President Biden’s Commitment to Solve the Climate Crisis

One week into Biden’s presidency and he has wasted no time in getting to work on a myriad of issues, most notably climate change. After watching his predecessor roll back Obama-era climate change policies, including America’s 2020 exit from the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. Biden signed an executive order on January 20, 2021 re-entering America into the Paris Climate Agreement. The Paris Agreement was “a historic commitment, among nearly 200 nations, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to stave off the worst effects of climate change.” 

Aside from rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement, Biden’s crusade to combat climate change has included an “immediate review of harmful rollbacks of standards that protect our air, water, and communities.” This multi-prong approach through a series of executive actions and rollbacks shows a commitment to tackle the climate crisis and gives environmentalists hope. 

Climate change poses an existential threat to the world, not only our environment but our health, national security, and our economic well-being. Last year, 2020, tied with 2016 as the hottest year on record and aside from the pandemic, the world faced soaring temperatures, enormous hurricanes and unprecedented wildfires. As a result, the Earth is about 2 degrees Fahrenheit warmer today than it was in the mid-20th century, and scientists are warning of the potential catastrophic effects of climate change if we don’t act soon.  

To solve this, Biden has unveiled his plan to address climate change, signaling an aggressive shift to clean energy, carbon neutrality by the middle of the century, and massive federal investment to drive these changes. 

In a press conference on January 27th, Biden underscored the need for “a unified response to the climate crisis and stressed the U.S. must be the leader in the global response.” This is a stark contrast to Trump, who spent four years in office rolling back and crippling over 125 environmental regulations. From opening wildlife reserves for oil drilling and logging purposes to the construction of the Keystone Pipeline XL oil pipeline and Alaska’s pebble mine. 

Currently, America is the second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, and in order to reduce our emissions, Biden wants the United States to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. Biden’s ultimate vision is for the United States to have a 100% clean energy economy. In order to achieve the clean energy economy, America must be committed to making breakthroughs in clean-energy technologies such as solar, wind and batteries. This commitment would create more jobs for American workers, and job creation is an issue both parties can agree on. 

The tide is changing in the White House, and Biden has prioritized climate change with the sense of urgency it demands. The best way to meet these demands is with a little help from his friends in Congress. The eco-right voters will gauge Biden’s success on tackling the climate crisis on his ability to achieve bipartisan action.

Biden’s ambitious climate solutions begin at home with American workers and businesses leading the way to a clean energy revolution. For the eco-right voter, Biden’s climate action plan is a welcome change from the past four years. Executive actions on climate change send a signal of sincerity, but these alone will not solve the climate crisis. Biden’s executive actions must be followed with climate focused bills and passed with bipartisan support. 

The Trump administration not only ignored the climate crisis, it actively sought to abate key environmental protections while unleashing open season on drilling in wildlife refuges, Biden is a breath of fresh air to those who enjoy living on this planet. 

For the past four years, the climate crisis has found itself in the crosshairs of the previous administration, who denied climate science and refuted evidence of a changing climate. Fortunately for America and the environment, President Biden is proving his commitment to tackling climate change head on. There is no time like the present to solve the climate crisis, and President Biden has made it clear, “it’s time to act.”