Protesters are seen during a demonstration in front of the White House in Washington, DC on June 1, 2017. Paul J. Richards / AFP / Getty Images
By Brett Wilkins
While some mainstream environmental organizations welcomed Tuesday's introduction of the CLEAN Future Act in the House of Representatives, progressive green groups warned that the bill falls far short of what's needed to meaningfully tackle the climate crisis—an existential threat they say calls for bolder action like the Green New Deal.
<p>The latest version of the CLEAN Future Act—which aims to achieve U.S. carbon neutrality by the year 2050 —was introduced by Democratic Reps. Frank Pallone (N.J.), Bobby Rush (Ill.), and Paul Tonko (N.Y.). The bill sets an interim target of reducing pollution by 50% from 2005 levels no later than 2030.</p><p>In a <a href="https://energycommerce.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/ec-leaders-introduce-the-clean-future-act-comprehensive-legislation-to" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">statement</a>, Pallone, who is chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said that "the climate crisis is one of the greatest challenges of our lifetime, but it also presents one of the greatest opportunities to empower American workers with new, good paying jobs and return our economy to a position of strength after a long, dark year of historic job losses and pain." </p><p>"Today's introduction of the CLEAN Future Act promises that we will not stand idly by as the rest of the world transitions to clean economies and our workers get left behind," added Pallone, "and that we will not watch from the sidelines as the climate crisis wreaks havoc on Americans' health and homes." </p><p>But while numerous people hailed the bill—with Earthjustice offering "applause" and NRDC calling it "urgently needed"—more critical voices from groups like Friends of the Earth and Food & Water Watch said the legislation is fundamentally and dangerously lacking.</p>
<div id="25965" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6116a1c2b1b913ad51c3ea576f2e196c"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1366827205427425289" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">BREAKING: Rep @FrankPallone just released his CLEAN Future Act — which he claims to be an ambitious bill to combat… https://t.co/M7nR0es196</div> — Friends of the Earth (Action) (@Friends of the Earth (Action))<a href="https://twitter.com/foe_us/statuses/1366827205427425289">1614711974.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>Lukas Ross, program manager at Friends of the Earth, called the bill's introduction "a monumental failure of climate leadership."</p><p>"Chairman Pallone had over a year to remove fossil fuels from the CLEAN Future Act and didn't bother to reconsider," Ross said in a <a href="https://foe.org/news/pallones-clean-future-still-a-fracking-mess/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">statement</a>, referring to the bill's <a href="https://energycommerce.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/ec-leaders-release-draft-clean-future-act-legislative-text-to-achieve-a-100" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">previous iteration</a>. "A clean energy standard that qualifies fracked gas is a joke. We need real solutions like solar and storage, not a dirty lifeline for gas, nukes, and biomass."</p><p>Brett Hartl, government affairs director at the Center for Biological Diversity, <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/541228-house-democrats-reintroduce-roadmap-to-carbon-neutrality-by-2050" target="_blank">told</a> <em>The Hill</em> that while the new bill "improves on last year's abysmal proposal," the nation must "slash emissions 70% in 10 years, and we need firm cuts in greenhouse gases right now, not just gimmicky incentives, or future generations will suffer from our inaction today."</p>
<div id="189f0" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="aa31bacec80d88b49730e8591de5d26d"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1366863402912657416" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">The CLEAN Future Act "fails to grasp the fundamental truth of fighting climate change: We must stop extracting and… https://t.co/yREn6Qx9tn</div> — Food & Water Watch (@Food & Water Watch)<a href="https://twitter.com/foodandwater/statuses/1366863402912657416">1614720605.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>Mitch Jones, policy director at Food & Water Watch, said in a <a href="https://foodandwaterwatch.org/news/dems-climate-bill-falls-short" target="_blank">statement</a> that "Democrats should be making a big, bold push on climate—and the CLEAN Future Act is simply not strong enough." Jones continued:</p><blockquote>The bill's clean energy standard includes provisions that essentially greenwash dirty energy sources—including rebranding fracked gas as 'clean' by pairing it with unproven, non-existent carbon capture methods. It also relies on a dubious emissions trading scheme to achieve its goals, which serves fossil fuel industry interests while pretending to curb climate pollution. The bill also promotes factory farm biogas as a clean energy source.<br></blockquote><p>"While this bill has been marginally improved, it fails to grasp the fundamental truth of fighting climate change: We must stop extracting and burning fossil fuels as soon as possible," stressed Jones. "We should not waste time creating credit schemes and offsets markets, or prop up fossil fuels with carbon capture fantasies."</p><p>"A bold climate plan must call for a ban on fracking and all new fossil fuel infrastructure," he added, "and a swift and just transition to 100% clean, renewable energy across all sectors of the economy. The CLEAN Future Act may have been revised since last year, but it's still a Green New Dud."</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/03/02/green-new-dud-progressives-warn-house-climate-bill-fails-grasp-fundamental-truth" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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EcoWatch Daily Newsletter
Ask a Scientist: What Should the Biden Administration and Congress Do to Address the Climate Crisis?
18 January
Climate
A damaged home and flooding are seen in Creole, Louisiana, following Hurricane Laura's landfall on August 27, 2020. Joe Raedle / Getty Images
By Elliott Negin
What a difference an election makes. Thanks to the Biden-Harris victory in November, the next administration is poised to make a 180-degree turn to again address the climate crisis.
<p>President Trump famously called climate change a "hoax," appointed <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/01/14/climate/fossil-fuel-industry-environmental-policy.html" target="_blank">fossil fuel industry lobbyists</a> to key positions in his administration, rolled back the Obama-era rule that would have curbed power plant carbon emissions, and weakened Obama-era limits on vehicle carbon emissions. Just a day after last fall's election, he pulled the United States out of the international Paris climate agreement.</p><p>By contrast, President-elect Biden has endorsed a $2 trillion climate plan, and pledged to issue at least <a href="https://s2.washingtonpost.com/2da6eed/5fdb55659d2fda0efb8b5293/596c46649bbc0f208657f096/11/67/5fdb55659d2fda0efb8b5293" target="_blank">10 executive orders</a> to protect the climate and rejoin the <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeBiden/status/1340427943051284480" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Paris climate accord</a> on Day One of his administration. He also has appointed an impressive and diverse climate change team to take key administration positions, including New Mexico Rep. Deb Haaland, who co-sponsored the Green New Deal, to run the Interior Department; North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality head Michael Regan to lead the Environmental Protection Agency; former Environmental Protection Agency chief Gina McCarthy as national climate advisor; and former Secretary of State John Kerry, who helped negotiate the Paris climate agreement, to serve as his international climate envoy.</p><p>That's a welcome relief, because the world is running out of time. In 2020 alone, wildfires burned millions of acres in Australia and California to a crisp; heat waves scorched Europe, Asia and the Arctic; floods inundated the U.S. Midwest as well as nations in Africa and Asia; and a record-breaking Atlantic hurricane season battered the coasts of Central America, Caribbean islands and the United States.</p><p>But for all the promises President-elect Biden has made, some nagging questions remain: Given the constraints of a closely divided Congress, how much will the Biden administration truly be able to accomplish? And even with the United States rejoining the Paris accord, will countries live up to its promise to keep the Earth's temperature in check?</p><p>For some answers, I turned to <a href="https://www.ucsusa.org/about/people/rachel-cleetus" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Climate and Energy Program Policy Director Rachel Cleetus</a>, who I last <a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/elliott-negin/what-do-you-see-as-the-most-important-elements-of-a-post-pandemic-economy" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">interviewed in May</a> about what a post-pandemic economy should look like. The questions I posed to her this time around are a logical extension of the conversation we had then.</p>
<p><strong>EN: Before we dig into what we can expect from the incoming Biden administration, let's talk about what Congress included in the pandemic relief package it passed just before Christmas. I don't know about you, but I was pleasantly surprised to learn that it included some good climate-related provisions. Does this suggest that the next Congress will take climate change seriously?</strong></p><p>RC: The omnibus pandemic relief bill Congress just passed was long overdue and desperately needed, given the fact that millions of people are in increasingly dire economic straits. It also included a provision to dramatically reduce the use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), extremely potent heat-trapping gases used in air conditioners and refrigerators; an extension of renewable electricity production and investment tax credits, which will help boost clean energy and create jobs; support for energy storage technology research and development; and increased funding for ARPA-E, the Department of Energy's technology innovation program. The bill also included a one-year extension of the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund, a welcome but inadequate provision as black lung disease hits record levels in coal country.</p><p>The <a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/shana-udvardy/congress-continues-to-affirm-that-climate-security-is-national-security" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">National Defense Authorization Act</a>, which Congress just passed with an overwhelming bipartisan override of President Trump's veto, also includes provisions recognizing the impact of climate change on the military and the need to invest in resilience measures.</p><p>These provisions demonstrate that Congress can act in a bipartisan manner on clean energy and climate change issues. But much more will be needed in the months and years ahead to make steep cuts in global warming emissions and achieve comprehensive, bold and just climate policies that benefit everyone. Congress has yet to demonstrate the will to act commensurately with the scale of the challenges we face, which is why we will need to continue to pressure policymakers to do the right thing after the new Congress and administration take office.</p>
<p><strong>EN: Notwithstanding the fact that leading Republicans supported the climate-related elements of the pandemic relief package, how much will the incoming Biden administration have to rely on executive orders to advance initiatives to combat climate change? After all, the oil and gas industry still has a great deal of influence over Congress.</strong></p><p>RC: President Biden should send a clear and strong signal, early on, that he is committed to using his full powers to advance climate action through executive authorities and regulations. Here are some of the <a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/rachel-cleetus/biden-climate-priorities" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">most important actions on climate</a> that he should take, many of which could be done within the first 100 days and some which should happen via a Day One executive order on climate change:</p><ul><li>Set science-informed climate goals and commit the United States to reaching net-zero carbon emissions economywide no later than 2050, and at least 50 percent below 2005 levels by 2030.</li><li>Direct all federal agencies to incorporate climate science into their actions and develop updated climate action plans.</li><li>Initiate administrative and regulatory actions to sharply curtail heat-trapping emissions economywide and advance climate resilience, prioritizing investments in historically marginalized communities.</li><li>Rejoin the Paris agreement, with an ambitious commitment to cut heat-trapping emissions and provide climate funding for developing countries, in line with the US fair share contribution to global climate goals.</li><li>Reverse the Trump administration's egregious executive orders that have halted, undermined, and reversed climate action.</li><li>Create White House-level offices focused on environmental justice and economic transition to elevate and mainstream these priorities.</li></ul><p>As you note, opposition from the fossil fuel companies is not going away any time soon. They may continue to try to slow down or stop climate action, or at best support incremental policy changes that preserve their profits—even as they <a href="https://ucsusa.org/about/news/exxonmobils-five-year-emissions-reduction-plan-too-lievettle-too-late" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">claim to endorse</a> the Paris agreement's net-zero goal.</p><p>UCS and its coalition partners will continue to engage in sharp and strategic corporate campaigns to expose their disingenuous actions, <a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/kathy-mulvey/bankrolling-climate-disaster-stop-the-money-pipeline-to-fossil-fuel-companies" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">curtail their Wall Street financing</a>, and prod them to align their business models with what the science demonstrates is necessary. We will continue to push for companies to <a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/nicole-pinko/climate-risk-disclosure-act-is-good-for-your-investments" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">disclose their climate risks</a>, and for <a href="https://www.ucsusa.org/about/news/trading-commission-report-sends-clear-signal-climate-change-risks-us-economy-0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">financial regulators</a> to require this. And we support the rights of affected parties to seek legal accountability for climate damages caused by fossil fuel companies.</p>
