CLIMATE ACTION/ENVIRONMENT ECONOMY INFLATION REDUCTION ACT

The Inflation Reduction Act Allocates Nearly $20 Billion For Agricultural Programs Increasing Conservation And Lowering Carbon Emissions

As part of President Joe Biden’s massive signature Inflation Reduction Act, $20 Billion was allocated to various programs that protect family farms from the effects of climate change farmers are already experiencing, as well as reducing carbon emissions and creating more efficient uses of energy in farming. Among the programs receiving funding are projects that sequester carbon and reduce nitrous-oxide emissions.

CHIPS AND SCIENCE ACT CLIMATE ACTION/ENVIRONMENT ECONOMY INFLATION REDUCTION ACT

Global Clean Energy Spending Projected To Exceed $2 Trillion This Year, In No Small Part Because Of The Inflation Reduction Act

Global spending on clean energy is projected to go to $2 Trillion this year. It is double the amount being spent on fossil fuels in the same time period. The US portion of that spending is set to increase by $300 Billion, in part because of Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act and the CHIPS and Science Act. A major chunk of that spending is on renewables.

BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW CLIMATE ACTION/ENVIRONMENT ECONOMY INFRASTRUCTURE JOBS

The Biden Administration Makes A Massive Investment In Infrastructure Through The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

As of the second anniversary of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (November, 2023), the amount of money spent and projects that have been initiated is unprecedented. As opposed to President Trump’s frequent announcements of “Infrastructure Week” when nothing actually happened, President Joe Biden has, as of last year, deployed nearly $400 Billion on over 40,000 projects in 4,500 communities around the country. A partial list of areas of projects is here. It includes roads and bridges, rail, ports and waterways, electricity, and transit rail, among other things.

CLIMATE ACTION/ENVIRONMENT EXECUTIVE ACTION

Biden Raises Mileage Requirements For New Cars For The Years 2027-2031

President Joe Biden and his National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have released new rules bringing the aggregate mileage for all new vehicles to around 38mpg by 2031, and, for passenger cars, nearly 49mpg. Biden has also set a goal that half of all cars sold in 2030 will be electric. While environmentalists believe these requirements are not stringent enough, if Trump is elected, he has pledged to scale all of these requirements back.

CLIMATE ACTION/ENVIRONMENT EXECUTIVE ACTION INFLATION REDUCTION ACT INFRASTRUCTURE SOCIAL JUSTICE

Biden’s EPA Awards $7 Billion To Winners Of Its “Solar For All” Grant Competition In Underserved And Disinvested Communities

Celebrating Earth Day, 2024, President Joe Biden’s Environmental Protection Agency awarded $7 billion to applicants for deployment of solar to “deploy residential and community solar, integrated storage and cover related upgrades in underserved and disinvested communities throughout the country.“

CLIMATE ACTION/ENVIRONMENT ECONOMY EXECUTIVE ACTION HEALTH CARE INFRASTRUCTURE LEGISLATION

Biden Provides Pennsylvania $16.7 Billion In Infrastructure, Clean Energy, and Affordable Housing, Among Many Other Initiatives

President Joe Biden has directed nearly $17b in funding to the Keystone State for energy conservation, clean water, more affordable medications, improved roads and bridges, better internet connectivity, and may more areas. “Infrastructure Week may have been a punchline but no more,” White House Deputy Chief of Staff Natalie Quillian said on a conference call with reporters.

CLIMATE ACTION/ENVIRONMENT EXECUTIVE ACTION

Biden Moves To End Coal Leasing In Nation’s Top Coal Mining Area

President Joe Biden’s Bureau of Land Management has issued rulings ending new coal leasing in the nation’s most productive coal mining area, the Powder River Basin of Wyoming and Montana. The move should keep 6 billion tons of highly polluting coal in the ground. “This is a monumental decision that will save lives, safeguard our environment, and significantly cut carbon emissions in the United States,” said Drew Caputo, vice president of litigation for lands, wildlife, and oceans at Earthjustice.

BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW CLIMATE ACTION/ENVIRONMENT ECONOMY EXECUTIVE ACTION INFRASTRUCTURE JOBS

Biden Brings Nevada and California $3 Billion In Funding For The Rail Line Connecting The Los Angeles Area With Las Vegas

President Joe Biden secured $3 Billion in funding for the high-speed rail connecting Los Angeles with Las Vegas. It will be a 2 hour ride from Rancho Cucamonga in the Inland Empire to Las Vegas. He also announced $3 Billion in funding for the rail line that could ultimately connect Los Angeles and San Francisco, currently being built in the California Central Valley. The train to Las Vegas will alleviate frequent traffic problems and reduce carbon emissions, increasing access to Vegas.

BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW CLIMATE ACTION/ENVIRONMENT EXECUTIVE ACTION INFLATION REDUCTION ACT LEGISLATION

Biden Has Taken More Climate Action Than Any President In History

The recently released Climate Powers Memo states the President Joe Biden has taken over 300 climate actions, the most in history. The Center For American Progress details the many ways Biden has taken strong action to protect the enviromment and address the climate crisis, many of which have appeared on this website previously.

While I generally avoid discussing the previous president, it is important to note that Donald Trump has recently asked oil executives for $1b in campaign contributions, and, in exchange, those executives have begun drafting executive actions that would, among other things, roll back as many of Biden’s actions as possible. The contrast is clear.

CLIMATE ACTION/ENVIRONMENT EXECUTIVE ACTION

The Biden Administration Announces New Rules To Strengthen The Protection Of Public Lands

President Joe Biden has finalized a new rule for public land management that puts the concept of conservation on equal footing with those attempting to drill for oil or graze cattle, among other things, on public lands. The Bureau of Land Management currently has over 380,000 square miles under management. This rule changes the BLM from “industry friendly” to a more balanced approach to land management.

CLIMATE ACTION/ENVIRONMENT EXECUTIVE ACTION SOCIAL JUSTICE

Biden Administration Restricts Oil And Gas Leasing On 13 Million Acres Of Alaskan Wilderness

On April 19, 2024, President Joe Biden struck a blow for conservation, Alaska’s indigenous populations, and endangered species in taking this action, which also included the rejection of an application for a 210 mile road through the Alaskan wilderness. In a statement, President Biden said that Alaska’s “majestic and rugged lands and waters are among the most remarkable and healthy landscapes in the world,” are critical to Alaska Native communities, and “demand our protection.” The Tanana Chiefs Conference, an Alaska Native nonprofit corporation, said the administration’s “choice to reject the Ambler Road Project is a monumental step forward in the fight for Indigenous rights and environmental justice.” 

CLIMATE ACTION/ENVIRONMENT ECONOMY EXECUTIVE ACTION FOREIGN POLICY

Biden Administration Cements Closer Ties With Japan, Countering Increasing Chinese Presence In The Indo-Pacific

President Joe Biden hosted Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for a state dinner at the White House, part of his visit in which the US and Japan announced a number of important financial, technologicial, and military initiatives. The two nations will also welcome President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. for tri-lateral talks, strenghtening US presence in the Philippines, again, as part of an effort to offset China’s increasing presence in the area. Over 70 deals between the US and Japan were announced, including technology partnerships, and assistance from Japan on the development of high speed trains in the US. Manay of the initiatives are intended to address climate concerns, including a partnership in the development of fusion energy.

CLIMATE ACTION/ENVIRONMENT EXECUTIVE ACTION HEALTH CARE PUBLIC SAFETY SOCIAL JUSTICE

The EPA Issues New Regulations Cutting Cancer Causing Emissions From Chemical Plants, Particularly Where Those Plants Are Near Residential Neighborhoods

The new regulations, issued by the EPA under the direction of President Joe Biden, will primarily affect people living near industrial sites. Those people are disproportionately poor and people of color. The new rule would, among other things, cut toxic pollutants by 6,200 tons annually and reduce emissions of ethylene oxide and chloroprene by 80 percent. Biden again demonstrates that he is making government work for all Americans, in that these regulations will largely benefit communities in Louisiana, Texas, other locations on the Gulf Coast, West Virginia, and the Ohio River Valley, predominantly red states Biden is aware will not be voting for him in November. A more detailed list of the regulations is in this EPA Press Release.

