U.S. President Joe Biden came into office with more aggressive plans to fight what he called the “Existential threat” of climate change than any of his predecessors.
Candidate Biden may have called climate change “The No. 1 issue facing humanity,” but President Biden has focused more visibly on the immediate challenge of sky-high gasoline prices as Russia’s war in Ukraine drives worldwide energy inflation.
White House national climate adviser Gina McCarthy acknowledged on April 21 that Europe’s current energy needs had taken precedence over climate goals in the short term.
A few months into 2021, it looked likely that Biden would disrupt U.S. climate policy beyond what any prior president had achieved.
A week later he signed directives that suspended new oil and gas leasing on public lands, created a new climate envoy position and domestic climate policy office in the White House and instructed federal agencies to identify and eliminate fossil fuel subsidies they provided.
“I’d say Biden’s climate legacy is a tragic disappointment,” says Kassie Siegel, director of the Center for Biological Diversity’s Climate Law Institute.
The most aggressive among environmental groups and Democrats would like to see Biden declare a climate emergency that would unlock additional executive powers to shut down crude oil exports, suspend offshore drilling and redirect funding towards clean-energy projects.
Discover more from News Facts Network
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
