Roscommon/Crawford Chapter
Biden Plan for Fixing Climate Change
Now that we have fired the old President, we can expect the
incoming Biden/Harris Administration to take immediate and aggressive action in
fixing climate change, unlike the former administration whose work on climate
reminds of those sailors who re-arranged the deck chairs on the Titanic.
Here is a summary of the Biden action plan for fixing
climate change.
John Kerry has been named as special envoy for climate
protection and a standing member of the U.S. National Security Council,
responsible for global climate leadership as the United States resumes its
former role encouraging world-wide
cooperation in reducing air pollution. It is expected that Biden will name
other men and women to additional climate leadership jobs in his
Administration.
Stated goals of the new Administration are the following as
indicated in the published Biden plan:
1. Ensure
the U.S. achieves a 100% clean energy economy and reaches net-zero emissions no
later than 2050 by implementing sound policies, investments, and appropriate
research programs that will drive the nation toward cleaner air.
2. Build a
stronger, more resilient nation by making smart infrastructure investments
to rebuild the nation, ensuring that our buildings, water, transportation, and
energy infrastructure can withstand the impacts of climate change. Assure that every dollar spent toward
rebuilding our roads, bridges, buildings, the electric grid, and our water
infrastructure will be used to prevent, reduce, and withstand a changing
climate.
3. Rally the
rest of the world to meet the threat of climate change. Climate change is a
global challenge that requires decisive action from every country around the
world.
4. Stand up
to the abuse of power by polluters who disproportionately harm communities of
color and low-income communities by taking action against fossil fuel
companies and other polluters who put profit over people and knowingly harm our
environment and poison our communities’ air, land, and water, or conceal
information regarding potential environmental and health risks.
5. Making a
historic investment in our clean energy future and environmental justice,
paid for by rolling back the Trump tax incentives that enrich corporations at
the expense of American jobs and the environment. Biden’s climate and
environmental justice proposal will make a federal investment of $1.7 trillion
over the next ten years, leveraging additional private sector and state and
local investments to total to more than $5 trillion.
Here are some of the detailed changes that are being
planned:
• Requiring
aggressive methane pollution limits for new and existing oil and gas
operations.
• Using the
Federal government procurement system – which spends $500 billion every year –
to drive towards 100% clean energy and zero-emissions vehicles.
• Ensuring
that all U.S. government installations, buildings, and facilities are more
efficient and climate-ready, harnessing the purchasing power and supply chains
to drive innovation.
• Reducing
greenhouse gas emissions from transportation – the fastest growing source of
U.S. climate pollution – by preserving and implementing the existing Clean Air
Act, and developing rigorous new fuel economy standards aimed at ensuring 100%
of new sales for light- and medium-duty vehicles will be electrified and annual
improvements for heavy duty vehicles.
• Doubling
down on the liquid fuels of the future, which make agriculture a key part of
the solution to climate change. Advanced biofuels are now closer than ever as
we begin to build the first plants for biofuels, creating jobs and new
solutions to reduce emissions in planes, ocean-going vessels, and more.
• Saving
consumers money and reducing emissions through new, aggressive appliance- and
building-efficiency standards.
• Committing
that every federal infrastructure investment should reduce air pollution and
require any federal permitting decision to consider the effects of greenhouse
gas emissions and climate change.
• Requiring
public companies to disclose climate risks and the greenhouse gas emissions in
their operations and supply chains.
• Protecting
biodiversity, slowing extinction rates and helping leverage natural climate
solutions by conserving 30% of America’s lands and waters by 2030.
• Protecting
America’s natural treasures by permanently protecting the Arctic National
Wildlife Refuge and other areas impacted by President Trump’s attack on federal
lands and waters, establishing national parks and monuments that reflect
America’s natural heritage, banning new oil and gas permitting on public lands
and waters, modifying royalties to account for climate costs, and establishing
targeted programs to enhance reforestation and develop renewables on federal
lands and waters with the goal of doubling offshore wind by 2030.
Fixing the climate change problem is one of four top
priorities for the Biden/Harris administration. It seems to me that we are in
for an exciting ride over the next four years as our new President and his
Administration begins work on the plans they have laid out. We can also look
forward to clean air improvements at the state level as the federal programs
begin to bear fruit and the government dispenses appropriate funding.
Now we need to develop local programs that we can implement
for fixing climate change to further and enhance the efforts of state and
federal programs. Are we ready? What shall we do as a first priority?
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