CLIMATE ACTION/ENVIRONMENT LEGISLATION VETERANS

President Biden Signs The PACT Act To Address Service Members’ Exposure To Burn Pits And Other Toxins

In August, 2022 President Joe Biden signed the PACT Act, which gives potential relief to service members who were exposed to toxins in the line of duty, and to their families. In its second year, the PACT Act has driven a 30 percent increase in VA healthcare enrollment. According to The Wounded Warrior Project, the PACT Act represents the largest expansion of benefits for veterans and their survivors in decades.

BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW CLIMATE ACTION/ENVIRONMENT EXECUTIVE ACTION HEALTH CARE PUBLIC SAFETY

The Biden Administration Regulates The Presence Of “Forever Chemicals” In Our Drinking Water

On April 10, 2024, the EPA, at the direction of President Joe Biden, has set stringent new standards regarding the presence of certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS, in the US drinking water supply. This is the first time the US has ever regulated these toxic, cancer-causing chemicals. The Biden Administration is deploying funds allocated in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to help fund states’ efforts to test and treat their local water supplies to attempt to eliminate PFAs.

CLIMATE ACTION/ENVIRONMENT EXECUTIVE ACTION

Biden Restores Protection of Bears Ears And Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments Gutted By The Previous President

In October, 2021, President Joe Biden reversed the previous administration’s elimination of protections on significant pieces of the sacred and spectacularly beautiful Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments. These protections have been restored and the protected areas have been expanded. And, because competence matters as much as good intent, the executive actions were written well enough to survive the inevitable attack by the state of Utah. Aside from the unspoiled beauty of these monuments, they are also the birthplace of many Hopi and other indigenous peoples.

CLIMATE ACTION/ENVIRONMENT EXECUTIVE ACTION INFLATION REDUCTION ACT LEGISLATION

In His First 18 Months, Biden Signs Numerous Executive Orders Addressing Climate Change And The Environment

Prior to the Inflation Reduction Act providing massive funding for climate related matters, President Joe Biden had signed many executive orders battling climate change and stimulating the economy at the same time, including, among other actions:

  • a moratorium on the Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing Program
  • requiring half of all cars and light trucks sold in 2030 to be zero emission
  • improving access to safe drinking water, and
  • strengthening the nation’s forests in collaboration with local and tribal governments
CLIMATE ACTION/ENVIRONMENT EXECUTIVE ACTION SOCIAL JUSTICE

Biden Picks Deb Haaland To Run The Department Of Interior, First Indigenous Person Ever To Hold A Cabinet Position

Not only did President Joe Biden choose an indigenous woman to run a major governmental department and sit in the Cabinet, but the choice was the Department of Interior, which deals with our protected lands and natural resources, covers the Bureau of Indian Affairs, among other very important matters for all Americans, including our indigenous populations. Deb Haaland has been an environmental warrior, and an advocate of the rights of the indigenous peoples of the US.

BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW CLIMATE ACTION/ENVIRONMENT HEALTH CARE INFRASTRUCTURE LEGISLATION SOCIAL JUSTICE

Biden Administration Announces $5.8 Billion In Funding To Clean Up Nation’s Drinking Water, Upgrade Infrastructure

Ripped from today’s (well, now yesterday’s) headlines. President Joe Biden has been pushing the elimination of lead pipes from our nation’s infrastructure since he took office, and continues that effort today, with the allocation of an additional $5.8 billion for this effort. This funding comes from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW CLIMATE ACTION/ENVIRONMENT INFLATION REDUCTION ACT LEGISLATION

Biden Administration Makes Record Climate Investment

As part of the Inflation Reduction Act, the US has made a $369 billion investment in battling climate change, the largest such investment in U.S. history.

Included in the investments are:

  • Investments in electric vehicles
  • Investments in EV infrastrucure
  • Clean fuel production and adoption
  • Manufacturing Incentives including provisions aimed at boosting domestic manufacturing of clean energy and transportation technologies, including tax credits and grants for companies involved in the production of EV batteries, electric vehicles, and renewable energy components.
  • Public transit and infrastructure. Taken together with the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the IRA supports the further development of public transit.

For a deeper dive, here’s an article on the subject.

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