Biden Announces Executive Actions on Climate Change, Stops Short of Declaring Emergency
Summary from the AllSides News Team
President Joe Biden pledged to take executive action on climate change during a Wednesday visit to a former coal-fired power plant in Somerset, MA.
Biden did not officially declare a climate emergency, as some had pressured him to do, but he did call climate change an “emergency,” “a clear and present danger” and “an existential threat.” He announced $2.3 billion from FEMA to mitigate climate disasters like heat waves and wildfires, touted several recently approved offshore wind projects, and called on Congress to pass legislation. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday that a formal emergency declaration was still “on the table.”
Recent Democratic efforts to pass climate legislation have so far failed to gain the necessary support of Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), a moderate from a state known for its coal mining history; Senate Republicans remain united in opposition to Democrats’ proposals. Some climate provisions were included in 2021’s bipartisan infrastructure bill and the American Rescue Plan.
Coverage was more common earlier in the day than it was after Biden’s remarks. While coverage was limited in right-rated outlets, some major left-rated outlets featured live coverage of the announcement.
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From the Center
Biden labels climate change an ‘emergency,’ stopping short of declaration
President Biden labeled climate change as an “emergency” on Wednesday but stopped short of declaring a national emergency following pressure from climate advocates.
In a speech at a former coal plant in Somerset, Mass., Biden also pledged to take action to combat the threat of climate change after congressional action stalled.
From the Right
Biden spews CO2 on trip to Massachusetts for speech on climate change
President Biden traveled to Massachusetts on Air Force One Wednesday to speak about the “climate crisis” linked to use of fossil fuels — pumping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere in the process.
With the presidential aircraft scheduled to land in Warwick, Rhode Island, Biden will then join a largely gasoline-powered motorcade to travel 25 miles to Brayton Point Power Station — a onetime coal-burning plant that is being refurbished to support offshore windmill-generated energy — in Somerset, Mass.
From the Left
Facing legislative failure, Biden announces incremental climate initiatives
As President Biden's climate ambitions continue to languish in the Senate, he traveled to the site of a former coal power plant in Massachusetts to announce new funding designed to help communities bear extreme heat, as well as tout the country's developing offshore wind industry.
"As president, I have the responsibility to act with urgency and resolve when our nation faces clear and present danger. And that's what climate change is about," Biden said. "It is literally — not figuratively — a clear and present danger."
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