Former president Jimmy Carter was ahead of his time as climate trailblazer
His policies may have ruffled a few feathers while in office, but Jimmy Carter's unwavering dedication to the environment for his entire life was something even his legislative foes couldn't question.
Jimmy Carter wore many hats in his life, from navy lieutenant to U.S. president and humanitarian, but perhaps the cap he donned most proudly was his environmental advocacy.
The 100-year-old, former U.S. president, who had a long list of accomplishments before, during and after his one-term tenure in the White House (1977-1981), died peacefully in his home in Plains, Ga., on Sunday afternoon, surrounded by his family. Carter, the longest-lived president in U.S. history, had been in hospice care since February 2023.
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“My father was a hero, not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights, and unselfish love,” said Chip Carter, his son, in a news release. “My brothers, sister and I shared him with the rest of the world through these common beliefs. The world is our family because of the way he brought people together, and we thank you for honouring his memory by continuing to live these shared beliefs.”
Carter's passing occurred a little more than a year after the death of his wife and former first lady, Rosalynn, on Nov. 19, 2023. The Carters were married for close to 80 years.
The source of his love affair with the natural world can be traced back to his childhood roots growing up on his family's Georgia farm, not far from Plains, and in nearby creeks.
“My thoughts on conservation are grounded in a lifelong love of the natural wonders of Georgia and our responsibility to pass on the land, water, and forests in a better condition than we inherited them,” Carter wrote in his acceptance of the Georgia Conservancy’s Distinguished Conservationist Award on Nov. 7, 2019, at ecoBenefête.
(National Archives)
Carter's affinity for the environment blossomed as an adult with the lending of his support to the launch of the Georgia Conservancy as a founding member in 1967.
“Growing up on a farm, I understood the protection of the Earth was the individuals’ responsibility, and that we must carefully manage and enhance nature rather than degrade it. I am proud to have had the opportunity to share these ideals with the Georgia Conservancy," said Carter. "Their leadership in environmental preservation, protection, and policy enactment was helpful to me as state senator, governor of Georgia, and then president of the United States.”
Energy crisis helped define Carter's legacy
Carter aided the creation of the U.S. Department of Energy in 1977 at a time when the U.S. was faced with an energy crisis.
Energy prices and production were shaky throughout the 1970s, but the Iranian revolution in 1979 was a flashpoint for upheaval in global oil markets, leading to a major decrease in production and resulting jump in cost, according to Reuters.
The then-president responded by pledging to decrease reliance on foreign oil imports and focus on improving energy efficiency, but public confidence was irreparably shaken.
Carter installed 32 solar panels on the White House roof in 1979 in a national push for renewable energy. Used to heat water in the White House while Carter was president, the panels were then removed by Ronald Reagan in 1986 during roof repairs and moved to storage instead of being reinstalled.
To encourage Americans to make the switch solar energy, Carter proposed giving tax credits up to $2,000 for panels used to heat water in their homes. The Georgia-born politician also called for renewable energy to comprise 20 per cent of the country’s power usage by 2000, but it only accounted for just seven per cent of it that year, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
His plan was an attempt to deter America’s reliance on foreign oil after the 1973 oil embargo, but it ultimately failed to get Congress’ seal of approval, leading to the energy setback in the summer of 1979. The crisis was marked by long lines at gas stations, putting a significant damper on his approval ratings and hurting his bid for a second term in office.
While the 39th U.S. president was a solar-power advocate, Carter also promoted coal as an answer to the country's reliance on foreign oil. According to BNN Bloomberg, he referred to coal as “the most formidable weapon in our defence arsenal” in a 1978 speech.
Just before Carter departed the office, his administration released a report on global warming that recommended countries should limit temperature increases to 2°C above pre-industrial levels. This goal was eventually adopted, 35 years after the report, in the Paris Agreement.
He then continued to be a champion of renewable energy in recent years, leasing his 10-acre (4.04-hectare) farmland as a solar farm.
Among some of Carter's other contributions include the addition of 400,000 acres (161,874.25 hectares) of the West to the National Wilderness Preservation System, a designation that protects them from human development. The Democrat also signed the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act in 1980, protecting 157 million acres of land in Alaska.
“Future generations of conservation leaders must remember that we are stewards of a precious gift, which is not an unpleasant duty but rather an exciting challenge,” said Carter. “We must safeguard our land so that our children and grandchildren can enjoy fresh water, clean air, scenic mountains and coasts, fertile agricultural lands, and healthy, safe places to live and thrive.”
Carter was one of our 'greatest environmental presidents'
In a 2023 interview with The Weather Network, author Jonathan Alter, who wrote His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, a Life, called him one of the "greatest environmental presidents," perhaps only rivalled by Theodore Roosevelt.
"He saw us as God's stewards of the Earth," Alter said. "He was an outdoorsman from the time he was very young. As soon as he got the chance, as an adult [and] before he was even in politics, he became a land-use planner. He did that with an eye toward the environment."
He said Carter's passion stemmed from a "deep love, not just of nature, but of the land."
"He does deserve to be reappraised, reassessed and appreciated for being not just a great environmental president, but a far-sighted president in many different areas," said Alter. "If he had been re-elected in 1980, and not had to leave office in early 1981, we would be in a very different place now."
National parks created during his presidency
Under Carter's watch while in the Oval Office, there were at least 11 national parks created.
He also more than doubled the size of the National Park Service during his tenure.
In addition to his environmental achievements, Carter was admired for his volunteerism with Habitat for Humanity. He was also recognized for his tireless efforts to resolve international conflicts, advance democracy and human rights, and promote economic and social development. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.
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Additional files from Dennis Mersereau, a digital journalist at The Weather Network, Rachel Maclean, a former social media producer at The Weather Network, and Reuters.
Thumbnail: (National Archives).