<p><strong>EN: OK. So what can a narrowly divided Congress accomplish?</strong></p><p>RC: Congress also will have to step up to play its part. We are coming off a year of record-breaking climate related disasters—including wildfires, hurricanes, floods, and heatwaves—which intersected cruelly with the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting ongoing economic crisis. People across the country need Congress to do its job. Securing robust, comprehensive, durable climate and clean energy policy will require legislation.</p><p>President Biden should immediately begin working with the new Congress to advance a suite of policies that ramp up clean energy, drive down carbon emissions economywide, and build climate resilience, while also addressing longstanding environmental injustices that have disproportionately affected low-income communities and communities of color and ensuring a fair transition for coal communities. Breaking through the long-standing political logjam won't be easy, but the needs are urgent and the economic, health and climate benefits of a low-carbon climate-resilient economy are clear.</p><p>Many of these policy priorities were highlighted in the <a href="https://joebiden.com/joes-vision/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Biden-Harris campaign platform</a>. The incoming administration must do all it can to prod Congress to pass legislation addressing them. Here's just a partial list of what we need:</p><p><em><strong>Additional pandemic relief and economic recovery packages</strong></em>. More funding for public health priorities and economic relief is desperately needed at the national, state and local level. Congress should include a robust "green" economic recovery package to jumpstart and foster a just and equitable economic recovery, with job creation driven by investments in clean energy and climate resilient infrastructure. Forty percent of these investments should directly benefit historically marginalized communities.</p><p><em><strong>Fair transition for workers and communities</strong></em>. Congress should pass a comprehensive, well-funded transition package for displaced workers and communities hurt by the country's ongoing transition away from coal.</p><p><em><strong>Environmental justice</strong></em>. Congress should strengthen public health safeguards, tighten enforcement, and invest in cleaning up the cumulative toxic burden of pollution in fence-line and frontline communities, which are disproportionately low-income communities and communities of color.</p><p><em><strong>Recognition of climate change's financial and economic risks</strong></em>. Congress should pass legislation to ensure that financial regulators require corporations to disclose their climate risk to ensure they—and the market more broadly—are appropriately accounting for such risks and taking steps to mitigate it.</p><p><em><strong>Guaranteed community access to the courts</strong></em>. As a mounting number of cities, counties and states seek to hold fossil fuel companies accountable for climate damages and fraud, here's one thing Congress should not do: pass laws attempting to limit or eliminate communities' access to the courts to seek redress.</p>
<p><strong>EN: President-elect Biden recently <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeBiden/status/1340427943051284480" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">proclaimed</a> that he will "put America back in the business of leading the world on climate change." What should that mean in concrete terms? As the country responsible for the largest share of cumulative carbon emissions to date, what does the United States have to do regain international respect and provide leadership?</strong></p><p>RC: To be perfectly frank, the Biden administration will have to do a lot more than trot out tired rhetoric about US leadership on climate action.</p><p>What the country and the rest of the world need is for the United States to take its place at the table, alongside and in cooperation with nations large and small, and do its part responsibly, fairly and consistently. The Biden administration and Congress need to enact strong national climate policies and make an ambitious, credible emissions reduction commitment ahead of the next international climate talks. They also must commit to scaled-up climate finance for developing countries. Finally, they have to work together with states, cities, tribal governments, businesses, and local stakeholders, many of whom have contributed to significant climate progress despite the absence of national leadership in the last four years. It's time—well past time, actually—for meaningful federal action.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from </em><em><a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/elliott-negin/what-should-the-new-administration-and-congress-do-to-address-the-climate-crisis" target="_blank">Union of Concerned Scientists</a>.</em><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/r/entryeditor/2650012800#/" target="_self"></a></p>From Your Site Articles
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Like many other plant-based foods and products, CBD oil is one dietary supplement where "organic" labels are very important to consumers. However, there are little to no regulations within the hemp industry when it comes to deeming a product as organic, which makes it increasingly difficult for shoppers to find the best CBD oil products available on the market.
<p>Here you can learn about the importance of organic hemp oil, why it's better for the environment, and which CBD companies actually make trustworthy products with sustainable farming processes. origins which weigh heavily on many consumers who want to buy a product that's produced in the best way possible for not only themselves to ingest, but for the environment as well through sustainable farming methods. </p><h2>What Is CBD Oil?</h2><p>First things first, CBD stands for cannabidiol, and it's a cannabinoid found within cannabis sativa plants. This plant compound is believed to have many potential benefits, and it is primarily derived from hemp plants via a CO2 extraction process. </p><p>Since CBD is extracted from industrial hemp, which contains only trace amounts of THC (the psychoactive component in cannabis plants), this means that CBD won't make you feel high like marijuana, which has much higher levels of THC that causes psychoactive effects. Instead, the effects of CBD are much more subtle and promote a general sense of calm and relaxation in most users.</p><h2>What Makes a CBD Oil Organic?</h2><p>In terms of organic labels, perhaps the most important (and prominent) certification comes from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This government organization has been labeling foods as "organic" for many years, but what exactly does this certification entail? Essentially, a label indicating that a product is "USDA Organic" or "Certified Organic" means that at least 95% of the ingredients are obtained from organic sources.</p><p>For a crop to be considered organic by the USDA, it must be grown without the use of industrial solvents, irradiation, genetic engineering (GMOs), synthetic pesticides, or chemical fertilizer. Instead, farmers rely on natural substances and <a href="https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2012/03/22/organic-101-what-usda-organic-label-means" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">mechanical, physical, or biologically based farming</a> techniques to cultivate healthy and organic crops.</p><p>Before the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, no hemp-derived products could be dubbed as "certified organic" since the hemp plant and its extracts were still categorized as a Schedule I Controlled Substance. However, it's still difficult for CBD companies to obtain a USDA certified organic label for their products due to the legal grey area that still surrounds CBD extracts. </p><p>Because of these challenges, and due to the fact that industrial hemp has only recently become an agricultural crop, very few CBD oils are USDA certified organic. Rather, many CBD products contain hemp extracts from plants that were grown in organic conditions but may not be federally certified.</p><h2>What are the Best Organic CBD Oil Brands?</h2><p><em>Each product featured here has been independently selected by the writer. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.</em></p><em><br></em>
<h2>Why Organic Hemp Oil Matters</h2><p>Hemp is a unique plant, not only for its rich cannabinoid content, but also for its ability to absorb a wide variety of components in soil. But this trait poses great risks when it comes to the creation of CBD products derived from hemp.</p><p>Because hemp has a high capacity for compound uptake, this means that the plants can retain <a href="https://www.remedyreview.com/industry/lab-test-results/" target="_blank">harmful chemicals like pesticides</a>, heavy metals, and other residual solvents. This is especially true when it comes to synthetic chemicals that are more toxic to humans, and difficult to remove once they have been absorbed by the hemp plant.</p><p>Organic farming practices help reduce the risk of hemp crops absorbing harsh chemicals that may later end up in CBD oil after extraction. When you're taking CBD as a wellness supplement to help alleviate your symptoms or improve your overall well-being, the last thing you want is to ingest compounds that might negatively outweigh the benefits of CBD. This is an important reason to look for third party lab test results when shopping for CBD products since these certificates of analysis can show the full cannabinoid and terpene profile of a hemp extract, as well as test results that search for the presence of any residual solvents.</p><p>In addition to creating a better end product, organic farming practices are also better for the environment. Sustainable and organic farming methods may <a href="https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-eating/organic-foods.htm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reduce pollution, conserve water, reduce soil erosion, increase soil fertility, and use less energy</a>. The use of natural pest deterrents as opposed to chemical pesticides is also better for nearby animal populations and ecosystems.</p><h3>Organic vs. Natural</h3><p>While there are only a select few companies offering certified organic ingredients in their products, almost every brand in the CBD market creates "natural" products. The term "all-natural" or "plant-based" does not mean that a product is organic, and since hemp oil is a natural derivative of hemp plants, these products are often referred to as all-natural. However, there are some synthetic CBD oils that should be avoided because they are chemically constructed and may produce unwanted side effects that are not caused by naturally derived CBD extracts.</p><h2>What are the Benefits of Organic CBD Oil?</h2><p>There's a long list of potential CBD oil health benefits, and some of the most common wellness advantages include:</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2503660/" target="_blank">Chronic pain relief</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4604171/" target="_blank">Anti-anxiety effects</a></li><li>Better sleep</li><li><a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/inner-source/201901/cbd-oil-mental-health-should-you-take-it-too" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Improvements in mood</a></li><li>Internal balance and regulation</li></ul><p>When dealing with pain, inflammation, sleep issues, and mental health struggles, it can be hard to find sufficient treatment options. The use of certain prescriptions can cause unwanted side effects, yet they are often the only solution for patients with these medical conditions. In search of other therapies, people have started to flock towards CBD oil as an alternative remedy for a variety of conditions. However, it should be noted that CBD products are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and you should seek your doctor's advice before using CBD if you have a serious medical condition.</p><h2>Look at the Labels Before You Buy CBD Oil</h2><p>When you go online to buy CBD oil, you'll quickly realize there is an overwhelming number of brands that are saturating the market. It can be difficult to determine which products are truly as good as they make themselves out to be. Always look for up-to-date third-party lab tests so you know you are getting a great product, and don't hesitate to contact the brand if you have any additional questions. And if you're intent on purchasing 100% organic CBD oil, it's best to look for certified products or brands that are held to strict regulatory standards.</p><p><strong>Melena Gurganus </strong>is the Reviews Editor at EcoWatch. She is passionate health and wellness and her writing aims to help others find products they can trust. Her work has been featured in publications such as Health, Shape, Huffington Post, Cannabis Business Times, and Bustle.<br></p>
Spruce
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjI3OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyOTM2NzgzOX0.axY0HjeqRctJsR_KmDLctzDpUBLBN-oNIdqaXDb4caQ/img.jpg?width=980" id="774be" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8379f35b1ca8a86d0e61b7d4bfc8b46e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="spruce organic cbd oil" data-width="710" data-height="959" /><p>As one of the best brands in the business, Spruce CBD is well-known for its potent CBD oils that feature many additional beneficial phytocannabinoids. This brand works with two family-owned, sustainably focused farms in the USA (one located in Kentucky and one in North Carolina) to create its organic, small product batches. The max potency Spruce CBD oil contains 2400mg of full-spectrum CBD extract, but the brand also offers a lower strength tincture with 750mg of CBD in total.</p>
$89
CBDistillery
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDcwMjkzNC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMTU4OTM4Nn0.ypRdeDSBcE87slYrFfVrRwtJ2qGIK6FD5jBB4pndTMo/img.jpg?width=980" id="b473b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9930b53c9d58cb49774640a61c3e3e75" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="cbdistillery cbd oil" data-width="1244" data-height="1244" /><p>All of the products from CBDistillery are <a href="https://ushempauthority.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">U.S. Hemp Authority Certified</a>, and for good reason. The company only uses non-GMO and pesticide-free industrial hemp that's grown organically on Colorado farms. Its hemp oils are some of the most affordable CBD products on the market, yet they still maintain a high standard of quality. CBDistillery has a wide variety of CBD potencies across its product line (ranging from 500mg to 5000mg per bottle) and offers both full-spectrum and broad-spectrum CBD oils to give customers a completely thc-free option.</p>
$35
FAB CBD
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjIyNS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2NDIwOTEyMn0.MlTjz096FJ0ev_-soK7_Z-FeQeJczWoeh9Qi9SSkHsY/img.jpg?width=980" id="04b26" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="76aa4862f44603242e318982acea6646" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="fab cbd oil" data-width="800" data-height="800" /><p>For an organic CBD oil that has it all, FAB CBD offers plenty of variety for any type of consumer. All of its products are made with zero pesticides and extracted from organically grown Colorado industrial hemp. FAB CBD oil comes in five all-natural flavors (mint, vanilla, berry, citrus, and natural) and is also available in four strengths (300, 600, 1200, and 2400mg per bottle).</p>
$39
NuLeaf Naturals
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjIxOS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NzExNTgyMX0.D6qMGYllKTsVhEkQ-L_GzpDHVu60a-tJKcio7M1Ssmc/img.jpg?width=980" id="94e4a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3609a52479675730893a45a82a03c71d" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="nuleaf naturals organic cbd oil" data-width="600" data-height="600" /><p>As an industry-leading brand, it comes as no surprise that NuLeaf Naturals sources its CBD extract from organic hemp plants grown on licensed farms in Colorado. The comany's CBD oils only contain two ingredients: USDA certified organic hemp seed oil and full spectrum hemp extract.</p><p>NuLeaf Naturals uses one proprietary CBD oil formula for all of its products, so you will get the same CBD potency in each tincture (60mg per mL), but can purchase different bottle sizes depending on how much you intend to use.</p>
$38.50
Charlotte's Web
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDcwMjk3NS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MzQ0NjM4N30.SaQ85SK10-MWjN3PwHo2RqpiUBdjhD0IRnHKTqKaU7Q/img.jpg?width=980" id="84700" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a2174067dcc0c4094be25b3472ce08c8" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="charlottes web cbd oil" data-width="1244" data-height="1244" /><p>Perhaps one of the most well-known brands in the CBD landscape, Charlotte's Web has been growing sustainable hemp plants for several years. The company is currently in the process of achieving official USDA Organic Certification, but it already practices organic and sustainable cultivation techniques to enhance the overall health of the soil and the hemp plants themselves, which creates some of the highest quality CBD extracts. Charlotte's Web offers CBD oils in a range of different concentration options, and some even come in a few flavor options such as chocolate mint, orange blossom, and lemon twist.</p>
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Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker speaks during the National Clean Energy Summit 9.0 on October 13, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Isaac Brekken for National Clean Energy Summit / Getty Images
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker vetoed a sweeping climate bill on Thursday that would have put the commonwealth on a path to eliminating carbon emissions by 2050.
