With its references to raging storms, icy currents and gathering clouds, the weather featured heavily in Barack Obama’s first inaugural address. He even promised to do something about it – “to roll back the spectre of global warming”. And he tried. Of his three big first-term reforms, including healthcare and Wall Street, only cap and trade failed. It still damaged his party in the midterm elections. Realists say it would be suicidal to try it again. But inaugurations are meant to lift our gaze to the horizons. Overhauling immigration and curbing gun violence are worthy goals. But neither compares to the health of the planet.
在巴拉克•奥巴马(Barack Obama)首次上任的就职演说中，天气占据了不少分量——疾风暴雨、冰冷寒流和浓云密布均有提及。他甚至承诺着手解决气候问题——“击退manbetx app苹果 变暖的幽灵”。他也努力了。在他第一个任期的三大改革中，医疗改革和金融业改革均取得成就，只有碳排放限量与交易计划(cap and trade)失败。但这仍然让民主党在中期选举中折戟。现实主义者认为，重启应对气候变化行动将是自寻死路。然而，就职典礼的意义正在于让人们放眼未来。改革移民制度和限制枪支暴力固然是值得追求的目标，但二者均不及地球的健康重要。