January 16, 2025
3 min learn
‘Powerful Forces’ Threaten Local weather Motion, Biden Warns
In his farewell deal with, President Biden warned {that a} highly effective “oligarchy” may undo 4 years of progress on local weather coverage
President Joe Biden speaks from the Oval Workplace of the White Home as he provides his farewell deal with Wednesday.
Mandel Ngan – Pool/Getty Photos
CLIMATEWIRE | President Joe Biden used the primary half of his 17-minute farewell deal with Wednesday evening to tout his achievements over the previous 4 years, highlighting infrastructure and local weather laws that created new jobs throughout the nation.
Then it acquired darkish.
Talking from the Oval Workplace, Biden warned {that a} highly effective “oligarchy” threatens U.S. democracy — and is working to decrease and destroy his local weather coverage. He mentioned local weather change was among the many most dire threats dealing with the nation and that he was involved in regards to the destiny of his landmark local weather regulation, the Inflation Discount Act. The regulation included nearly $400 billion in clear vitality spending — which President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to claw again.
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“We’ve proven we don’t have to choose between protecting the environment and growing the economy, we’re doing both,” Biden mentioned. “The powerful forces want to wield their unchecked influence to eliminate the steps we’ve taken to tackle the climate crisis, to serve their own interest for power and profit.”
Biden by no means named Trump immediately. However he blamed a fog of misinformation for deceptive the American individuals. The free press was “crumbling,” he mentioned. Social media fact-checkers have been eradicated, he mentioned — referencing tech big Meta’s current announcement that it will not use fact-checkers.
“I’m equally concerned about the potential rise of a tech industrial complex that could pose real dangers for our country as well,” Biden mentioned. “Americans are being buried under an avalanche of misinformation and disinformation, enabling the abuse of power.”
Biden’s deal with made it clear that he’s involved his local weather legacy is below menace. He oversaw probably the most aggressive local weather plan in U.S. historical past — and a few of its impacts, like boosting clear vitality manufacturing and electrical automobiles, will possible survive the Trump administration.
However Biden’s local weather efforts will even now face a four-year frontal assault. Trump needs to repeal or weaken as a lot of the Inflation Discount Act as attainable, and he’ll start concentrating on rules on fossil fuels with an anticipated flurry of government orders as quickly as he takes workplace.
Gone would be the president who steadily referred to as local weather change “an existential threat.” Seated on the Resolute desk will likely be a president who guarantees to “drill, baby, drill.”
Trump has promised that the federal government’s assist of EVs is now over. He’ll remodel a White Home now centered on getting all federal businesses to think about local weather become one decided to ramp up fossil gasoline manufacturing as shortly as attainable.
And whereas Biden elevated the variety of federal staff centered on local weather change, carbon emissions reductions and environmental justice, Trump’s incoming Cupboard officers have promised to purge them.
Within the ultimate moments of his Oval Workplace speech, simply days away from finishing practically a half-century in public workplace, Biden ended with a small be aware of hope.
“After 50 years of public service, I give you my word, I still believe in the idea for which this nation stands, where the strengths of our institutions and the character of our people matter and must endure,” he mentioned. “Now it’s your turn to stand guard.”
Reprinted from E&E Information with permission from POLITICO, LLC. Copyright 2025. E&E Information supplies important information for vitality and surroundings professionals.