<p>Baker's veto sets up a confrontation between the Republican governor and the Democratic supermajority-controlled legislature. </p><p>The bill would have also directed utilities to purchase more offshore wind power, set efficiency standards for appliances, and required that 40% of the state's electricity come from renewable sources by 2030. </p><p>The governor's veto came under pressure from developers, who <a href="https://newsletter.climatenexus.org/e2t/tc/MVpDrsDr2_nW5tp7yY6PlNDNW7zr5cm4lSDP-N5q1hkG5nxHXV3Zsc37CgC5cW35ZyYH5l_jmvDPdT5CZ4RvMzYclFhP0r6W8VmBTR18Tw02V70Tkl1WXxqvW9klPPM1hpRK5W8Lm7kK3LSBLsW2-Xb3Z347p51W26sGbZ3WPNHNW2n72Fk5RscN1Vg0pts3KBfYDN2vWJjd79DkLN3zQLKMf06c3W2ZPLcS4S4dbkVcpLmF7dns2mW49w5lY2_kMwzVXhsYb2dm79xW2FFTf81wXr_KVhw7944bVm1yW4Lgx9W5LwFCHW6MPy0n6RBsRbW7_VbMn7dgjdwW3391n92xjVXfW7CMWVl2_Jh6RW1PnXFL5DbCQRW4w0VYQ1wHdfmW15dh4Q3pSFpyN7XFhCKXWjfJW499LDw3-BPCpW7jSCyC2xfyyKVQBZ5X4YTDHWW4bdXlB41xNhcW6Rb_JW83yBWgW7S1HwX6WPkRwN27kNvfhBlLsVn76pT5_HcMnW3cMLPw1NShl4VWzgBn4jF_nMW1HlWx48w-hxrW61tNFs5bw7swV77qrq3kR5rNW3wKhXt4DlwBmN1ty3Vf7vDyxW7s5V7D8k6Fn33nRy1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">claimed</a> the bill's building efficiency rules would hamper housing development – despite <a href="https://newsletter.climatenexus.org/e2t/tc/MVpDrsDr2_nW5tp7yY6PlNDNW7zr5cm4lSDP-N5q1hkG3p_9LV1-WJV7CgF6gW2GvBy_1GN3tWW6JFBgQ2PS_xFN1Bv0BFsTTkDN2QbSFczr8gWW48fWHL5jL3m4W31ybM654bWRkW7zYW791SsJMPW89fj3W9bksw-W25C8vf3g1WgrW52-lQ4598G7PW5hSLKf8WRyM0W50Nqk01PCLDHW1BbSBc6KycBKW7bgVZb8ylcbbW73QKhX1LNC0WN6QWrfbS76-MW5Jj68M2m1JdkW3gtTmm8_MvPrW662V3j6z06nmW6hdwCJ1ymb6QW7d7_-V3VnZzZN2dxwTLLS1mZVlTxhk66rtRlW7Hh9jS6xggfBW73zcqV72SSq7W6KRDDw1QgjT3W7dmCL-8FYp66W6074CP3wgV4v3jvd1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">studies</a> showing the cost efficiencies of net-zero construction. </p>
<p>Baker, who in December <a href="https://newsletter.climatenexus.org/e2t/tc/MVpDrsDr2_nW5tp7yY6PlNDNW7zr5cm4lSDP-N5q1hhV5nxG7V3Zsc37CgG_NW8W69rx4m5bGdW9lhwk481LYpTW5fRJyY8vTcSdW5xPr9Y93PdDzW6FGDZ77Bpw--W8gFDl62nx-bZN41YcgTXLywhW3QkKBQ5Dtz9pW4ZkVB11-RCS0W7y6yMc1LQyb3W65w7HT81lX_wV91GJY5RZ1M2W7swtw86kcW7tVMGvxZ20V4NPV5WB_l8wnmzNW2fLYCf2ZlBt0W3q0gzs1Mz94RW7ZPj-x8PrytRW8kv_n65M3zW5W4q1ySk8Cyk7JW1cJMRN5fmH9XW76My9W23Lm7KVRHdz268hdtRW3bMxmN1KJtKbW2r0kSW2mnfgyW8sQw2Z5lL0zWW1mn_yS2PbsNMVCPD2Y2zfpK9VNvgD76GNmyjW8cJXzj79YwhyW1S0RZL3r8SJ_W6_TK5Q64ZqLR3lFT1" target="_blank">released his own plan</a> to make the state emissions-neutral by 2050, said he agreed with the bill's supporters on climate goals, but State Sen. Michael Barrett, a lead negotiator on the bill, accused Baker of using technicalities to avoid the ambitious commitments set out by the legislation, and predicted the bill's strong support would ultimately carry it over the finish line.</p><p>"Charlie Baker is not the first politician in the world to have responded to climate change by procrastinating," Barrett said. </p><p>Lawmakers passed the bill nearly unanimously at the end of the 2020 legislative session, and plan to refile it and quickly send it back to Baker with time left in the session to override a second veto.</p>
<p><strong>For a deeper dive:</strong><br/></p><p><a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/01/15/metro/reluctantly-governor-vetoes-mass-climate-change-bill-it-may-soon-be-back-his-desk/?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=106693087&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--BhP-SACAFRxFxNGU2QU5O_pDoGsm9rWM3sf1V8P5xs3WNL0fT7kDWccgKu3Et_3t1l5OkKkzdIgx252lAUzCErVXE9CLZ3W29AnK3EyyHRlli1yc&utm_content=106693087&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Boston Globe</a>, <a href="https://www.wbur.org/earthwhile/2021/01/14/massachusetts-climate-bill-veto-baker?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=106693087&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9MzfxvKohZU-LNgUr1WKXyJ357kWP5Zc-1-xhIXSSYHgkgMe_FGq60-696oC0u5r8cfhPPSo-rX6a1ZlXgsssyI_zkDhWFaB5I4ikPuN_Fi6pjYZs&utm_content=106693087&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">WBUR</a>, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-change-boston-legislation-climate-charlie-baker-409fc9e1d590d3e7c725ae3457e6bd2b" target="_blank">AP,</a> <a href="https://www.bostonherald.com/2021/01/14/charlie-baker-vetoes-climate-bill-oks-economic-development/?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=106693087&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8b_1QsnEVEAXGJ1tvIsqhQeN5awtX-jVt5EtB1z40nxToJd2k6Y6gRSNtU1fP9PMfWQm2N_u0HgcCpfCUoymaD4w7qG3wMdH-6WUR-TtNoxx-iBXM&utm_content=106693087&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Boston Herald</a>, <a href="https://commonwealthmagazine.org/environment/in-veto-letter-baker-objects-to-a-lot-in-climate-change-bill/?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=106693087&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-927epeSlR-b0Ai6eLxzuCPRszN10D_0qbthHJUXGXSRtW78Vdktg2E0l8aOa3xj2VcYHhoBkI0yZSBaIDhRlo4d2dJlPKIbFNwaBw2oeKYEyI1iCE&utm_content=106693087&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">CommonWealth</a>, <a href="https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/mass-lawmakers-say-they-are-ready-to-refile-pass-climate-bill/2280312/?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=106693087&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--ohdUy7DjVieC6o2C5ufG7P6ae-cpwsuvRwOS1ncdD7p9sVuw4VjcWMAi3T9azTZs0_sOIZi5wx9BUqwAbAOXUMLRwft107olaDUZkTvO2P-G71V8&utm_content=106693087&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">NBC Boston</a>, <a href="https://www.masslive.com/politics/2021/01/massachusetts-gov-charlie-baker-vetoes-climate-bill-that-sets-carbon-emissions-targets-ahead-of-2050.html?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=106693087&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-95GrPIIggiIYo6vABVUvLAIpenCLcI4hzntskd7pn5BHuZEBYSAUIMc2jelQCo09UnbObFkcpxtkqp1YnSzH_srylwFAY9XRBCJ5q495AarIDKYME&utm_content=106693087&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">MassLive</a>; Commentary: <a href="https://www.wbur.org/cognoscenti/2021/01/14/massachusetts-climate-bill-ken-kimmell-alicia-barton?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=106693087&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_fXdoe3kHerHbgYGybbSz741goabDsN3uV1KMhuwvp04r1XOo6XhuaHf7f-v6Eb1U_lrMTDi0zC0u0giXkKcQjDeO1lM3gf5fMTlodwNtkEWrofRw&utm_content=106693087&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">WBUR, Alicia Barton and Ken Kimmell op-ed</a><br/></p><p><em>For more </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/climate-change-news/" target="_blank"><em>climate change</em></a><em> and </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/business/renewables/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>clean energy</em></a><em> news, you can follow Climate Nexus on </em><a href="https://twitter.com/ClimateNexus" target="_blank"><em>Twitter</em></a><em> and </em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ClimateNexus/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Facebook</em></a><em>, sign up for daily </em><a href="https://www.linktrack.live/hot-news-sign-up" target="_blank"><em>Hot News</em></a><em>, and visit their news site, </em><a href="https://nexusmedianews.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Nexus Media News</em></a><em>.</em> </p>
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President-elect Joe Biden announces members of his climate and energy appointments on December 19, 2020 in Wilmington, DE. Joshua Roberts / Getty Images
By Bill Ritter Jr.
Joe Biden is preparing to deal with climate change in a way no U.S. president has done before – by mobilizing his entire administration to take on the challenge from every angle in a strategic, integrated way.
