GEF

Unit 8  |  Government and Sustainability 176 the U.S. Clean Air Act to eliminate CFC-containing solvents from its electronics manufacturing process. Although Raytheon scientists initially thought that eliminating CFCs would be impossible, they developed a reusable non-CFC solvent that proved to be more effective than the original. 8.5  Challenges of Government Action The effectiveness of governmental sustainability initiatives is limited. Climate change is an example where large-scale government action has fallen short. Many companies and corporations are against government regulations they feel will impact their profit. They send lobbyists to Washington to block legislation that supports climate change measures. In the U.S., climate change and other environmental issues have been politicized to the point where many politicians are reluctant to promote a progressive environmental agenda. In the 1970s, environmental initiatives were a bipartisan priority and major pieces of environmental legislation were passed. Unfortunately, the current political climate in Washington has made passage of environmental laws much more difficult. While a majority of voters are concerned about climate change, it tends to take a back seat to issues such as economic growth and terrorism. Politicians have an incentive to focus on attention-grabbing issues that will win votes. Additionally, climate change and other global sustainability issues need to be addressed on the international level, greatly increasing the challenge of developing policy solutions. Many advocates are working toward change through county and city government. Local Governments for Sustainability, founded as the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI), is an association of over 1,220 local gov- ernments from around the world committed to sustainable POLITICIZED Turned into something that relates to the ideas or strate- gies of a particular party or group in politics.