One American politician who is an avid champion of the fossil fuel industry has an immediate climate in Washington as millions of people on three continents were burned by climate change-heated heat waves this week. I abandoned my hope of action.
The politician is Joe Manchin III, a senator in West Virginia, a state of 1.8 million people. As my colleagues Emily Cochran and Lisa Friedman reported from Washington late Thursday night, Manchin said he wouldn’t support his fellow Democrats’ proposal to fund climate and energy programs. .. The party leader had been negotiating with Manchin for most of the 18 months. They were steadily shaving off their climate ambitions to gain his support. He didn’t agree yet.
This follows the Supreme Court’s ruling, which curtailed the federal government’s authority to work on emissions from power plants.
In summary, the impact on the world’s 7 billion people is immeasurable. The important points are as follows.
Manchin used the power of his oversized lever.
Manchin is very influential because the Senate is evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans. He has supported several important climate proposals, including helping Americans pay for electric cars.
It’s not entirely surprising. As my colleague recorded, Manchin’s family has long made a lot of money from the coal business. He also receives more money from the oil and gas industry than any other senator.
It is everyone’s guess that Manchin’s influence will continue beyond the November parliamentary elections. If either the Republican Party or the Democratic Party increases their number in either house, he will lose his central role.
Republicans have been firmly opposed to climate law.The majority of Americans vote rear voteI want the government to do more to deal with the risks.
This is a defeat for global efforts to delay climate change.
The United States is the largest emitter of global warming greenhouse gases in history. Its per capita emissions remain by far the highest in the world.
Without the rapid reduction of emissions by the United States, it seems virtually impossible for the world to limit the rise in global average temperature. Failure to pass the climate bill will result in loss of diplomatic influence and pressure on other countries to take action on their own climate change.
This includes China, which currently produces the largest share of global emissions, and large emerging economies such as Brazil, India and South Africa, where emissions are increasing.
“Manchin’s refusal and the recent Supreme Court ruling have had a major impact on the credibility of the US climate,” said Lee Shuo, senior policy adviser to Beijing-based Greenpeace East Asia. rice field. It emphasizes what many people abroad accept as given: “The largest historic emitters can barely fulfill their climate promises.”
The United States, which is the center of the rallying countries around the 2015 Paris Agreement, was an unreliable partner.
The Paris Agreement is designed so that every country sets its own climate change goals every five years and then puts pressure from each other’s diplomatic peers to do more. Donald J. Trump has completely removed the United States from the agreement.President Biden joins again and is new An ambitious goal to cut greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030 compared to 2005 levels. This is less ambitious than the legally required European and British targets.
For the United States, without extensive climate law, there is no way to reach these goals.At the moment, the United States Not on track This week’s analysis by the Rhodium Group shows that even the original pledge was fulfilled.
It has the potential to stand by the United States in international negotiations and empower other countries.
John F. Kelly, the Biden administration’s climate envoy, has little to show to the rest of the world when he attends the next Global Climate Conference in Egypt in November. It ridicules the “America is back” rhetoric presented at last year’s climate negotiations.
“This will disappoint our allies and further weaken America’s influence on what happens in the energy economy in other parts of the world,” said Joss Garman, director of the European Climate Foundation. .. “This is arguably a major setback in international efforts to reach climate safety, with oil and gas prices being very high and clean energy being very cheap compared to China and Europe. Is the employment and industrial benefits of this across major markets. “
It’s a political defeat for the White House.
Manchin’s rejection of the climate plan made it almost impossible to enact the climate legislation promised when the president was elected. “Things look dark,” my colleague Lisa Friedman explained to me. She said the Biden administration could still push forward with some slow-moving regulations so as not to confuse Manchin during subtle negotiations. They include regulations on methane and mercury. They will not necessarily require legislative approval. “Therefore, if the government wants to promote some aggressive regulation, it’s possible, but there’s a lot to do in just over two years,” Lisa said.
Also, literally, Biden couldn’t be in a worse place. When the news was reported, the president was on his way to oil nation Saudi Arabia to lower global oil prices.
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We are working on more coverage, including what may come next for climate change measures. Stay tuned here.
Important news from the Times
Depleting rainforests for fuel: Nearly 90% of Congo uses charcoal or firewood for cooking. What is important is the acceleration of deforestation in areas comparable to the Amazon.
Cryptographic emissions: The largest Bitcoin miner in the United States can use almost the same power as any home in Houston. The Democratic Party has stated that energy usage needs to be reported.
Record pace of EV sales: Electric vehicles have accounted for 5.6% of total vehicle sales in recent months, doubling the market share of a year ago. Demand is running far beyond supply.
How to preserve ancient trees: Strategies used by Yosemite officials to save giant sequoias from wildfires include installing sprinklers, watering them, and covering them with foam.
Unfortunate Russian ally: Russia’s efforts to evade sanctions and find new buyers of its oil have forced its allies Venezuela and Iran to discount their crude oil.
Unprecedented heat warning: First, UK weather services have put parts of the country at risk of heat.
Have mustard: The worst of climate change, war and supply chain problems are lacking the seeds needed to make a dijon. It caused deep anxiety in France.
Tell me about hurricane and flood billing
When investigating how extreme weather and climate crises are affecting Americans, we can help us by elaborating on what we faced with home repairs and other costs.
Before going: a new life in an old coal-fired power plant
Coal-fired power plants, once a huge source of greenhouse gases, have been abolished throughout the United States. However, they still have some useful features. They are wired to the power grid. New renewable energy ventures such as wind and solar are looking to take advantage of their infrastructure to save a lot of time and money.
thank you for reading. I’ll be back on Tuesday.
Manuela Andreoni, Claire O’Neill and Douglas Alteen contributed to Climate Forward.
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