<p>The strategy is evident in the people Biden has chosen for his <a href="https://buildbackbetter.gov/nominees-and-appointees/" target="_blank">Cabinet and senior leadership roles</a>: Most have track records for incorporating climate change concerns into a wide range of policies, and they have experience partnering across agencies and levels of government.</p><p>Those skills are crucial, because slowing climate change will require a comprehensive and coordinated "all hands on deck" approach.</p><p>We did that with energy when I was governor of Colorado, and I can tell you it isn't simple. Energy policy isn't just about electricity. It's about how homes are built, how they generate power and feed it into the grid and how the transportation, industrial and agriculture sectors evolve. It's about regulations, trade rules, government purchases and funding for research for innovation. Coordination and collaboration among agencies and different levels of government is crucial.</p><p>A coordinated approach also helps ensure that vulnerable populations aren't overlooked. Biden has committed to <a href="https://joebiden.com/environmental-justice-plan/" target="_blank">help disadvantaged communities</a> that have too often borne the brunt of fossil fuel industry pollution, as well as those that have been losing fossil fuel jobs.</p><p>The <a href="https://buildbackbetter.gov/nominees-and-appointees/" target="_blank">Biden-Harris team's</a> depth of experience will be vital as they take over from a Trump administration that has been <a href="https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/science-under-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">stripping government agencies of their expertise</a> and eliminating environmental protections. With Democrats gaining <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2021/01/11/democrats-biden-executive-orders-456676" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">control of both the House and Senate</a>, the Biden administration may also have a better chance of overhauling laws, funding and tax incentives in ways that could fundamentally transform the U.S. approach to climate change.</p><p>Here are some of the biggest challenges ahead and what "all hands on deck" might mean.</p>
Dealing With All Those Climate Policy Rollbacks
<p>From its first days, the Trump administration began trying to nullify or weaken U.S. environmental regulations. It had <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/climate/trump-environment-rollbacks-list.html" target="_blank">rolled back 84 environmental rules</a> by November 2020, including <a href="https://rhg.com/research/the-rollback-of-us-climate-policy/" target="_blank">major climate policies</a>, and more rollbacks were being pursued, according to a New York Times analysis of research from Harvard and Columbia law schools.</p><p>Many of these rules had been designed to reduce climate-warming pollution from power plants, cars and trucks. Several <a href="https://eelp.law.harvard.edu/2017/09/bam-methane-waste-prevention-rule/" target="_blank">reduced emissions of methane</a>, a potent greenhouse gas, from oil and gas production. The Trump administration <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-mining-resolution-trump/trump-moves-to-loosen-mining-regulations-approve-projects-as-he-exits-idUSKBN29D1AD?ct=t(RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN)" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">also moved</a> to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/ng-interactive/2020/oct/26/revealed-trump-public-lands-oil-drilling" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">open more land</a> to more drilling, mining and <a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/04/11/712121425/trump-signs-executive-orders-in-push-to-make-it-easier-to-build-oil-and-gas-pipe" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">pipelines</a>.</p><p>Some rollbacks have been challenged in court and the rules then reinstated. Others are still being litigated. Many will require going through government rule-making processes that take years to reverse.</p>Pressuring Other Countries to Take Action
<p>Biden can quickly bring the U.S. back into the international Paris climate agreement, through which countries worldwide agreed to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions driving global warming. But <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-biden-and-kerry-could-rebuild-americas-global-climate-leadership-150120" target="_blank">reestablishing the nation's leadership</a> role with the international climate community is a much longer haul.</p><p>Former Secretary of State John Kerry will lead this effort as special envoy for climate change, a new Cabinet-level position with a seat on the National Security Council. Other parts of the government can also pressure countries to take action. International development funding can encourage climate-friendly actions, and trade agreements and tariffs can establish rules of conduct.</p><h3>Cleaning Up the Power Sector</h3><p>The Biden-Harris <a href="https://joebiden.com/climate-plan/" target="_blank">climate plan</a> aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions from the power sector to net zero by 2035.</p><p>While <a href="https://sepapower.org/utility-transformation-challenge/utility-carbon-reduction-tracker/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">62 major utilities</a> in the U.S. have set their own emission reduction goals, most leaders in that sector would argue that requiring net zero emissions by 2035 is too much too fast.</p><p>One problem is that states are often more involved in regulating the power sector than the federal government. And, when federal regulations are passed, they are <a href="https://policyintegrity.org/trump-court-roundup" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">often challenged in court</a>, meaning they can take years to implement.</p><p>Reducing greenhouse gases also requires modernizing the electricity transmission grid. The federal government can streamline the permitting process to allow more clean energy, like wind and solar power, onto the grid. Without that intervention, it could take a decade or more to permit a single transmission line.</p><h3>The Falling Costs of Renewable Energy</h3><p>A comparison of the average levelized cost of utility-scale power generation, without subsidies, shows how new solar and onshore wind became less expensive than coal generation. Costs are in U.S. dollars per megawatt-hour.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTQ0MzgyMS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2MjAwMjk3MH0.O_CRalTEYNsH_RTav9V7uEzh0GQGhdHCx7hQow8UyDs/img.png?width=980" id="b6d7c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="5cc72a966fccbd64c2dcc688dafba2ac" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1222" data-height="640" />
What to Do About Vehicles, Buildings and Ag
<p>The power sector may be the easiest sector to "decarbonize." The transportation sector is another story.</p><p>Transportation is now the nation's <a href="https://www.wri.org/blog/2019/10/everything-you-need-know-about-fastest-growing-source-global-emissions-transport" target="_blank">leading emitter of carbon dioxide</a>. Decarbonizing it will require a transition away from the internal combustion engine in a relatively short amount of time.</p><p>Again, this is a challenge that requires many parts and levels of government working toward the same goal. It will require expanding carbon-free transportation, including more electric vehicles, charging stations, better battery technology and clean energy. That involves regulations and funding for research and development from multiple departments, as well as trade agreements, tax incentives for electric vehicles and a shift in how government agencies buy vehicles. The EPA can facilitate these efforts or hamstring them, as happened when the Trump EPA <a href="https://www.resourcesmag.org/resources-radio/waive-goodbye-history-and-future-california-waiver-emily-wimberger/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">revoked California's ability to set higher emissions standards</a> – something the Biden administration is likely to quickly restore.</p><p>The other "hard to decarbonize" sectors – buildings, industry and agriculture – will require sophistication and collaboration among all federal departments and agencies unlike any previous efforts across government.</p>A New Comprehensive Climate Bill
<p>The best way to tackle these sectors would be a comprehensive climate bill that uses some mechanism, like a <a href="https://www.rff.org/publications/issue-briefs/clean-energy-standards" target="_blank">clean energy standard</a>, that sets a cap, or limit, on emissions and tightens it over time. Here, the problem lies more in the politics of the moment than anything else. Biden and his team will have to convince lawmakers from fossil fuel-producing states to work on these efforts.</p><p>Democratic control of the Senate raises the chances that Congress could pass comprehensive climate legislation, but that isn't a given. Until that happens, Biden will have to rely on agencies issuing new rules, which are vulnerable to being revoked by future administrations. It's a little like playing chess without a queen or rooks.</p><p>Years of delays have allowed global warming to progress so far that many of its impacts may soon become irreversible. To meet its ambitious goals, the administration will need everyone, progressives and conservatives, state and local leaders, and the private sector, to work with them.</p><h3>Biden's Core Climate Team</h3><p>President-elect Joe Biden's senior leadership picks have years of experience with climate policy. He and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris introduced these seven as their core climate team. Gina McCarthy, John Kerry and Ali Zaidi will not require Senate confirmation. The others will.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTQ0Mzg0MS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzNjgwODY0N30.SJeuFgWBMILHhH72i6yn-2vUnYa3ycmgme7E-Xd0wls/img.png?width=980" id="9a98d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6a52b4176bccb6202dfb2b3790d76d88" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1248" data-height="1220" />
<p>
<em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/bill-ritter-jr-352083" target="_blank">Bill Ritter Jr.</a> is </em><em>Director, Center for the New Energy Economy, Colorado State University.</em>
</p><p>
<em>Disclosure statement: </em><em>Bill Ritter, Jr. is a former Governor of Colorado and is the Director of the Center for the New Energy Economy at Colorado State University. The Center is funded by various foundations. </em><span></span>
</p><p>
<em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://theconversation.com/biden-plans-to-fight-climate-change-in-a-way-no-u-s-president-has-done-before-152419" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.</em>
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Democratic Senate candidates Jon Ossoff (L) and Rev. Raphael Warnock bump elbows at a rally on October 24, 2020 in Duluth, Georgia. Elijah Nouvelage / AFP / Getty Images
Democrats have won control of the Senate and with it, a fighting shot at passing meaningful climate legislation.
<p>The Associated Press called the two Georgia runoff Senate races for Democrat Reverend Raphael Warnock at <a href="https://twitter.com/AP/status/1346714442915000320" target="_blank">2:05 a.m. EST Wednesday morning</a> and for Democrat Jon Ossoff at <a href="https://twitter.com/AP_Politics/status/1346929188838793216" target="_blank">4:16 p.m. EST Wednesday afternoon</a>. Their win means the Senate is now split 50-50 with Vice President-elect <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/kamala-harris" target="_self">Kamala Harris</a> acting as a tie-breaker, giving the Democrats a majority in the chamber for the first time since 2015, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jan/06/jon-ossoff-wins-georgia-runoff-election-democrats-senate" target="_blank">The Guardian reported</a>.</p><p>"The Decade of the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/green-new-deal" target="_self">Green New Deal</a> has just begun," youth-led climate group <a href="https://www.sunrisemovement.org/?ms=SunriseMovement" target="_blank">Sunrise Movement</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/sunrisemvmt/status/1346684161680154624" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">tweeted</a> once a Democratic victory appeared likely.</p><p>But what does this victory actually mean in practical terms? First, it means that President-elect <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/joe-biden" target="_self">Joe Biden</a> will have an easier time confirming his cabinet nominees, <a href="https://grist.org/politics/democrats-flip-the-senate-illuminating-a-path-forward-on-climate/?fbclid=IwAR05feq61UiwDtb9oRDrxoF5cjdgkpd5FMfPw-4TjTAQU3XpYbWpwF2_cag" target="_blank">Grist explained</a>.</p><p>The Biden administration has announced a <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/biden-climate-crisis-nominees-2649519000.html" target="_self">slate of climate-focused nominees</a>, including the historic choice of environmental justice advocate and Representative <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/deb-haaland-biden-secretary-interior-2649541483.html" target="_self">Deb Haaland</a> (D-NM) to serve as the first <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/indigenous" target="_self">Indigenous</a> Secretary of the Interior, and the first Indigenous cabinet secretary.</p>
<p>Second, control of the Senate will enable the Democrats to more easily reverse some of President <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/donald-trump" target="_self">Donald Trump</a>'s last-minute environmental deregulations, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/06/climate/georgia-senate-climate.html" target="_blank">The New York Times reported</a>. The Congressional Review Act gives Congress the power to reverse rules recently made by federal agencies with a simple majority vote. Congress can now use that power to undo the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/epa-secret-science-rule-2649748696.html" target="_self">"Secret Science" rule</a> finalized by the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/epa" target="_self">Environmental Protection Agency</a> (EPA) this week, which restricts the kinds of studies the EPA can use when crafting policy. Congress can also reverse the recent <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/trump-rollback-migratory-bird-act-2649766045.html" target="_self">rollback</a> of a law protecting migratory birds.</p><p>Finally, Congress now has a shot at passing some of Biden's <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/biden-climate-plan-green-new-deal-2648128471.html" target="_self">$2 trillion climate plan</a> as part of an economic stimulus or infrastructure bill. However, the Democrats' razor-thin majority in the Senate means they will still have to compromise with moderates and Republicans to pass any major legislative packages, both Grist and The New York Times reported.</p><p>Robert Stavins, Harvard Kennedy School director of environmental economics, told The New York Times that a Democratic double-victory in Georgia was "important across the board, but it doesn't bring them the ultimate freedom they would have if they had a supermajority."</p><p>Still, that slim majority was important enough that progressive climate groups worked to get out the vote in Georgia, despite the fact that Ossoff does not back the Green New Deal, as <a href="https://newrepublic.com/article/160760/pragmatism-radical-climate-left" target="_blank">Kate Aronoff noted for The Republic</a>. (However, he does support a green infrastructure plan similar to Biden's, and Warnock has also spoken in favor of environmental action, Grist reported. Both candidates want to rejoin the Paris agreement and reverse Trump's deregulations.)</p>
<p>The Sunrise Movement persuaded more than 3,000 people to text three friends reminding them to vote on election day. In the weeks leading up to the election, the Sunrise Movement called more than 1.2 million people, sent one million texts and registered more than 3,000 young voters, the group <a href="https://twitter.com/sunrisemvmt/status/1346829280714641408" target="_blank">tweeted</a>.</p><p>Young Georgia voters were an important part of the coalition that helped Biden win Georgia in November and helped Ossoff and Warnock win in Tuesday's runoff, along with voters who were Black, suburban, women, low-income and new arrivals to the state, The Guardian reported.</p>"I think it's the most important vote in our generation for young people," Sunrise Movement Electoral Politics Director Shante Wolfe <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNConnect/status/1346134932209491968" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">told CNN</a>.
