This Earth Month bristles with an optimism not seen in years, as President Biden unveils his American Jobs Plan, and presents a Presidential Cabinet consisting of members who acknowledge the reality of Climate Change and are driven by the need to combat its negative effects.
The Jobs Plan is being introduced as the nation and the world continue to battle the most virulent pandemic in a century, with over one-half million American lives lost in a single year, and the death toll continuing to climb. The virus also ground the US economy almost to a halt, leaving millions unemployed. New vaccines hold the promise of an end to this pandemic, but as it mutates into even more dangerous strains, the battle rages on. The American Jobs Plan is the answer to rebuilding the US economy, and as President Biden says, to “build back better".
But can this ultra-ambitious Jobs Plan also kickstart the rapid growth of a green, clean economy? And will it even be able to get off the ground, as it faces a wall of Republican opposition, and resistance even from some members of the Democratic Party? Only time will tell. But the American Jobs Plan tackles climate change, and that is essential to ensuring that there is future we can all live with.
The American Jobs Plan and the Environment
The $2 trillion plan could be likened to a 21st Century New Deal, with a focus on infrastructure and jobs, and with the protection and preservation of the environment at its center.
The plan is broadly focused on four major areas:
Republicans question the need for such a comprehensive plan, and balk at the eye-popping price tag. However, from the perspective of the state of climate change, that price seems miniscule in comparison to the dangers we face.
The State of the Planet
The past decade was the hottest on record, with 2020 more than 1.2C hotter than the average day in the 19th century. High temperatures triggered the largest wildfires ever in the US, and a raging “black summer” of fires in eastern Australia.
Oceans, which cover 70% of the Earth’s surface, are heating up even faster than anticipated. Why should we worry? As greenhouse gasses (GHGs) trap more heat from the sun, oceans absorb more heat. While that’s helpful in mitigating some effects of climate change on the atmosphere, it’s bad for sea life. By storing large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) our oceans are becoming more acidic. The changing chemistry of the oceans is detrimental to corrals and shellfish as it hinders them in building their skeletons and shells, and affects the biodiversity of the entire ocean.
Coupled with the increasing acidity of our oceans is the rise in sea level. Since the 1950s the rise in sea level has increased to more than an inch per decade. That may not sound like much, but the result has been an increase in coastal flooding and land loss. Areas in states like Florida and Louisiana that once saw occasional street flooding are already experiencing this phenomena as a regular event. And states are now grappling with the reality of impending land loss. In California, some of the most pristine and expensive coastal lands are expected to be underwater in as little as 50 years, prompting questions of how to preserve the value of multi-million dollar homes lining these areas.
It’s not just coastal areas under siege. More intense periods of heavy rains coupled with longer dry seasons are impacting farmlands. Rising average temperatures are beginning to have an impact as well, diminishing the viability of crops, increasing the occurrence of pests, weeds and new pathogens, and even affecting livestock.
The American Jobs Plan - Transportation
The transportation sector contributes ??% of GHG emissions. The Biden Jobs Plan would place a strong emphasis on the development of the electric vehicle (EV) market in the US. Currently that market is three times smaller than China’s, and President Biden wants to put the pedal to the metal to take the lead. To accomplish that goal the plan allocates $174B and covers everything from supply chains to retooled auto factories. EV sales rebates and incentives, and a national network of 500,000 EV chargers by 2030 are expected to incentivize sales in the market. Diesel transit vehicles, school buses, and even the federal fleet will also become electrified. If the administration accomplishes these ambitious goals, the impact on air quality would be significant.
The American Jobs Plan – Quality of Life
The quality of life in America is directly impacted by the environment, and with climate change as a major contributing factor, that quality is declining.
Last year alone, the US experienced 22 major climate disasters that cost nearly $100B in damage to homes, businesses, and public infrastructure. From wildfires to severe floods, people and entire communities were displaced and now face months or years of effort to rebuild what has been lost. And we know some families never recover. People of color and low-income groups are more likely to live in areas more vulnerable to the most damaging effects of climate change, and are the least able to quickly recover. The American Jobs Plan includes $50B for investments to improvement in infrastructure resilience.
Under international agreement and by UN declaration, access to clean water is a right, yet more than 30 million Americans live in areas where water systems violate safety rules, according to EPA data. Communities across the country continue to struggle with water contamination issues. Flint Michigan is the most well-known story, but there are so many others, from Newark, New Jersey to Compton, California. Aging infrastructure, legacy pollution and new emerging contaminants make the “right to clean water” a huge issue. But the Biden Jobs Plan intends to tackle it.
Replacing all of the nation’s lead pipes, and upgrading and modernizing the drinking water, wastewater and stormwater systems are intrinsic to the plan, along with investment in rural small water systems. Clean water is a right for all Americans, and clearly a priority to the Biden Administration.
The American Jobs Plan – Caregivers
The COVID-19 pandemic brought into sharp focus the challenges families face in caring for children, the aged and the disabled. Many workers must care for both young children and aging parents – resulting in lost productivity and added family stress. The Jobs Plan allocates $400B to expand access to quality, affordable care for the elderly and disabled. It also calls to increase the pay of caregivers, who are often women of color and receive substandard wages.
The American Jobs Plan – R&D
Acknowledging that America can’t remain the dominant world power expecting 20th century technology solutions to adequately manage 21st century challenges, the Biden Jobs Plan calls for a significant investment in technology research and development. Tech advancements such as pavements that actually recycle carbon dioxide could become a reality thanks to a boost in R&D funding.
With a focus on climate, the administration also intends to use its purchasing power to promote clean energy deployment by purchasing 24/7 clean power for federal buildings. The goal -- meet an ambitious target of 100% clean energy by 2035.
That plan also includes restoration -- capping orphan oil wells and restoring neglected lands. America is peppered with abandoned coal, hardrock and uranium mines that have been polluting the land, water and air for decades.
President Biden anticipates full implementation of the American Jobs Plan by 2035. Targeting just 15 years to essentially reinvent the way America moves, works and lives, that timeframe is more than ambitious. But the deadline for mitigating climate change to avoid the tipping point of 2.0-degrees C is looming even larger. The current estimate is that we have 10 years – until 2030 -- to reduce GHG and CO2 levels sufficiently to avoid the tipping point. That’s five years earlier that the Plan’s implementation goal; worse yet, some effects of climate change are happening even faster than scientists have predicted.
Yes, the American environment may be in bloom this Earth Month thanks to an administration that places sanity and science over “earth is flat” ignorance, but this is not the time to breathe a sigh of relief. Opponents of the Biden Jobs Plan decry its scope and expense. Yet nothing less than the health of the planet and most of its occupants is at stake. Perhaps for some, clean air, clean water, and unpolluted lands are less important than “holding the line” on spending. But in reality, that view is terribly myopic. A resurging economy and cleaner air, land and water are, well … priceless.
We remain in a race against time; perhaps a race against extinction. And for everyone – rich and poor included -- the cost of waiting too late to address critical needs could mean paying the ultimate price. This Earth Month, lets hope the nation truly renews its commitment to forging a sustainable future. Lets hope that Earth is indeed in bloom.
