Experts say election brings new risks to Earth Day

This fall’s elections have important implications for America’s role in the fight against climate change.

The two White House candidates, Joe Biden and Donald Trump, are worlds apart when it comes to global warming, and as Earth Day arrives on Monday, climate advocates are warning that a second Trump administration could have consequences terrible for the planet.

“The difference between these two presidencies could not be more stark,” said Pete Maysmith, senior vice president of campaigns for the League of Conservation Voters, which supported Biden.

“Continue to make progress and address the climate crisis,” Maysmith said, rather than “unravel progress.”

The USA is currently the second country with the most emissions in the world, behind only China, which makes its policies essential to limit them.

Human activity has been driving planetary warming since the industrial revolution – when many national economies became largely coal-based. Since then, Earth’s average surface temperature has increased by about 2 degrees Fahrenheit.

This warming has led to an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather conditions, including floods and droughts, as well as heat waves. These extremes are expected to worsen if the planet continues to get warmer, especially if major “tipping points” are reached that alter the system and are difficult to reverse – such as the melting of the Greenland ice sheet and Arctic permafrost. .

Under President Biden, the US has implemented policies that are expected to reduce emissions, including the Reducing Inflation Act, which could reduce US carbon emissions by 35% to 43% below 2005 levels by 2030, according to a government projection.

The Biden administration has also pursued regulations aimed at combating climate change, requiring a shift to greener vehicles and proposing to make power plants reduce their emissions.

A second Trump administration will likely try to undo or roll back many of these climate rules, after former President Trump rolled back more than 125 environmental policies during his four years in office, according to one study. Washington Post Analysis.

Spokespeople for the Trump campaign did not respond to The Hill’s request for comment. But plans posted on his campaign website indicate that the former president intends to roll back Biden’s regulations on fuel-efficient appliances and climate-friendly vehicles, as well as measures to limit fossil fuel production and subsidize wind energy.
Generally, Trump’s allies have cited the economy and limited government reach as justification for such actions.

But critics note that they also harm the planet – and contribute to climate-related disasters.

Steve Cohen, a public affairs professor at Columbia University, said a second Trump presidency would be “devastating” in terms of climate policy, describing the former president as someone who “doesn’t think electric vehicles are a good idea, spreads disinformation about windmills, and is aggressively anti-science when it comes to climate change.”

Cohen particularly raised concerns about the ability of federal agencies to enforce laws and retain employees, and the potential for the appointment of anti-regulatory judges.

“Four more years of this could make this permanent, where now the institutions have managed to recover after four years. I’m not sure it would happen again,” he said.

Meanwhile, a Biden presidency would likely maintain at least the country’s current trajectory.

In a statement to The Hill, Biden’s campaign highlighted the president’s commitment to the issue and his contrast with Trump, but did not give specific policy goals for a second Biden term.

“Joe Biden is the only candidate in this race taking action to combat the existential threat of climate change,” said spokesman Seth Schuster.

“It is reducing pollution, lowering energy costs for working families and creating tens of thousands of good-paying jobs across the country,” Schuster added. “Meanwhile, Donald Trump calls climate change a ‘hoax’ and promises to take a sledgehammer to that progress – threatening our planet and the future of young Americans.”

And there are some actions that the Biden administration may not be able to take during its first term that may depend on a second. One example is the regulation of existing gas-fired power plants, which will be removed from a future power plant rule, as the administration has decided to draft an entirely new rule instead.

Maysmith, of the League of Conservation Voters, said the current administration is “meeting the urgency of the moment” but emphasized that there is more to be done in a second term, including “further protecting our iconic public lands, further reducing emissions , increase more with renewable energy and clean energy.”

Progressive advocates say that while Biden has made major climate gains, he also needs to do more. Groups including the Sunrise Movement have called on the president to declare a climate emergency and not approve additional fossil fuel infrastructure, as well as expressing frustration with the president over non-climate issues such as the war in Gaza.

“There are a lot of young people who would say ‘look, I’m going to vote for him this November, but I don’t know if I can get there in front of my colleagues, in front of my neighbors and friends and really pressure them to vote too”, said the door. -Sunrise voice Stevie O’Hanlon.