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Activists Are Alarmed as Biden Picks White House Official Who Took Fossil Fuel Money
18 November 2020
Politics
President-elect Joe Biden is greeted by U.S. Congressman Cedric Richmond, D-LA, as he arrives in Columbus, Georgia, on October 27, 2020. Jim Watson / AFP / Getty Images
President-elect Joe Biden is starting to assemble his White House team, and one of his picks has already alarmed climate activists.
<p>Biden has chosen Louisiana Rep. Cedric Richmond as a senior advisor and director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/17/us/politics/cedric-richmond-biden.html" target="_blank">The New York Times reported Tuesday</a>. As part of his role, Richmond will reportedly serve as a liaison between climate activists and business interests, according to <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2020/11/16/louisiana-congressman-to-join-biden-administration-436903" target="_blank">POLITICO</a>. However, <a href="https://www.dailyposter.com/p/news-bidens-first-climate-appointment" target="_blank">The Daily Poster</a> noted that Richmond has received $341,000 in <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/fossil-fuels" target="_self">fossil fuel</a> money during his 10 years in Congress.</p><p>"[T]oday feels like a betrayal, because one of President-elect Biden's very first hires for his new administration has taken more donations from the fossil fuel industry during his congressional career than nearly any other Democrat, cozied up to Big Oil and Gas, and stayed silent and ignored meeting with organizations in his own community while they suffered from toxic pollution and sea-level rise," <a href="https://www.sunrisemovement.org/?ms=SunriseMovement" target="_blank">Sunrise Movement</a> Executive Director Varshini Prakash said in a statement reported by <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/11/17/today-feels-betrayal-sunrise-movement-blasts-biden-pick-big-oil-backed-cedric" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Common Dreams</a>. "That's a mistake, and it's an affront to young people who made President-elect Biden's victory possible."</p><p>The Sunrise Movement made contact with 3.5 million young voters in swing states, and now wants to leverage its get-out-the-vote efforts to hold Biden accountable to his promise to act on the climate crisis, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/nov/16/joe-biden-climate-crisis-ennvironment-energy" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Guardian reported Monday</a>. Biden has called climate an "existential threat" and promised a $2 trillion plan to create millions of jobs while transitioning to <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/renewable-energy/" target="_self">renewable energy</a>. Since winning the election, Biden has also made climate change a priority on his <a href="https://buildbackbetter.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">transition website</a>.</p>
<p>However, Richmond's appointment concerned activists who are worried it signals that fossil fuel interests will have an outsized say in Biden's administration.</p><p>"If Joe Biden continues making corporate-friendly appointments to his White House, he will risk quickly fracturing the hard-earned goodwill his team built with progressives to defeat Donald Trump," Justice Democrats executive director Alexandra Rojas said in a statement, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-11-16/cedric-richmond-to-leave-congress-join-biden-white-house?sref=PqmVp1JY" target="_blank">Bloomberg News</a> reported.</p><p>Richmond, who represents much of New Orleans, has received the fifth highest amount of money from the oil and gas industry of all House Democrats, according to The Daily Poster. That includes $40,000 from ExxonMobil and $10,000 each from Chevron, Phillips 66 and Valero Energy.</p>
<p>Richmond has also broken with the Democratic Party to support increased fossil fuel exports and oppose pollution restrictions on fracking. Further, he voted in favor of the controversial Keystone XL pipeline, <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/526405-progressive-group-slams-biden-white-house-pick-over-fossil-fuels" target="_blank">The Hill reported</a>.</p><p>Rep. A. <a href="https://thehill.com/people/aston-donale-mceachin" target="_blank">Donald McEachin</a> (D-Va.) defended Richmond's actions, arguing that he had been trying to preserve jobs for his constituents.</p><p>"That's the tragedy that Americans up to now have been faced with, that it's either fossil fuel jobs or bad-paying jobs. His district has been dependent on fossil fuels," McEachin told The Hill.</p><p>However, New Orleans and Louisiana have also disproportionately suffered from the impacts of the fossil fuel industry. Richmond represents seven of the 10 U.S. census tracts with the worst <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/air-pollution" target="_self">air pollution</a>, The Daily Poster reported. And <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/hurricanes" target="_self">hurricanes</a> like Katrina have <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change-hurricanes-wetter-2619851055.html" target="_self">become more extreme</a> because of climate change.</p><p>In response to activist criticism, the Biden-Harris transition team reaffirmed its commitment to climate action.</p><p>"The incoming White House staff members are committed to building an administration that will tackle the climate crisis and fight for environmental justice," an official told The Hill.</p>
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Biden Urged to Take 10 Game-Changing Steps in First 10 Days in Office to Address Climate Crisis
10 November 2020
Climate
President-elect Joe Biden speaks at a White House summit on climate change on October 19, 2015 in Washington, DC. Win McNamee / Getty Images
By Julia Conley
With Democrats anxious about the probability that President-elect Joe Biden will be forced to grapple with a Republican-led Senate after taking office in January, a coalition of more than a dozen climate action groups are calling on Biden to take every possible step he can to help solve the planetary emergency without the approval of Congress.
<p>Even in the face of a Senate controlled by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and the Republican Party, Biden can and must still be a "Climate President," say the groups, which include the Center for Biological Diversity, Greenpeace, and Friends of the Earth.</p><p>The organizations <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/12/09/calling-climate-president-500-groups-demand-next-administration-take-immediate" target="_blank">originally released </a>the <a href="https://climatepresident.org/" target="_blank">Climate President plan</a> nearly a year ago during the Democratic primary, and are now calling on Biden to take "ten steps in [his] first ten days in office" to help "form the necessary foundation for the country's true transformation to a safer, healthier, and more equitable world for everyone."</p><p>"If the world is to have any reasonable chance of staying below 1.5°C and avoiding the worst impacts of climate change, the next president of the United States must demonstrate national and global leadership and take immediate and decisive action to launch a rapid and just transition off of fossil fuels economy-wide," reads the website set up by the coalition, <a href="https://climatepresident.org/" target="_blank">ClimatePresident.org.</a> "Recognizing the steps that the next president can take without any additional action from Congress is critical because these are the 'no excuses' actions that can be taken immediately to set the nation on a course to zero emissions."</p><p>Proponents of the Climate President action plan on social media emphasized that Biden is capable of taking major "game-changing" steps to begin mitigating the planetary emergency."</p><p>"Let him know you expect no less," tweeted author and activist Naomi Klein. </p>
<div id="a0146" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c0b66cf5a8a2e6fdbe3553dd5ca88f68"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1325847838807396352" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Don't let anyone tell you that Biden's hands are tied on climate action without the Senate. Here is a list of game-… https://t.co/LyOyaXD6vl</div> — Naomi Klein (@Naomi Klein)<a href="https://twitter.com/NaomiAKlein/statuses/1325847838807396352">1604941732.0</a></blockquote></div>
<div id="56016" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="fbc7661031fda24aad600f18abc6e600"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1325859979241222144" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">What can a new #ClimatePresident Biden do without Congress to tackle the climate emergency?
He can move progress… https://t.co/LOjvxRXqlp</div> — Jean Su (@Jean Su)<a href="https://twitter.com/ajeansu/statuses/1325859979241222144">1604944626.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>The organizations list 10 action items which would help the Biden White House single-handedly put the U.S. on the path to meaningfully fighting the climate crisis:</p><ul><li>Declare a national climate emergency under the National Emergencies Act, which would "unlock specific statutory powers to help accomplish the necessary response." Biden would be able to direct federal agencies to reverse all of President Donald Trump's regulatory rollbacks.</li><li>Keep fossil fuels in the ground, halting fossil fuel permits and lease sales, banning fracking on federal lands, and issuing stringent pollution rules for oil and gas companies.</li><li>Stop fossil fuel exports and infrastructure approvals through executive orders.</li><li>Shift financial flows from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources through an executive order that would promote new investments and phase out old ones.</li><li>Using the Clean Air Act, set a science-based national pollution cap.</li><li>Power the electricity sector with 100% clean and renewable energy by 2030. Pursuant to the National Emergencies Act, Biden could direct the secretary of defense to redirect a portion of military spending to carry out a rapid construction program of renewable energy projects to meet a significant portion of the nation's power needs. The president-elect could also provide loan guarantees to clean energy developers and utilities that use renewable energy.</li><li>Issue an executive order creating an inter-agency just transition task force to implement a national program guaranteeing support for communities and workers affected by the halting of fossil fuel extraction.</li><li>Direct federal agencies assess and mitigate environmental harms that disproportionately impact Indigenous, Black, brown, and low-income communities. </li><li>Investigate and prosecute fossil fuel polluters and commit to vetoing all legislation that grants legal immunity to big polluters. </li><li>Rejoin the Paris climate agreement and increase the United States' emissions reduction commitment to slash greenhouse gas emissions below 2005 levels by at least 70% by 2030 and reduce them to near zero by 2040.</li></ul>
<p>The president-elect has said he plans to <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/11/09/932190347/bidens-first-100-days-here-s-what-to-expect" target="_blank">immediately reenter </a>the Paris agreement upon taking office. After the Democratic presidential primary, his campaign team <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2020/07/09/lets-keep-organizing-inside-look-biden-sanders-task-force-climate" target="_blank">worked closely</a> with advisers from Washington Gov. Jay Inslee's and Sen. Bernie Sanders's (I-Vt.) campaigns to hammer out a plan which <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/how-joe-bidens-surprisingly-ambitious-climate-plan-came-together/2020/07/31/b73e78d0-cd11-11ea-91f1-28aca4d833a0_story.html" target="_blank">called for</a> the elimination of carbon emissions from the electricity sector by 2035 and pledged $2 trillion over four years to increase and incentivize the use of renewables to power cars, homes, and businesses. Biden's original climate plan during the primary had pledged $1.7 trillion and aimed to make the U.S. carbon neutral by 2050.</p><p>"The first steps that would put us clearly on a path to a regenerative and inclusive society can be launched immediately by the next president," said the Climate President coalition. "These ten actions form the necessary foundation for the country's true transformation to a safer, healthier, and more equitable world for everyone."</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/11/09/biden-urged-be-climatepresident-taking-these-10-game-changing-steps-first-10-days" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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Trending
Among the victories came one for wolves, too. steve felberg / Pixabay
By Tara Lohan
Election Day 2020 — the day before the United States officially left the Paris climate agreement — didn't deliver an immediate rebuke to President Trump or relief for environmentalists.
That would have to wait.
