One can thank Joe Manchin and, to a lesser extent, Kyrsten Sinema for derailing President Biden’s agenda to the point that Biden may declare a national climate emergency in the very near future, according to the Washington Post. President Biden is in the unenviable position where climate change is no longer an inchoate threat to our grandchildren, it is here, now, as temperatures continue to rise and take a brutal toll on people and industry. And yet the necessary measures will have no immediate threat.
But someone has to be the grown-up and take responsibility, and Biden looks to be stepping up to be that person after learning that Manchin will not support the economic package that contained massive investments in curbing carbon emissions. According to the Washington Post:
President Biden is considering declaring a national climate emergency as soon as this week as he seeks to salvage his environmental agenda in the wake of stalled talks on Capitol Hill, according to three people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private deliberations.
If an emergency is invoked, it could empower the Biden administration in its efforts to reduce carbon emissions and foster cleaner energy.
Two of the individuals with knowledge of the discussions said also they expect the president to announce a slew of additional actions aimed at curbing planet-warming emissions. The exact scope and timing of any announcements remain in flux.
Despite the obviousness of the need for action, Biden faces a whole host of problems in moving forward. First, it is difficult enough to propose curbing oil exports and offshore drilling in the best of times, given that Americans cherish their immediate comfort and convenience more than worrying about “it being hot out,” but it’s especially so when gas prices are already very high. (Though we have seen eight straight weeks of decreasing prices). Furthermore, any action Biden takes will surely be litigated into oblivion and will eventually bump against a SCOTUS that isn’t interested in ruling on behalf of any Democrat, never mind on something that might help the environment at the cost of the oil industry.
This can has been kicked down the road by nearly every president and every congress since 1990 precisely because there will be no immediate benefit, and we are not a mature enough people to enact programs that may take two generations to see any benefit.
There are emerging strategies to at least avoid some of the near-term harm, one of which includes literally shooting sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere, akin to volcanoes, to reflect sunlight back into the atmosphere. The bad news is that the effect only lasts two years. The good news is that it only lasts two years if it has unforeseen consequences. The really bad news is that the MAGAs are conspiracy-based people as is, and such a program would send them into hysterics.
Remarkably, President Dwight Eisenhower not only saw the problems associated with plundering the earth and warned the American people about it but also the impact it would have on democracy. In a little-known portion of the military-industrial complex speech, Ike said:
As we peer into society’s future, we-you and I, and our government-must avoid the impulse to live only for today, plundering, for our own ease and convenience, the precious resources of tomorrow. We cannot mortgage the material assets of our grandchildren without risking the loss also of their political and spiritual heritage. We want democracy to survive for all generations to come, not to become the insolvent phantom of tomorrow.
At least the current president is doing what he can now, sixty years later, as the truth hits home.
@JasonMiciak believes a day without learning is a day not lived. He is a political writer, features writer, author, and attorney. He is a Canadian-born dual citizen who spent his teen and college years in the Pacific Northwest and has since lived in seven states. He now enjoys life as a single dad of a young girl, writing from the beaches of the Gulf Coast. He loves crafting his flower pots, cooking, and currently studies philosophy of science, religion, and non-math principles behind quantum mechanics and cosmology. Please feel free to contact for speaking engagements or any concerns.