‘The White House Effect’ (2025) Netflix Review - Well-Assembled, Well-Presented

The White House Effect, a documentary directed by Bonni Cohen, Pedro Kos, and Jon Shenk, gets its title from this statement George H.W. Bush made during his 1988 campaign: "Those who think we are powerless to do anything about the greenhouse effect are forgetting about the White House effect." It's a well-assembled, well-presented piece of educational content that should be watched by everyone on this planet. My forceful assertion stems from my strong belief in what this documentary stands for — I agree with its warnings and its message. The essence of The White House Effect can be summed up in one sentiment: humans are driven by greed and ignorance. While that might seem obvious, Cohen, Kos, and Shenk dig deeper to explore how so many people came to embrace the notion that "global warming is a scam."

The documentary, at first, takes us through the late 70s and 80s to highlight that the public wasn't always too ignorant about climate change. The words "greenhouse effect" were on the lips of journalists, scientists, politicians, and ordinary citizens. People demanded firm action from the government, and for a while, it seemed as if the US government was listening to its people and making plans to combat the climate crisis. But then the Bush administration came into power, giving rise to hollow promises and insufficient executions. William K. Reilly, who served as the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency under President George H. W. Bush, was the only sane voice in the government. He, however, was constantly undermined by Chief of Staff John Sununu and budget and energy advisers. If Sununu compelled Bush to steer towards avoiding binding emissions limits, the coal industry bribed the media to spread the propaganda that global warming is a hoax and that humans are not harming the environment. Of course, they succeeded. A woman says on the news that global warming is an issue that has been falsely spread by the "commie liberals."

For skeptics like that woman, The White House Effect presents a "before and after" image of snowy regions to prove what harm global warming has done to our planet. It also displays charts and graphs depicting the increase in CO2 emissions. Near the end of the documentary, we see a clip where Reilly expresses regret that he wasn't able to achieve most of his objectives. The White House Effect unfolds with a similar mournful tone — a tone filled with both anger and regret (under the Trump administration, the US has once again exited the Paris Agreement, putting Earth in greater danger). Almost every year nowadays is recorded as having the warmest temperature on record, and this fact becomes a cruel joke in The White House Effect. Cohen, Kos, and Shenk, then, use their film to rally the public to pressure the government into making the right decisions. After all, one cannot expect Bushes and Trumps to bring about real positive changes. So either wake up and ensure the use of fossil fuels is sharply curtailed, or adapt yourself to a warmer planet. 

Final Score- [8/10]
Reviewed by - Vikas Yadav
Follow @vikasonorous on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times