<p>"The election hasn't produced the outcome that the planet badly needed," Bill McKibben of 350.org <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/annals-of-a-warming-planet/the-election-outcome-will-make-sweeping-climate-action-harder" target="_blank">summed</a> up in <em>The</em> <em>New Yorker</em> the following day.</p><p>But as the votes continued to be counted in battleground states, the mood shifted from despair to hope, and finally, on Nov. 7, to celebration when Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were pronounced victors.</p><p>So much was riding on this election — and not just in the United States.</p><p>"There is no pathway to meaningful global climate action without our federal government playing a prominent part," <a href="https://newrepublic.com/article/159958/vote-election-2020-climate" target="_blank">wrote</a> Mary Annaïse Heglar in <em>The</em> <em>New Republic</em> just before the election.</p><p>A Biden-Harris victory doesn't undo all the environmental harm caused by the Trump administration and its <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/climate-environment/trump-climate-environment-protections/" target="_blank">125 rollbacks of environmental protections</a>, but it provides a much-needed opportunity to restore scientific integrity and take action on climate change, environmental justice, biodiversity and other pressing concerns.</p><p>That's good news. And looking down the ballot there were also other environmental victories — as well as some places where ground was lost. Here are the biggest takeaways:</p>
The Good Stuff
<p>Few big-ticket wins were clear early except for the fact that Democrats held onto the House of Representatives — an expected but not inconsequential victory. And although their majority slimmed, several new additions will be a boon for environmental issues.</p><p>One of those is progressive Cori Bush, who cruised to victory in Missouri's 1st congressional district. She's the first Black woman from the state to be elected to Congress. The nurse, pastor and Black Lives Matter activist is also a <a href="https://coribush.org/environmental-justice-and-the-green-new-deal" target="_blank">Green New Deal supporter</a>.</p><p>In gubernatorial fights, Washington's climate champion Jay Inslee won re-election. So did Democrat Roy Cooper in North Carolina, which <em><a href="https://www.eenews.net/energywire/2020/11/04/stories/1063717739" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">E&E News </a></em><a href="https://www.eenews.net/energywire/2020/11/04/stories/1063717739" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">called</a> a significant victory in the state's push for clean energy.</p><p>Mark Kelly flipped a Senate seat blue in Arizona, and so did John Hickenlooper in Colorado.</p><p>Hickenlooper, a <a href="https://coloradosun.com/2020/09/18/hickenlooper-fracking-oil-gas-colorado-us-senate-race/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">booster of the fracking industry</a> during his time as Colorado governor, is not exactly beloved by environmentalists in the state. But his defeat of Cory Gardner was hailed by the League of Conservation Voters, which called Gardner one of "<a href="https://www.lcv.org/article/lcv-congratulates-john-hickenlooper/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">worst anti-environmental candidates</a>" running this year. It was also the <a href="https://coloradosun.com/2020/11/04/colorado-history-democrats-election-sweep/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">first time in 84 years</a> that Democrats swept all statewide races in Colorado.</p><p>Along with those victories came one for wolves, too. Colorado voters passed <a href="https://therevelator.org/wolf-reintroduction-colorado/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Proposition 114</a>, which will require the state Parks and Wildlife department to develop a restoration and management plan for the reintroduction of gray wolves. It comes less than a week after the Trump administration <a href="https://therevelator.org/wolves-lose-protection/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">removed federal protection</a> from gray wolves across the country.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDc2MzExNS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2OTcwNTg3Nn0.l4ewZYnWl6IqHehY6ACqVB-HetZfp-jvYeRB6o2R-a4/img.jpg?width=980" id="a3126" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="49065da2be8de60c030fe9f13b0ad207" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1920" data-height="1080" />
Photo by Steve Felberg/Pixabay (CC)
<p>In other statewide races, <a href="https://therevelator.org/environment-2020-ballot/" target="_blank">Nevada's Question 6</a>, which would require electric utilities to get 50% of their electricity from renewables by 2030, was approved by voters. But how much that helps the state's clean energy future is a matter of debate. Nevada has already passed similar legislation. Enshrining this benchmark into the state constitution could help protect it from future rollbacks — or it could make efforts to raise the target even harder.</p><p>Much further down the ballot, <a href="https://legal-planet.org/2020/11/05/climate-candidates-notch-victories-in-major-city-council-races-across-western-u-s/" target="_blank">climate champions made gains</a> in city council positions in major cities such as Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco and Portland.</p><p>Denver also approved an increase in sales tax to help fund <a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2020/11/03/denver-election-results-2a-2b-taxes-homeless-environment/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">climate and clean energy initiatives</a>. And Columbus, Ohio passed a measure that would help the city secure <a href="https://www.yesforissue1.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">more locally sourced renewable energy</a>.</p><p>"City leadership is <a href="https://c40-production-images.s3.amazonaws.com/other_uploads/images/955_C40_Report_US_Cities_Get_Job_Done.original.pdf?1480607660" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">important</a> for advancing climate action but new research <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/research/pledges-and-progress-steps-toward-greenhouse-gas-emissions-reductions-in-the-100-largest-cities-across-the-united-states/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">finds</a> U.S. cities falling behind," Daniel Melling, communications manager for the UCLA Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, <a href="https://legal-planet.org/2020/11/05/climate-candidates-notch-victories-in-major-city-council-races-across-western-u-s/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">wrote</a> for Legal Planet.</p>The Bad Stuff
<p>An anticipated, decisive retaking of the Senate by Democrats never materialized, and whether it remains in Republican hands won't be decided for a bit. Two Georgia races are headed to a January runoff.</p><p>If Republicans do hang on to the Senate, that will mean any bold new climate legislation — or likely any meaningful environmental legislation at all — coming out of the House will be stymied, especially <a href="https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/politics/elections/kentucky/2020/11/03/mcconnell-wins-senate-seat-will-he-be-majority-leader/6057995002/" target="_blank">if Mitch McConnell retains his role as Senate leader</a>.</p><p>Meanwhile several Republican senators with dismal environmental records will be back, including Iowa's Joni Ernst, Mississippi's Cindy Hyde-Smith, Alabama's Tommy Tuberville and Roger Marshall from Kansas. Lindsay Graham, who has a <a href="https://www.thestate.com/news/local/environment/article245783790.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">mixed at best record when it comes to climate legislation</a>, also returns.</p><p>While Colorado may have seen a blue wave, <a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/montana-election-results/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Montana was awash in red</a>. A Republican sweep across the state included a victory by coal-industry ally Greg Gianforte, who took the governor's mansion out of control of Democrats for the first time in 16 years.</p><p>Gianforte previously said he "would advocate as governor for increased port capacity on the West Coast to get coal to market," <a href="https://www.eenews.net/energywire/2020/11/04/stories/1063717739" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reported</a><em> E&E News</em>. Montana coal production <a href="https://www.greatfallstribune.com/story/news/2020/09/21/coal-production-montana-saw-21-decline-last-year/5858642002/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">fell 21%</a> during the pandemic.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDc2MzExMC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NDg1NzA5Mn0.IIOGycSqTuKYCni7dzepLdEzP7O0GvGPmiqCJxo8s78/img.jpg?width=980" id="56a25" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a08cf410c208f598be1fb669c9d37c38" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="768" data-height="527" />
Coal train loading at Spring Creek mine, Montana. Photo: WildEarth Guardians, (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0).
<p>"Montana didn't just go Republican on Tuesday," <a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/montana-election-results/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">wrote</a> Gwen Florio in <em>The Nation</em>. "It went deeply conservative Republican." The effect of that will be felt not just on energy policy, but the fate of public lands and wildlife, <a href="https://missoulian.com/news/local/elections-forecast-big-changes-for-landscape/article_95775cb0-df9c-539a-b666-a0c55c4c725d.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">including sage grouse and grizzlies</a>.</p><p>In a new low, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia became <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/Marjorie_Taylor_Greene#Campaign_themes" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the first QAnon conspiracy theory believer elected to Congress</a>. In addition to a record of racist statements, she ran on a platform that included blocking the Green New Deal.</p><p>Democrats had hoped to make a small gain in Texas. But even $2.5 million in backing from Michael Bloomberg couldn't get Democrat Chrysta Castañeda elected to the Texas Railroad Commission, which oversees issues related to oil and gas — a state race that has worldwide impact.</p><p>The race was won by Jim Wright, whom the <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/jim-wright-texas-railroad-commission_n_5fa04ce8c5b60e7e37d0da2c" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Huffington Post</a> describes as "a hardcore climate change denier and owner of an oil-field services company."</p><p>The oil industry may have also garnered a victory in Alaska. There Measure 1, which would raise taxes on some North Slope oil companies, is trailing by a wide margin.</p><p>But when you tally it all up at the end of the day — or week, really — even McKibben had to concede that overall things are looking up.</p><p>"It could have gone much better," he <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/trump-is-out-of-a-job-because-so-many-did-the-work" target="_blank">wrote</a> on Nov. 7. "(Specifically, a deadlocked Senate will make action on the dominant issue of our lifetimes, <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/annals-of-a-warming-planet/the-election-outcome-will-make-sweeping-climate-action-harder" target="_blank">climate change</a>, more difficult to address than it should be.) But <em>it went."</em></p>
<p><a href="https://therevelator.org/author/taralohan/" target="_blank"><em>Tara Lohan </em></a><em>is deputy editor of The Revelator and has worked for more than a decade as a digital editor and environmental journalist focused on the intersections of energy, water and climate. Her work has been published by The Nation, American Prospect, High Country News, Grist, Pacific Standard and others. She is the editor of two books on the global water crisis. </em><em><a href="http://twitter.com/TaraLohan" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>http://twitter.com/TaraLohan</em></a></em></p><p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://therevelator.org/election-2020-environment/" target="_blank">The Revelator</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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AOC Joins Jane Fonda for Fire Drill Friday on Importance of November Victory for Earth
23 October 2020
Politics
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez joins actor and activist Jane Fonda to discuss early voting, "real climate leadership," and the Green New Deal. Fire Drill Fridays
By Andrea Germanos
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Friday will be the latest "fireside" chat guest to join actor and activist Jane Fonda, whose Fire Drill Fridays campaign—which has resulted in the arrests of fellow notable actors—has boosted demands for urgent action to rein in the climate emergency.
<p>The team behind Friday Drill Fridays sent an email to supporters on Thursday promoting the conversation, describing the New York Democrat as "clearly prepared to fight for and stand with working people no matter what" and saying she'd provide "insightful perspective" during the chat.</p><p>Fonda and Ocasio-Cortez's <a href="https://greenpeace.zoom.us/webinar/register/3016028606071/WN_OYvyfV5fQnSH4iSJFLFr8Q" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">talk</a> is slated to cover a range of topics including early voting, "real climate leadership," and the Green New Deal—the resolution Ocasio-Cortez <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/02/07/major-party-backing-ocasio-cortez-and-markey-unveil-green-new-deal-outlining-wwii" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">introduced</a> last year with Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.).</p><p>"This is one of our most important calls in the lead-up to Election Day, and we want to come out on the other side of November 3 celebrating—and with no regrets," the email, signed by Fonda and the Fire Drill Fridays team at Greenpeace, said. "We know this election is absolutely critical for the political fight ahead for a Green New Deal and just recovery from Covid-19, and we're ready to fight for this win."</p>
<div id="7bafb" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="1669c4d28a3e920d9e21791ea6f8a469"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1318584259825848321" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">🔥FRIDAY🔥 @JaneFonda, @GreenpeaceUSA, and @FireDrillFriday are thrilled to be joined by Rep. @AOC for a critical con… https://t.co/omILPXRe9W</div> — Fire Drill Fridays (@Fire Drill Fridays)<a href="https://twitter.com/FireDrillFriday/statuses/1318584259825848321">1603209960.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>The conversation is scheduled to take place Friday, October 23 at 2 pm ET.</p><p>Eighty-two year old Fonda, a longtime environmentalist and veteran activist, kicked off Fire Drill Fridays in October last year with a focus on three demands: a Green New Deal, an end to fossil fuels, and a just transition to a renewable energy-based economy.</p><p>The weekly campaign featured Thursday night teach-ins—each with a different climate focus and speaker or speakers—ahead of Friday rallies and protests on the steps of the Capitol building in Washington, D.C.—a place organizers <a href="https://firedrillfridays.com/about/%20" target="_blank">framed</a> as "the epicenter of the fight for our climate." The acts of civil disobedience resulted in multiple arrests, including of Fonda herself and her "Frankie and Grace" co-star Lily Tomlin.</p><p>Now forced to a largely digital format in light of the coronavirus pandemic, Fire Drill Fridays has kept up the momentum, with recent fireside Fire Drill guests including Juan Parras, founder and director of<a href="https://www.tejasbarrios.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> TEJAS</a>, and youth climate leader Jamie Margolin, also founder and co-executive director of <a href="http://thisiszerohour.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Zero Hour</a>.</p><p>Fonda is also out with a new memoir, <a href="https://www.marieclaire.com/politics/a33915820/jane-fonda-what-can-i-do-excerpt/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>What Can I Do?: My Path from Climate Despair to Action</em></a>.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/10/22/aoc-join-jane-fonda-fire-drill-friday-focused-planetary-imperative-november-victory" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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About EcoWatch
27 June 2016
A Stop the Money Pipeline protester holds a banner outside JP Morgan headquarters in NYC on Feb. 25, 2020; JP Morgan is a top contributor to the fossil fuel industry. Erik McGregor / LightRocket / Getty Images
By Jessica Corbett
Green groups applauded Sen. Jeff Merkley on Wednesday for introducing a pioneering pair of bills that aim to "protect the long-term health and well-being of the American people and their economy from the catastrophic effects of climate chaos" by preventing banks and international financial institutions from financing fossil fuels.
