Last Tuesday a massive climate and tax bill was signed into law by US President Joe Biden. Scientists and concerned individuals around the world are welcoming this long overdue legislation. Why has it taken so long for us to do something effective about climate change?
The Paris Agreement was formed was adopted in 2015 by 196 nations to limit global warming by reducing greenhouse emissions worldwide. President Donald Trump withdrew the US from the Paris Agreement in 2017 contending that it would “undermine” the U.S. economy, and put the U.S. “at a permanent disadvantage.” This decision confounded the world community and has allowed climate change to continue on. The Biden Plan for a Clean Energy Revolution and Environmental Justice was a contributing factor in the Biden/Harris 2020 win. On the day he took office President Biden rejoined The Paris Agreement giving the US a new direction.
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) is the first meaningful domestic action that the United States has taken to reduce its emissions, which grew by 6.2 percent during 2021 and overall remains second only to China. The bill makes a historic investment of $369 billion in climate action over the next decade through clean energy deployment, domestic manufacturing, and pollution reduction. The odd name of this bill, The Inflation Reduction Act, reflects the insane effort that it took to get everyone aboard the “clean energy” cruise liner.
The current 50/50 political situation of the US Senate required the vote of Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia to pass this bill. He would not cooperate unless new investments were also made in the existing fossil fuel industry. Manchin says that he supports investments in the technologies needed for all fuel types – from hydrogen, nuclear, renewables, and fossil fuels. Consequently fossil fuel facilities will be operating for longer than was originally desired, but an imperfect bill is thought to be better than no bill at all.
President Biden Signing the Climate Bill
Aside from attempting to offset inflationary forces, the new climate bill will specifically bring down consumer energy costs, increase American energy security, while hopefully reducing greenhouse gas emissions. While Climate Justice is mentioned, it is not a prime consideration. Grassroots environmental organizations point point out that the harm to communities located near fossil fuel sites may outweigh any climate benefits. They fear that the hazardous conditions will worsen for the poor who live every day with far more pollution than other populations. It is crazy that in striving for a safer and healthier world we give special benefits to the existing interests that are destroying human health and setting the world weather askew.
“It might seem a bit incongruous to people why we are rewarding the people whose emissions are driving the temperature of the Earth up and causing massive destruction,” Senator Bernie Sanders from New Hampshire remarks, “but that is in fact what this bill does.”
Earth’s daily temperature is rising
straight up. The deniers say it is a lie.
Climate scientist stand by it.
Maybe we should look to the thoughts of Professor Michael E. Mann of Pennsylvania State University. He and two scientists, Raymond S. Bradley and Malcolm K. Hughes scared the hell out concerned individuals by introducing the “hockey stick” graph of climate change in Nature back in 1998. The chart was an attempt to put the disturbing data from hundreds of scientific studies in a format that an average person could understand. This chart revealed that the temperature of the planet is rising at an alarming rate and if not lowered soon, our environment will become uninhabitable. Instead of taking the bad news to heart, those with significant financial interests have attempted to disprove the information and ignore the developing crisis.
“Public discourse has been polluted now for decades by corporate-funded disinformation – not just with climate change but with a host of health, environmental and societal threats. The implications for the planet are grim.”
~ Michael E. Mann
“Public discourse has been polluted now for decades by corporate-funded disinformation – not just with climate change but with a host of health, environmental and societal threats. The implications for the planet are grim.”
~ Michael E. Mann
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  #34 TUE CAP 12/28/1965 Michael Evan Mann |
Michael Evan Mann was born on a Tuesday in the zodiac sign of Capricorn. Mars is the ruler of his INNER SELF and Saturn governs his OUTER SELF. Individuals born with the #34 TUE CAP signature do not shirk from difficult or dire matters. They are drawn into complicated situations by the need of others or to prove something. A great many appear to have hero complexes.
Mars and Saturn are the prime karmic planets. They make things happen and stop them in their tracks. They bring out the worst in any situation, but their energies can also make things right. For instance, it is doubtful that the destruction now occurring from extreme weather can be quickly halted or easily restored. Implementing new solutions is the only workable option.
Karma, as awful as it seems sometimes, is always fair. We cannot expect to exploit and degrade our environment and not suffer from it. As it is said what goes around, comes around. Still karma isn’t always bad, particularly when it pushes us to update our thought patterns and daily habits. Let’s hope that this new bill and others like it, push us to think creatively and act quickly.
Michael Mann serves on the advisory board of The Climate Mobilization, an advocacy group calling for a national economic mobilization against climate change on the scale of the home front during World War II. It’s goal is 100% clean energy and net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2025. This would not be easily be achieved but it’s the tough action we need right now.
