‘By P. Sarojini’
New York,USA(CWBN)_ Ahead of US Election 2020, the two presidential candidates Donald Trump and Joe Biden discussed their policies and future plans on various issues such as environment and climate change, immigration, healthcare, covid 19 pandemic, education, national security, economy, racial equality, gun control, criminal justice and foreign trade. The two candidates seem to have different opinions and policies on many issues. Here are their policies on environment and climate change.
Biden’s policies and plans on environment and climate change:
The former Vice President and the Democratic candidate Joe Biden considers climate change an emergency and has promised to rejoin the Paris agreement. He has a plan to conduct a global climate summit to set more ambitious and enforceable rules for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Biden has an ambitious clean energy plan worth $2 trillion that aims at reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. He has planned for a set of research and development goals throughout his first term. Biden said that his plan for the auto industry will create 1 million new jobs. He said that he will focus on modernizing American infrastructure and will invest on clean energy to cut down emissions and make climate-focused advances in both the auto and transportation industries.
Biden had promised to free the power sector form carbon pollution by 2035. Also, he had promised for energy upgrades to 4 million buildings and will weatherize 2 million homes across the country and build 1.5 million sustainable homes and housing units. Biden said that he is keen about environmental justice and hence, pledged to allocate 40% of his clean energy plan’s investments toward minority and lower-income communities who are more often affected by climate change and pollution.
Biden’s views on various aspects of environment:
When it comes to fossil fuels, Biden seems to follow Obama administration. Regarding fossil fuels, Biden said he would end fossil fuel subsidies. Regarding pipeline projects, Biden promised he would end Keystone XL pipeline project. Concerning oil regulation, Biden said he will not ban fracking, but will oppose new permits for oil development on public lands and will also ban offshore drilling. Discussing on coal, he said that cheap renewable energy has eliminated US demand for new coal plants. The climate policy of Biden says that he plans to rejoin the Paris Agreement. Biden has planned to invest $2 trillion to reach zero emissions by 2050. The comprehensive climate plan of Biden aims at achieving 100% clean electricity by 2035 and net-zero emissions by 2050.
Regarding the renewables, Biden supports rapid new innovations and plans to use the renewable energy market as a major job creator. He promised to double offshore wind production by 2030. Biden plans to drive the spread of electric vehicles and says he wants strict fuel-efficiency standards. He plans to cut building emissions by 2035. Regarding Nuclear energy, Biden supports developing small-scale nuclear reactors. Biden aims at strengthening the pollution laws. He is planning to establish an environmental justice division which will increase enforcement against polluters. Regarding his views on plastic, he mentioned plastic as a threat to safe water in his climate plan. Biden said he supports phasing out single-use plastics.
Regarding Biden’s plans for conservation of land, water and wildlife, he aims at conserving 30 percent of America’s land and water by 2030. He also supports and encourages to increase reforestation projects. Biden also promised to restore and protect several areas opened up by the Trump administration. He said he will ban new oil and gas permits on public land and water. Biden’s comprehensive climate plan promises to protect biodiversity, slow extinction rates and natural resources of the country.
Trump’s policies and plans on environment and climate change:
The President and the Republican candidate Donald Trump called climate change a hoax and has taken steps to remove the US from the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, in which 195 signatories set voluntary limits on greenhouse gas emissions. Trump said he will give priorities to clean water and air and he is aiming to boost production of oil and natural gas. He mentioned the country’s record on clean air during his administration.
Trump has allocated additional funding for the national parks, wild life and public lands and $38 billion towards the project ‘clean water infrastructure’. He also supported the removal of garbage from the oceans. The President has reversed many of the climate policies followed during the Obama administration. Trump also attempted to push policies that back the coal industry, in spite of the sector’s continued longer-term decline.
Trump’s views on various aspects of environment:
Regarding the pipeline projects, Trump favors the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines. Trump restarted the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipeline projects, both of which had been banned during the Obama administration. Regarding the fossil fuels, Trump supports continuous growth of the fossil fuel industry. Concerning oil regulation, Trump supported unrestricted fracking. Trump ended new lease for coal production and he opened most coastal waters to offshore oil and gas drilling. He planned a project in Gulf of Mexico for a 78-million-acre oil lease sale. Discussing on Trump’s climate policy, he took steps to remove the US from the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. He stopped contribution to UN International Green Climate Fund. Trump rolled back many of Obama’s emission rules and has not announced a comprehensive climate plan to tackle climate change.
Trump changed most of Obama’s rules that encouraged the growth of renewable energy. Trump spiked Obama’s Clean Power Rule that aimed on reducing greenhouse gas emission from power plants and also supported growth of solar and wind power. Trump worked on increasing nuclear energy and uranium production. Trump said that advancement in nuclear energy is one of his major accomplishments. He ended higher fuel-economy standard for cars and trucks. Regarding plastics, Trump made attempts to focus on recycling to reduce plastic waste. Has dismissed single-use plastic bans. Concerning pollution, Trump weakened and rolled back several rules that aimed at protecting water. He did budget cuts to many cleanup programs. Regarding conservation of wildlife, many endangered species were lost under Trump administration. In an attempt to protect lands, Trump dramatically shrank some national monuments on land and at sea, but added 1.3 million acres of wilderness areas.
On comparing the policies and future plans of both the presidential candidates, the Democratic candidate Joe Biden’s policies seem to coincide with Obama policies, which were appreciated and favored by many people. Moreover, Biden’s future plans focus on the betterment of the country and people. Trump’s policies and plans seem to contradict with the policies of Biden and Obama. Trump has changed and ended most of Obama administration’s rules which were functioning well in the past. Trump’s administration and his future plans also contradict with his own policies on climate change. To note, according to the data from Global Carbon Project in 2018, the report listed the top four highest emitters in 2017 which are China (27 per cent), the US (15 per cent), the European Union (10 per cent) and India (7 per cent), accounting for 58 per cent of global emission. Hence, US was the second largest emitter under Trump’s administration.