<p>"How we invest our money reflects our values today and will drive our future tomorrow," the Oregon Democrat <a href="https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-introduces-pair-of-bills-to-protect-american-lives-and-livelihoods-from-climate-chaos-2020" target="_blank">said</a> in a statement about his new legislative proposals, citing a September report from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/09/09/while-trump-commission-warns-climate-risk-financial-system-recommendations-fall" target="_blank">warning</a> that the human-caused climate crisis endangers the U.S. financial system.</p><p>"Fossil fuel investments play a key role in accelerating climate chaos, which continues to spiral further and further out of control and claim lives and livelihoods in the process," Merkley added. "It's time to prioritize the interests of the American people and the planet above the wishes of fossil fuel CEOs who want to hold our economy hostage."</p><p>The <a href="https://www.merkley.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/20.10.21%20Protecting%20America's%20Economy%20from%20the%20Carbon%20Bubble%20Act%20of%202020.pdf" target="_blank">Protecting America's Economy from the Carbon Bubble Act of 2020 </a> "would help safeguard the economy by prohibiting financial companies from making new investments in fossil fuels," according to his office. The <a href="https://www.merkley.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/20.10.21%20Sustainable%20International%20Financial%20Institutions%20Act%20of%202020.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sustainable International Financial Institutions Act of 2020</a> "would elevate that priority to the international stage by ensuring that the United States uses its voice and vote in international financial institutions to divest from fossil fuel investments."</p>
<div id="815e9" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="eb5133bc08c84a247e6c577bb4c4ba59"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1318967338482364416" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Yes! @SenJeffMerkley just introduced new legislation that would stop banks and other financial institutions from fu… https://t.co/Bk15N9Sewk</div> — Stop the Money Pipeline (@Stop the Money Pipeline)<a href="https://twitter.com/StopMoneyPipe/statuses/1318967338482364416">1603301293.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>The legislation was enthusiastically endorsed by members of Stop the Money Pipeline, a coalition of over 130 advocacy organizations that <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/01/09/climate-movement-takes-aim-wall-street-because-money-only-language-fossil-fuel" target="_blank">launched</a> in January to pressure asset managers, banks, and insurance companies to "stop financing fossil fuels and deforestation and start respecting human rights and Indigenous sovereignty."</p><p>"Sen. Merkley is showing real leadership by introducing the first-ever bills to cut the money pipeline fueling the climate crisis," declared David Arkush, director of Public Citizen's Climate Program, in a coalition statement Wednesday.</p><p>Kelly Martin, director of the Sierra Club's Beyond Dirty Fuels campaign, similarly said that "we applaud Sen. Merkley for his leadership in working to cut off the flow of money to dirty and destructive fossil fuels."</p><p>"Investments from major financial institutions are driving the climate crisis and environmental injustice worldwide," Martin added. "In order to tackle this crisis, we need to put a stop to business as usual and reinvest in a clean energy economy that works for all of us."</p>
<div id="f84b7" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f6742078b73d4f72ad0cdb0b28c45bf8"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1318975843717287936" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">"When there’s an out of control fire, the worst thing you can do is pour more gas on it. It’s time for Congress ste… https://t.co/YfjbtiWeRY</div> — 350 dot org (@350 dot org)<a href="https://twitter.com/350/statuses/1318975843717287936">1603303321.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>Sue Stafford and Toby Woll of Mothers Out Front Corporate Responsibility Team called Merkley's legislation "important and necessary" while Nikki Reisch of the Center for International Environmental Law said that "ending financing for fossil fuels should be a no-brainer."</p><p>"As this year has made abundantly clear, fossil fuels are not just terrible for people and the planet, they are terrible investments, too," Reisch continued. "Sen. Merkley's bills would finally require financial institutions to do what they should have long since done on their own: stop bankrolling climate catastrophe."</p><p>While welcoming the senator's bills, campaigners also slammed financial institutions for "driving the destruction of the climate, deforestation, and furthering harms to public health and communities" by "pouring billions into the dying fossil fuel industry," in the words of Osprey Orielle Lake, executive director of the Women's Earth and Climate Action Network.</p><p>Lake urged Congress to urgently enact the measures—a call that was echoed by Lukas Ross from Friends of the Earth U.S., who warned that "whether it is Wall Street behemoths or public institutions like the Export-Import Bank, financial institutions are lending the climate over a cliff."</p>
<div id="f35ca" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f0306ad9e315c3763299c349c4056f90"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1318969691767930880" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">BREAKING: @SenJeffMerkley just introduced new legislation that would help end the financing of fossil fuels! 👏👏👏 W… https://t.co/831xi0UPfo</div> — Moira Birss (@Moira Birss)<a href="https://twitter.com/moira_kb/statuses/1318969691767930880">1603301854.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>"Public and private banks are squandering over $4 trillion annually subsidizing the destabilization of our global climate by the fossil fuel industry," noted Daphne Wysham at the Center for Sustainable Economy. "Finally, in Sen. Merkley, we have a climate champion willing to stand up to this madness and call for banks to invest in a liveable future."</p><p><a href="https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2020/03/18/banking-climate-change-report-reveals-banks-funded-climate-chaos-trillions-paris" target="_blank">According to</a> a report released in March by climate advocacy groups, 35 global banks have collectively poured more than $2.7 trillion into the fossil fuel industry since the Paris climate agreement was finalized in late 2015. The four top spots were all held by U.S. institutions: JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citi, and Bank of America.</p><p>"Sen. Merkley's new divestment bills are exactly the sort of real climate leadership we need from our elected officials and regulators," said David Turnbull of Oil Change International (OCI). "If banks won't stop funding climate devastation, our government must force their hand, and Sen. Merkley's bills would force the action we need."</p><p>In addition to helping to ensure a habitable planet in the years to come, 350.org co-founder Bill McKibben pointed out that there could be some added benefits for lawmakers. As he put it: "Fighting the climate crisis and saving big money at the same time—a few more laws like this and people may start liking Congress!"</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/10/21/merkley-unveils-pioneering-bills-make-financial-institutions-stop-bankrolling?cd-origin=rss" target="_blank"> Common Dreams</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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Landmark legislation aims to address the ocean impacts of human-caused global heating and reform federal ocean management. ToryYu1989 / PxHere / CC0
By Jessica Corbett
Leaders of climate and conservation groups on Tuesday welcomed House Democrats' introduction of landmark legislation that aims to address the ocean impacts of human-caused global heating and reform federal ocean management—recognizing that, as Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva put it, "a healthy ocean is key to fighting the climate crisis."
<p><br/></p>
<p>The Arizona Democrat, who chairs the House Natural Resources Committee, unveiled the <a href="https://naturalresources.house.gov/imo/media/doc/OCSA20_001_xml.pdf" target="_blank">Ocean-Based Climate Solutions Act</a> during a <a href="https://naturalresources.house.gov/media/media-advisories/chair-grijalva-chair-castor-group-of-endorsers-will-unveil-ocean-based-climate-solutions-act-at-oct-20-press-conference" target="_blank">virtual press conference</a>. He was joined at the event by co-sponsors—including Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.), chair of the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis—and various backers of the legislation.</p><p>"This is the bill we have been waiting for," declared Oregon State University professor Jane Lubchenco, a supporter of the measure with a background in federal government. "It draws on the latest science to tap the treasure-trove of ocean solutions to accelerate progress on climate change. The outcome? People win, the economy wins, nature wins."</p><p>"The ocean feeds and sustains, it connects us. The ocean is our past and our future. The ocean has indeed been a victim of climate change, but it also holds powerful solutions," added Lubchenco, former administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and U.S. Science Envoy for the Ocean at the State Department. "This bill will tap those solutions, and everyone benefits."</p>
<div id="a858f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="99d487bc34e6e570edd2a3089e616347"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1318606309256798208" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">🎥 We're live! @NRDems, @RepRaulGrijalva, and @USRepKCastor are unveiling #OceanClimateAction legislation. W… https://t.co/pPdylA6cKQ</div> — Select Committee on the Climate Crisis (@Select Committee on the Climate Crisis)<a href="https://twitter.com/ClimateCrisis/statuses/1318606309256798208">1603215217.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>"This bill provides a roadmap for ocean and coastal climate resilience, and responsibly uses them to curb the pollution that is intensifying the climate crisis," Grijalva explained. "We must stop the ongoing damage to our oceans to protect the food, jobs, and coastlines that millions of Americans depend on. A healthy ocean is an environmental justice issue and we made sure to put protections for low income and communities of color at the front and center."</p><p>Specifically, as a statement from Grijalva's office outlined, the bill aims to:</p><ul><li>Reduce greenhouse gas emissions;</li><li>Increase carbon storage in blue carbon ecosystems;</li><li>Promote coastal resiliency and adaptation;</li><li>Improve ocean protection;</li><li>Support climate-ready fisheries</li><li>Tackle ocean health challenges; and</li><li>Restore U.S. leadership in international ocean governance.</li></ul>
<p>"By presenting smart, focused solutions to the climate crisis, this pioneering legislation propels the oceans into the heart of the climate debate in Congress," said Jacqueline Savitz, Oceana's chief policy officer for North America. "The oceans are bearing the brunt of global warming: rising ocean temperatures will decrease fish catch, endangering livelihoods and undermining food security. This bill shows us our oceans can be part of the answer."</p><p>Castor on Tuesday emphasized that "the ocean is a powerful ally in the climate fight, and unleashing its potential will help us reach our goal of net-zero emissions by 2050 or earlier." She noted the new bill incorporates recommendations from the Climate Crisis Action Plan that her committee <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/06/30/genocidal-negligence-new-democratic-climate-action-plan-criticized-woefully" target="_blank">released</a> in June, which she said "gives Congress a roadmap for creating a healthier, more resilient, and more just America."</p><p>Climate action advocacy groups said when the plan from Castor's committee came out that it "is more ambitious than what we've seen from Democratic leadership to date" but also <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/06/30/genocidal-negligence-new-democratic-climate-action-plan-criticized-woefully" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">criticized</a> lawmakers' proposed goals as "genocidal negligence" and "wholly inadequate to prevent the risk of catastrophic climate disruption," vowing to maintain pressure on Democrats to pursue bolder policies.</p><p>Amid that ongoing pressure from advocates comes the Ocean-Based Climate Solutions Act, which Castor said "will unleash the incredible power of the ocean and address the threat that offshore drilling poses to America's coastal communities, including my own community in the Tampa Bay."</p><p>Miyoko Sakashita, oceans program director at the Center for Biological Diversity, <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2020/10/20/ocean-based-climate-solutions-act-would-end-offshore-oil-leasing-protect-marine" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">called</a> the bill "important" and praised particular elements of it. "As sea-level rises we have to end offshore oil drilling and help our coastal communities transition to the resilient, clean energy economy we all need," Sakashita said. "This bill also aims to protect marine mammals from ship strikes, noise pollution, and climate change."</p>
<div id="17f05" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="28d7040a5dd41c4d26fed8e93a225655"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1318614724842524674" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">[email protected]’s climate bill will ignite #OceanClimateAction to help fight inequality by prioritizing funding f… https://t.co/oeH1W214em</div> — NRDC 🌎🏡 (@NRDC 🌎🏡)<a href="https://twitter.com/NRDC/statuses/1318614724842524674">1603217223.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>The bill, which is co-sponsored by leaders of multiple relevant House committees, was also applauded by other advocacy organizations, including the Center for American Progress, Earthjustice, Environment America, Greenpeace USA, League of Conservation Voters, National Ocean Protection Coalition, National Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Ocean Conservancy, Surfrider Foundation, and Urban Ocean Lab.</p><p>"Resilient communities need resilient oceans, and the Ocean Climate Solutions Act pursues both," said Steve Mashuda, oceans managing attorney at Earthjustice. "Restoring and protecting our ocean ecosystems will protect the frontline communities who are most at risk from climate change, while increasing our capacity to secure a just, stable, and biodiverse future.</p><p>"Earthjustice thanks the House Natural Resources Committee for continuing to serve the American people by strengthening and stewarding our environment," added Mashuda, "and we look forward to turning these concepts into reality."</p><p>Greenpeace USA senior oceans campaigner Arlo Hemphill warned that "protecting 30% of our oceans by 2030 is critical if we hope to restore America's rich ocean ecosystems and mitigate the worst impacts of climate change."</p><p>"The Ocean-Based Climate Solutions Act outlines an innovative and ambitious plan to couple this ocean protection with a new generation of Blue Economy jobs and a renewed, climate-ready vision for our nation's fisheries," he said. "This is an inspiring piece of legislation, and exactly what America needs right now."</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/10/20/advocates-welcome-inspiring-ocean-based-climate-solutions-act-exactly-what-america" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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The 1.35 million-acre Bears Ears National Monument in southeastern Utah protects one of most significant cultural landscapes in the U.S. Bob Wick, BLM / Flickr / CC by 2.0
By James R. Skillen
Presidential elections are anxious times for federal land agencies and the people they serve. The Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Forest Service manage more than a quarter of the nation's land, which means that a new president can literally reshape the American landscape.
