Environmental Science Degrees

As with all political issues, environmental concerns are a lot more complicated than cable pundits would have you believe. Sure, it’d be a lot easier if everything could be boiled down to slogans, but real environmental planning is a lot trickier. As a result, the presidents with the best and worst environmental records aren’t necessarily who you’d think they’d be. Some of them have been ardent crusaders for green causes while simultaneously burning through natural resources; some have been lethal or uncaring leaders who nevertheless did more good than almost anyone else when it came to saving the planet. The truth is that thousands of factors have influenced presidents in their decision-making, and none of them has been totally for or against the environment. They’re just trying to maximize their power while making moderately good decisions. Here are those presidents who’ve come out as leaders of their respective packs, ranked in unordered groups based on their general stance. Unhappy with the reults? Be sure to vote next time.

The Best

1. Teddy Roosevelt: Even a hundred years after his term ended, Theodore Roosevelt remains one of the most environmentally friendly presidents in history. Despite occupying the White House during years of economic expansion that included heavy mining and logging, Roosevelt was a firm advocate for protecting the beauty of the American landscape. Under powers granted to his office by the Forest Reserve Act, Roosevelt created more than 150 nation forests, as well as five national parks, 18 national monuments, and many more projects devoted to conserving the land. He was responsible for the preservation of almost 230 million acres of land, almost 10 percent of the entire area of the country. He also created a Bureau of Forestry, now the U.S. Forest Service.
2. Lyndon Johnson: LBJ enjoyed a tumultuous presidency that ended with a 1968 loss as powerful as his 1964 victory had been. Despite sinking into the quagmire of Vietnam, he also acted with environmental responsibility at home, signing the Wilderness Act of 1964, which created a legal definition for wilderness and protected 9 million acres of land. The law defined wilderness as “an area where the earth and community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain.” The act created the National Wilderness Preservation System, which today covers more than 100 million acres of land managed by multiple agencies. He also signed the Urban Mass Transportation Act, which provided matching funds for cities installing rail projects, a fantastic way to encourage the use of public transport and reduce gas and oil use. His wife, Lady Bird Johnson, was also an outspoken advocate for preservation.
3. Woodrow Wilson: Although Wilson’s legacy is largely devoted to the League of Nations, he also laid the groundwork for future presidents to stand up for the environmeny by signing some important laws. He created the National Park Service with 1916’s National Park Service Organic Act, which was made to preserve nature for future generations and provide for its enjoyment by everyone. Additionally, he worked on anti-trust laws that set the stage for environmental corporate regulation.
4. Jimmy Carter: Taking the presidential reins in a particularly dark time in U.S. history, Jimmy Carter still did his best to champion environmental responsibility. He created the Department of Energy with the goal of conserving energy consumption and addressing the energy crisis, and he made a public address calling on Americans to be responsible energy consumers. He also signed the Soil and Water Conservation Act, designed to prepare plans for conservation on private lands, and the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act, which regulates coal mining with an eye on environmental impact. He also signed laws dealing with conservation of Antarctic lands and American wilderness, protecting 100 million acres in Alaska.
5. Richard Nixon: This sounds counterintuitive, I know, and it’s not as if Richard Nixon was completely on the side of the environment: he dropped enough bombs on North Vietnam to pave it with steel half an inch thick or more. Yet he signed a number of domestic laws that promised safety for the planet. The National Environmental Policy Act required government agencies to evaluate their environmental impact; the Clean Air Act of 1970 called on the Environmental Protection Agency (which Nixon had also created) to enforce regulations to protect people from air pollution and toxins; and the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, which targeted water pollution.

The Worst

6. Warren G. Harding: Harding took office in 1921 after one of the biggest landslides in history, yet is often remembered as one of the worst presidents for his corrupt Cabinet and appointees. The most infamous of these scandals remains Teapot Dome, in which oil fields on public land were leased to private companies for kickbacks. This is pretty much the opposite of the transparent behavior most voters like in a president, to say nothing of the scary lack of oversight drilling for oil.
7. Ulysses S. Grant: Another president saddled with a corrupt administration, Ulysses S. Grant has a mixed environmental record. On one hand, he created Yellowstone National Park, one of the country’s most beloved outdoor areas. However, he also oversaw the General Mining Act of 1872, which set the stage for major mining operations on public lands, none of which were kind to the environment. He was also president during an era when more and more corporations began telling consumers less about the potentially damaging effects their companies and factories had on the planet, a battle we’re still fighting today.
8. Dwight Eisenhower: Eisenhower’s environmental record is one made up of missed opportunities more than outright destruction. It was his administration that oversaw the construction of the national highway system, and as a result, lobbies for automotive and oil companies grew stronger while mass-transit supporters grew weaker. The highways were meant to encourage growth and development, but they wound up reinforcing America’s car culture and strengthening its dependence on oil.
9. Ronald Reagan: Anyone who says things like “Trees cause more pollution than automobiles do” is probably not going to the staunchest environmentalist. Reagan did good things in office, but saving the planet wasn’t one of them. His appointees worked to reduce the effectiveness of the Clean Air and Clean Water acts, as well as roll back requirements for fuel efficiency established under Jimmy Carter. In another symbolic dig at Carter, Reagan removed the solar panels that had been installed on the White House and never replaced them. He cut EPA budgets and their enforcement program, to boot. Definitely not remembered as a pal to the green cause.
10. George W. Bush: George W. Bush was, to say the least, a polarizing figure. But though his foreign policies tend to generate the most heated exchanges, his environmental work is pretty lacking, as well. He backed out of supporting the Kyoto Protocol, which would have required stricter adherence to emissions limits, and his administration also discounted the link between human activity and global warming. He also upset some by supporting propositions to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Yet he also proposed the Clean Skies Act to curtail air pollution. His time in office was contentious, marked by small gains and major concessions.