It took nearly sixty years for a meaningful climate change bill to run the politicalgauntlet from Capitol Hill to the Oval Office. Why? From mavericks to party standard-bearers, U.S. Senators, members of the House of Representatives, and presidential candidates have campaigned for four decades espousing their intentions to address the impacts of climatechange. Glacial: The Inside Story of Climate Politics is the firstInside-the-Beltway account to lay bare the machinations of what went wrong inWashington-how and why our leaders failed to act on climate change as mountingscientific evidence underscored the urgency to do so. Glacial tells astory of behind-the-scenes infighting and power struggles that blocked orderailed federal legislative progress on climate change, even in times ofbipartisanship and with polls showing most Americans favored action. The good news today is that public opinion is at its highest level of support for climate action, from corporate boardrooms embracing sustainability for business reasons to movements led by passionate younger generations who can't afford to stand mute because it is they who will inherit the worst environmental catastrophes. If the missed opportunities in Washingtonare instructive, the path to doing so is clear. Our elected officials must use their offices not solely for the power and prestige it bestows upon them personally, but for the public good-and they must do so while there is still time.