#9: Jimmy Carter

Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States, was a man ahead of his time when it came to the environment. In the late 1970s, amid an energy crisis and long before climate change became a global concern, he passionately advocated for a shift away from fossil fuels. Carter believed in renewable energy sources and even installed solar panels on the White House roof.

At the time, the nation was heavily dependent on oil, and many saw his push for energy conservation and alternative fuels as impractical and unwise. Despite his best efforts, Carter’s initiatives often fell on deaf ears, and his solar panels were removed during the Reagan era. In retrospect, his early environmental warnings now seem remarkably on point.