<p>Federal influence is particularly significant in the Western U.S. Across the 11 states from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Coast, the federal government owns <a href="https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R42346.pdf" target="_blank">more than 45% of all land</a>. In Alaska it owns over 60%.</p><p>Voters have a striking choice this year. President Donald Trump entered office committed to the "<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/24/us/politics/stephen-bannon-cpac-speech.html" target="_blank">deconstruction of the administrative state</a>." His administration raced to reduce environmental planning and regulations and expand private development in pursuit of "<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/president-donald-j-trump-unleashing-american-energy-dominance/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">energy dominance</a>."</p>
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The U.S. government controls many types of protected land and subsurface minerals such as oil and gas, mainly in Western states. BLM/Wikipedia
<p>In contrast, Vice President Biden's campaign proposals for public lands remain fairly broad, but are largely consistent with the Obama administration's priorities. The most significant difference is Biden's pledge to <a href="https://joebiden.com/9-key-elements-of-joe-bidens-plan-for-a-clean-energy-revolution/#" target="_blank">end new fossil fuel leasing on public lands</a>.</p><p>How would each candidate fulfill these promises? As I explain in my new book, "<a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/this-land-is-my-land-9780197500699?cc=us&lang=en&" target="_blank">This Land Is My Land: Rebellion in the West</a>," public lands are a microcosm of today's polarized American politics.</p><p>On the right, mainstream conservatives and industrial corporations want <a href="https://theconversation.com/interior-secretary-zinke-invokes-teddy-roosevelt-as-model-but-his-public-land-policies-dont-84546" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reduced regulation and increased resource development</a>, while a more militantly anti-federal element of the Republican Party demands an <a href="https://theconversation.com/history-points-to-more-dangerous-malheur-style-standoffs-68134" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">end to public land ownership</a> altogether. On the left, mainstream Democrats want carefully regulated land management with <a href="https://www.outsideonline.com/2363781/what-election-meant-public-lands" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">increased margins of environmental protection</a>, but a vocal progressive wing is demanding that the federal government <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/beyond-green-new-deal-another-climate-cause-dividing-democrats-n996541" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">keep its fossil fuels in the ground</a>. These tensions raise questions about how far each candidate would go.</p>
<div id="b633c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6f5e4020e8a30cc88689ef4f8762e4f2"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1309336838549712896" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">The Trump administration is expected on Friday to finalize its plan to open about 9 million acres of Alaska’s Tonga… https://t.co/dxx4Yf2KeV</div> — The New York Times (@The New York Times)<a href="https://twitter.com/nytimes/statuses/1309336838549712896">1601005203.0</a></blockquote></div>
Republicans: Less Regulation, More Development
<p>Since Ronald Reagan ran 40 years ago as a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/01/04/even-sagebrush-rebel-ronald-reagan-couldnt-change-federal-land-use-in-the-west/" target="_blank">self-proclaimed</a> "<a href="https://www.hcn.org/articles/a-look-back-at-the-first-sagebrush-rebellion" target="_blank">sagebrush rebel</a>" who supported turning control of public lands back to Western states, Republicans have coalesced around a set of <a href="https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/open-business" target="_blank">common public land priorities</a>. They include reducing federal regulation, limiting the scope of environmental reviews and increasing natural resource development.</p><p>This approach has drawn support from natural resource industries, resource-dependent communities and a growing body of <a href="https://mslegal.org/" target="_blank">public interest law firms</a>, <a href="https://www.perc.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">think tanks</a>, <a href="https://www.alec.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">advocacy groups</a>, <a href="https://www.charleskochfoundation.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">foundations</a> and <a href="https://www.freedomworks.org/about/about-freedomworks" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">political action committees</a>. Their core libertarian conviction is that reducing government leads to prosperity.</p><p>The Trump administration has championed these priorities through actions that include shrinking several national monuments to <a href="https://theconversation.com/trumps-plan-to-dismantle-national-monuments-comes-with-steep-cultural-and-ecological-costs-77075" target="_blank">expand oil leasing</a>; preparing to <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/08/17/903239366/trump-administration-sets-plan-for-oil-drilling-in-arctic-refuge" target="_blank">open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil production</a>; and <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/ceq/nepa-modernization/" target="_blank">narrowing environmental reviews of major federal actions</a>. The full impact of these actions is hard to assess, since many face challenges in court, where the administration has <a href="https://policyintegrity.org/trump-court-roundup" target="_blank">fared poorly</a>. But their theme is clear: Public lands are <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-03-06/zinke-says-interior-should-be-a-partner-with-oil-companies" target="_blank">open for business</a>.</p><p>As part of this effort, the Trump administration <a href="https://theconversation.com/moving-bureau-of-land-management-headquarters-to-colorado-wont-be-good-for-public-lands-126990" target="_blank">moved the Bureau of Land Management's headquarters</a> from Washington, D.C., to Grand Junction, Colorado. The agency has <a href="https://www.eenews.net/stories/1062289841" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">struggled to staff the new building</a>, which it shares with several oil and gas companies.</p><p>A vocal element of the Republican Party challenges the federal government's authority to own and manage public lands at all. Some advocates have engaged in <a href="https://www.hcn.org/articles/malheur-occupation-oregon-ammon-bundy-public-lands-essay" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">armed confrontations</a> with federal authorities. Several Western states have <a href="http://vjel.vermontlaw.edu/files/2014/10/Lawton.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">enacted legislation</a> over the past decade demanding that the federal government transfer ownership of public lands and mineral rights to them.</p><p>President Trump has catered to this extreme wing while stopping short of meeting its explicit demands. He signaled support by appointing conservative activist William Perry Pendley as the Bureau of Land Management's functional acting director in July 2019 – a step that a federal court in Montana recently <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/518376-court-removes-pendley-from-role-as-public-lands-chief" target="_blank">ruled was illegal</a> because it bypassed a confirmation hearing. Pendley was known for <a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/author/william-perry-pendley/" target="_blank">staunch opposition to public land ownership</a> and years of litigation over public land management.</p><p>The president also has pardoned controversial figures who are embraced by opponents of public land authority, including <a href="https://theconversation.com/arpaio-pardon-could-encourage-more-civil-rights-violations-82813" target="_blank">former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio</a> and two <a href="https://www.npr.org/2018/07/10/627653866/president-trump-pardons-ranchers-dwight-and-steven-hammond-over-arson" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Oregon ranchers</a> convicted of arson on federal property.</p><p>Despite his administration's losses in court, I expect that if President Trump is reelected he will continue down this path of deregulation, resource development and deference to conservative Western interests, with occasional gestures of support to more radical conservatives.</p>
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Democrats: Scientific Management With Limited Development
<p>Recent Democratic presidents, from Jimmy Carter to Barack Obama, have <a href="https://kansaspress.ku.edu/978-0-7006-2127-9.html" target="_blank">championed federal environmental laws</a> that guide public land management, such as the National Environmental Policy Act and the Endangered Species Act. Democratic administrations have emphasized scientific monitoring and regulatory oversight while still supporting energy development and other commercial resource uses of public lands.</p><p>Vice President Biden's long <a href="https://scorecard.lcv.org/moc/joe-biden" target="_blank">environmental record</a> and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/13/us/politics/joe-biden-trump.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">campaign pledges</a> suggest that he will continue this approach. Biden has promised to <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-biden-square-off-over-environmental-regulations-11594917709" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reverse the Trump administration's deregulatory efforts</a>, <a href="https://www.backpacker.com/news-and-events/heres-how-the-presidential-candidates-public-lands-plans-stack-up" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">restore national monument boundaries</a> and manage energy development on public lands in ways that <a href="https://www.eenews.net/stories/1060477457" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">promote wind and solar energy</a> and gradually <a href="https://joebiden.com/9-key-elements-of-joe-bidens-plan-for-a-clean-energy-revolution/#" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">phase out fossil fuel development</a>.</p><p>But a Biden administration would face tensions within the Democratic Party as well. Progressives are calling for <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/21/climate/green-new-deal-questions-answers.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">more dramatic action to slow climate change</a>, including <a href="https://soto.house.gov/media/press-releases/soto-ocasio-cortez-sanders-merkley-unveil-bill-ban-fracking-nationwide" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">bans on hydraulic fracturing</a> for oil and gas production and on new oil, gas and coal leases on public lands. Biden has signaled <a href="https://joebiden.com/climate-plan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">strong support</a> for this agenda, but insists that hydraulic fracturing and fossil fuel development <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-biden-fracking/u-s-presidential-hopeful-biden-says-he-would-not-ban-fracking-idUSKBN25R2NI" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">will continue on existing leases</a>.</p><p>A Biden administration, then, would likely seek to <a href="https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/docs/clean_energy_record.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">restore President Obama's public lands legacy</a> and push beyond it with tighter limits on fossil fuel production.</p><span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="2ffd5396eda23b233575b6b9b1926bb2"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cCoxP79QYxM?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
Everybody Loves the Outdoors
<p>These sharply different visions can obscure the fact that there is substantial commitment to public lands, especially as places for hunting, fishing, camping and other recreational uses. This consensus was evident when Congress passed the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_American_Outdoors_Act" target="_blank">Great American Outdoors Act of 2020</a> in July with strong bipartisan support. With an eye on election polls, President Trump bragged that signing the bill made him the <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-environmental-accomplishments-people-florida-jupiter-fl/" target="_blank">greatest environmental president since George Washington</a>.</p><p>As I see it, this bill was popular because it did not address controversial questions like regulation or energy development. Instead it provided billions of dollars for maintaining roads, trails, visitor centers and other public land infrastructure. It also guaranteed permanent funding for the <a href="https://www.lwcfcoalition.com/about-lwcf" target="_blank">Land and Water Conservation Fund</a>, which uses money from federal fossil fuel royalties to protect valuable lands and waters from development.</p><p>That pairing suggests that public land ownership and fossil fuel development will both be part of the next administration. But the election will determine how these resources will be managed, and who will have the most influence over this process.</p>From Your Site Articles
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