Headline in the New York Times from yesterday:
Biden Plans to Move Fast With a ‘Climate Administration.’ Here’s How.https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/17/climate/biden-climate-change.htmlIt appears that climate change will be a primary theme not just for his administration, but even for cabinet appointments throughout the system, including departments not traditionally seen as being areas for climate change emphasis. In fact, a key question for consideration of appointments is: “is the person climate-ambitious?” This will be font-and-center in his administration: "one of Mr. Biden’s early executive orders is expected to require that every federal agency, department and program prepare to address climate change."
Besides rolling back and reversing Trump's executive actions (which will happen, I'm sure, on a massive scale), a lot of new governmental regulation will be coming down the pike. Biden's views and vision, though, are at odds with many Republicans:
Republicans insist they want bipartisan climate legislation, not a return to executive action, but their visions of capturing carbon from coal-fired power plants and expanding nuclear energy do not align with Mr. Biden’s promise to phase out fossil fuel-powered electricity and move to solar, wind and other renewable fuel sources.
“There are ways we can protect our environment without punishing our economy. Free market innovation, not government taxation or heavy-handed regulations, is the best way to deal with climate change,” said Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming, who is expected to take the helm of the Senate Energy Committee.Given the narrow majority of the House going into next year, and the possibility of a Senate still in Republican hands, it will be interesting to see if the Biden administration will largely govern via executive order, essentially bi-passing congress where they feel they can't secure legislation favorable to their plans. That would be unfortunate. Government by executive order erodes the legislative process upon which our system is built.
Although Biden walked back talk of eliminating fracking and fossil fuels as he was seeking votes from areas like Pennsylvania, it appears that the stump-talk of the election will now transition into policies he really intended all along. Tough, new regulations and a revitalized EPA will ensure that any fuel production coming from oil and gas will be targeted by regulation with the goal of eventual elimination, probably on an much more accelerated timeline than we may have been led to believe during the election.
We can't predict the ultimate impact of this on the economy or jobs, but it does raise concerns from some. The economy at the moment is fragile, especially with waves of new shutdowns in the wake of rising COVID cases. The entertainment and hospitality industry will take the largest hits here, but impact in any area of the economy has a ripple effect throughout the system. Much of what we do is interconnected. If the economy doesn't bounce back in the next two years, and if additional regulations stymie that needed growth, mid-term elections could reflect anxiety and frustration in the voting populations.
I think many of us would agree that we want a cleaner environment to hand down to our children. As one who works part time in fire fighting I know firsthand the effects of pollutants and their effect on the body. Fire fighters have some of the highest cancer rates in the nation. But I also know that other realities exist that must be addressed, including the livelihood of millions of Americans depending on jobs and industries that we cannot afford to rapidly lose.
I hope that Biden will choose again to put unity at the top of his list as he goes forward with these ambitious environmental goals. If he rules primarily by executive order that will not build trust or encourage cooperation from the other side.
