On the Environment
The difference on environmental policy between Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is night and day. In this article, I will lay out those differences so you as a citizen voter can be well-informed as election day approaches on November 5.
Climate Change
Harris:
Throughout her political career, Harris has made clear she considers climate change a clear and present threat to an organized human civilization. Speaking at the United Nations climate summit in 2023, she told leaders, “Across our world, communities are choked by drought, washed out by floods, and decimated by hurricanes. Wildfire smoke darkens our skies, and rising seas threaten the lives and livelihoods of millions of people. The urgency of this moment is clear. The clock is no longer just ticking, it is banging. And we must make up for lost time.”
As a U.S. senator from California, Harris co-sponsored the Green New Deal, which called for an FDR-style overhaul of the economy that would accelerate the transition from fossil fuels to clean technology. The Green New Deal has not been enacted.
As vice-president, Harris supported the return to the Paris Climate Agreement of 2015, the international agreement to limit global warming by 2 degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
Trump:
Trump has repeatedly called climate change “a hoax.” When visiting California as president in 2020 following deadly forest fires, Trump met with a number of scientists who implored him to take science seriously. He said, “It’ll get cooler, you just watch.” One scientist responded to him, “I wish the science agreed with you,” to which Trump quipped, “I don’t think science knows, actually.”
Trump has opposed the Green New Deal, calling it the “Green New Scam” during campaign speeches. He also said he would again withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement, believing the Agreement puts the country at a disadvantage in the global economy.
The Republican National Committee released its platform on July 8 and did not mention climate change once. This followed President Trump’s directive, while in office, to the EPA that any mention of “climate change” be removed from their website.
Energy
Harris:
Under the Biden-Harris administration, oil production in the U.S. surged despite promises to transition to renewable energy and pursue decarbonization.
During her campaign in 2019, Harris said she would prohibit fracking if elected but has since said she does not support a total ban.
Since 2018, the U.S. has been the highest producer of crude oil, outranking Saudi Arabia and Russia. Both Harris and Biden ran on promises to reduce drilling and, in turn, climate-warming gas emissions. But oil companies are reporting higher profits than when Trump was in office.
The Biden-Harris administration also gave approval for the $7 billion Willow oil drilling project in Alaska, upsetting many environmental activists, who claimed it was an act of hypocrisy. The decades-long project will harvest petroleum from the National Petroleum Reserve on Alaska's North Slope and could produce about 600 million barrels of oil.
Trump:
In a campaign interview in July, Trump said his energy policy could be summed up in the phrase, “Drill, baby drill.” He has vowed to reduce regulations that are hindering the oil and gas industries. He believes inflation is largely driven by oil and gas prices, which will fall if more drilling and production takes place in the U.S. Consequently, he has indicated his willingness to open more public lands and offshore sites for drilling and fracking.
The emphasis on oil and gas production could come at the expense of solar, wind and electric car incentives. Despite his public interview and friendship with Elon Musk, Trump has expressed his desire to reduce or eliminate electric vehicle incentives, which he believes do not work.
Environment Protection Agency
Harris:
Under the Biden-Harris administration, the EPA finalized stricter air quality standards for fine particulate matter, soot and pollution from chemical plants.
In April, the administration completed a national drinking water standard to combat harmful "forever chemicals," that have been linked to cancer, reduced fertility, and weakened immune systems. The administration also launched the Justice40 Initiative, which aims to allocate 40% of the overall benefits from federal investments in climate, clean energy and affordable housing to disadvantaged communities disproportionately impacted by climate change.
Trump:
During the first presidential debate in June, Trump praised his administration’s efforts to preserve air and water quality. “I want absolutely immaculate clean water and I want absolutely clean air, and we had it,” he said. “We had the best numbers ever … we were using all forms of energy and everything.”
During his presidential term, Trump overturned an estimated 100 EPA regulations from power plants and cars and trucks; removed protections from more than half the nation’s wetlands; and withdrew the legal justification for restricting mercury emissions from power plants. His vision for the EPA was to return it to its core mission of assuring the American people of clean air and water.
The Inflation Reduction Act
Harris:
The most significant piece of legislation passed during the Biden-Harris Administration was the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022. It was the largest climate legislation in the history of the country with $370 billion set aside for clean energy incentives and infrastructure. As President of the Senate, Harris cast the decisive tie-breaking vote to pass the IRA. Harris has indicated her task as president will be to make sure the incentives provided by the IRA are efficiently and justly distributed.
Trump:
Trump has repeatedly said he would repeal the IRA if he was to return to the White House. He characterizes the incentives as government overreach, undermining natural market forces. Yet, even some Republican lawmakers are cautioning this move because their districts are in line for huge investments in local industries. For example, the Cleveland-Cliffs steel plant in vice-presidential nominee J.D. Vance's hometown of Middleton, Ohio is set to receive nearly $500 million for low-carbon retrofit. The money invested will replace high-carbon-emitting blast furnace with two electric ones. The aim is to not only bring down its CO2 emissions, but make the plant more competitive and stabilized over the long-term.
Takeaway
As the climate crisis intensifies, the stark contrasts between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump’s environmental policies reveal a deep divide in the nation’s approach to sustainability. While Harris champions aggressive climate action and clean energy investments, Trump’s legacy reflects a rollback of environmental regulations and a reliance on fossil fuels. Will it be Justice40 (Harris) or Project 2025(Trump)? The American people will decide.
Sources:
Comments