reached at ekroche@wesleyan.edu.
Madi Mehta is a Co-Chair of Wesleyan Democrats and a member of the Class of 2024. She can be reached at mmehta@wesleyan.edu.
Simon Worth is the Treasurer of Wesleyan Democrats and a member of the Class of 2024. He can be reached at sworth@wesleyan.edu.
Emma Bella Bass-Lawrence is the Middletown Community Director of Wesleyan Democrats and a member of the Class of 2024. She can be reached at ebasslawrenc@wesleyan.edu.
Perri Easley is the Student Community Director of Wesleyan Democrats and a member of the Class of 2023. She can be reached at peasley@wesleyan.edu.
Ryan Jokelson is the Events Director of Wesleyan Democrats and a member of the Class of 2024. He can be reached at rjokelson@wesleyan.edu.
Matthew Lecher is the Campaigns Director of Wesleyan Democrats and a member of the Class of 2024. He can be reached at mlecher@wesleyan.edu.
Reed Schwartz is the Policy Director of Wesleyan Democrats and a member of the Class of 2024. He can be reached at reschwartz@wesleyan.edu.
Rory McClenahan is the Secretary of Wesleyan Democrats and a member of the Class of 2024. He can be reached at rrmcclenahan@wesleyan.edu.