We can be thankful President Barack Obama is taking aim at one

When Donna Brazile declared, “We can be thankful President Barack Obama is taking aim at one of the prime causes of climate change and extreme weather: air pollution. The EPA's carbon pollution standards are the most significant step forward our country has ever taken to protect our health by addressing climate change,” she spoke not as one merely commenting on policy, but as a herald of responsibility, pointing to a moment when leadership sought to confront one of the greatest dangers of our age. Her words are filled with thankfulness, not for prosperity or convenience, but for the courage to face the looming specter of climate change with action.

The heart of this quote lies in the recognition that air pollution and carbon emissions are not invisible inconveniences, but forces that shape the fate of nations. By naming them as “prime causes” of extreme weather, Brazile ties human action to natural consequence, reminding us that what is unleashed into the skies returns upon the earth with storms, droughts, and floods. Her gratitude toward Obama is gratitude for foresight — for seeing the long road ahead and daring to walk upon it, even when the steps were difficult and contested.

In this, her words echo the ancient wisdom of leaders who stood against threats not yet fully visible to the people. Consider Themistocles of Athens, who, sensing the danger of Persia, urged the Athenians to build a fleet before the great invasion came. His foresight saved Greece at Salamis. So too, Obama’s effort to create carbon pollution standards was an act of preparation — not for a war against men, but for the battle to preserve the very earth that shelters us. The act of addressing climate change is itself a form of defense, not of borders, but of the future.

Brazile speaks of this step as “the most significant step forward” the nation had yet taken. Here lies another truth: progress is not made by words alone, but by standards, laws, and action. Gratitude, in this sense, is not only for noble ideals but for the willingness to bind ideals into practice. Just as Hammurabi carved laws into stone so that justice might endure, so too must the guardians of the earth carve policies into law to ensure that protection is not left to chance or the goodwill of a few.

But her words also sound as a warning: if air pollution and carbon emissions are left unchecked, the health of all shall be imperiled. To frame the issue as health — not only of the planet, but of the people — is to remind us that climate change is not distant or abstract. It is the air in our lungs, the water in our veins, the safety of our children. Gratitude, therefore, is not only political but personal: thankfulness for the breath we take, for the storms we may avoid, for the lives preserved by action taken today.

History gives us dark examples of when such warnings were ignored. The ancient city of Carthage once stripped its lands bare for short-term wealth, turning fertile soil into barren desert. Their prosperity perished with their environment. Brazile’s words remind us that we must not repeat such folly, that we must learn to live in balance with the earth lest our pursuit of gain blind us to the costs it demands.

The lesson, then, is clear: be thankful for leaders who act with courage to face unseen dangers, and let their actions inspire us to live with responsibility. Each of us can lessen our own footprint, support policies that protect the earth, and nurture habits of stewardship. Do not dismiss small acts — conserving energy, planting trees, reducing waste — for even the mightiest forest begins with seeds. Gratitude must flow into action, for thankfulness without responsibility is hollow.

Therefore, let this teaching be passed on: climate change is not merely an issue for governments; it is the trial of our generation. Let us be thankful for bold steps forward, but let us also take steps ourselves. For the earth is not our possession but our inheritance to guard, and if we fail, it will not only be history that judges us, but the very skies and seas that bear witness to our neglect.