The last time French-American relations made major news, France was refusing to support President George W. Bush’s invasion of Iraq. More than a decade later, relations have warmed considerably.

The change couldn’t have come soon enough.

Last week, French President Francois Hollande and U.S. President Barack Obama published an editorial in The Washington Post and Le Monde, a French newspaper.  The article covered issues such as economic policy and global conflicts, but the most groundbreaking topic was climate control.

For the first time in far too long, two of the world’s best examples for climate control are speaking as one. In their joint article, Obama and Hollande issued a call to the rest of the world to start caring more about climate change.

The leaders firmly established their standards for the climate change agenda for the first time in recent history.  Such a united front presented by these two nations is an overwhelmingly positive step in the right direction.

After mentioning next year’s global climate conference taking place in Paris, the presidents implored their fellow nations to “join us in pursuit of an ambitious and inclusive global agreement that reduces greenhouse gas emissions through concrete actions.”

Specifically, Hollande and Obama discussed how, in addition to reducing their own countries’ carbon emissions, much more can be done to improve in the field of climate change prevention.

This directive, if fulfilled, would be an enormous boom for the forces fighting climate change. This issue is frequently swept under the rug in political circles.  For the first time, the United States and France aren’t standing for it.

The two presidents suggested helping developing nations to establish their own climate control regulations and join the shift toward low-carbon growth. This shift would be accompanied by efforts to prepare these nations to deal with rising seas and intense storms. If France and the United States can succeed in achieving these kinds of goals, the ensuing global effect would be resounding.

It seems like both presidents are looking to kill two birds with one stone by declaring their climate change initiatives as planet savers, as well as job creators.  The economic benefits of these initiatives should help to garner support among the public that the ideas may not otherwise have gotten.

The presidents also urged the rest of the world to help by reducing greenhouse emissions on a global scale. This kind of call to action borders is unprecedented in reference to climate change. At long last, two of the world’s most important nations are overtly challenging the status quo.

There are references in the article to the expansion of clean-energy partnerships. This action alone would indicate a shift in priorities and a refocused dedication to handling climate change.

As major political powers, France and the United States command a sphere of influence large enough to spark immense ideological shifts. Should the rest of the world follow their lead and focus more on climate control, we could very well see a remarkable influx of clean-energy policies worldwide.

While the countries have had their differences in the past, what France and the United States are trying to do is take steps toward a cleaner planet. In an age when it’s easy to disregard climate change, these two nations have united to take a stand and face a threat that’s very real to every nation. Hopefully, other international leaders will mirror these steps and we will finally begin the journey to a healthier planet.

Chris Piemonte is a senior political philosophy major. He can be reached at [email protected].

Published on February 18, 2014 at 1:51 am