Climate Change: Across the Aisle and Behind the Curtain

The world will suffer catastrophically from climate change. A scientific group, Climate Action Tracker, predicts that by 2100, global temperatures compared to pre-industrial levels will rise to between 2.1 and 3.8 degrees. However, if the worst case-scenario occurs the world would be in store for a massive shift in life as we know it. Even if global temperatures only rose by 2.9 degrees celsius, the melting of Greenland and West Antarctic glaciers alone would lead to an increase in sea levels by 40 feet, putting many major cities like Miami and New York underwater. Biden campaigned on growing and accelerating the United State’s climate initiatives. Within his first two years, he was able to pass two major climate bills—the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, and the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022—with the help of a Democrat-controlled Congress. 

The Inflation Reduction Act was passed on August 16, 2022, becoming one of the largest pieces of climate legislation since the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. The bill creates and extends tax credits for individuals and businesses when said group increases their usage of renewable energy sources or cuts back on their use of fossil fuels. The act permanently taxes domestic crude oil and importanted petroleum products by reinstating the Hazardous Substance Superfund. The act provides funding for programs that address: leases to develop energy on federal land, the establishment of a greenhouse gas reduction fund, the creation of financial incentives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, incentives for energy efficiency in buildings, and the protection of coastal communities and coastal and marine habitats.  The provisions in the act confirm the United State’s commitment to reducing greenhouse emissions by 40 percent by 2040 and places the country on track to accomplish these goals according to the Associate Director for Climate, Energy, Environment, and Science, Office of Management and Budget at the White House. Candace Vahlsing states that the act ensures mitigation of the health and infrastructure effects of climate change—cutting the social costs of climate change by $1.9 trillion by 2050. 

The second piece of climate legislation passed under the Biden administration was the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act which became effective on November 15, 2021. It was a massive expenditure bill for Congress to update infrastructure with an emphasis on clean energy and solutions throughout the United States. There is a provision in the act that expands the clean energy sector of the economy and prioritizes the use of renewable sources going forward. Instead of falling back on fossil fuel producing sources of energy, Biden is pushing the United States towards new solutions that will have to become the country’s new fall back. The bill will expand access to clean water sources and the internet, repair roads, ensure electric vehicle chargers across the United States, and invest 89.9 Billion in the public transportation sector. The bill addresses climate change through  provisions intending to: upgrade the power grid to ensure clean renewable energy throughout the United States, make infrastructure in general more resilient to climate change, and invest in cleanup initiatives surrounding oil and natural gas secondary negative effects.  

Congress’ ability to pass climate legislation is contingent on their ability to reach bipartisan agreements on how to successfully transition from non-renewable sources to green energy. The 2022 Midterm elections are thought to be a win for state climate initiatives. Michigan and Minnesota both have climate legislation on the table that will be more quickly prioritized, given that Democrats have gained control of the state legislatures. Michigan Governor, Gretchen Whitmer, and the Attorney General, Dana Nessel, both support the fight to shut down a major natural gas and crude oil pipeline—Line 5—indicating their interest in advancing climate legislation. In North Carolina and Wisconsin, Democrats' majority in the state legislature gives them vetoing power, a powerful tool given that North Carolina and Wisconsin’s governor have proposed climate legislation the GOP was hoping to block. New York was able to pass a major expenditure bill that allocates $4.2 billion to pollution cleanup, wetland protection, clean energy projects, electric school bus fleets, and coastal shoreline restoration. Despite these successes, larger federal climate bills like the Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will be a challenge to pass without a Democratic majority in both chambers. 

It is concerning that climate change has become an issue split among partisan lines given that the polarized effects are already being felt  nationally. Some politicians claim that the United States isn’t ready for the transition to renewable energy and if the country moves too fast, the country’s power grid will fail. Senator Joe Manchin stated in response to the Inflation Reduction Act: “As the superpower of the world, it is vital we not undermine our superpower status by removing dependable and affordable fossil fuel energy before new technologies are ready to reliably carry the load.” That being said, some party leaders, like Joe Manchin, have financial stakes in non-renewable energy sources and earn much of their wealth from these private companies. Additionally, energy companies have found ways to influence the United State’s political system via financial campaign contributions. For example, Kevin McCarthy, the next speaker of the house, was funded $496,109 from oil and gas companies during the 2022 election cycle.  Politicians are then compelled to advocate for fossil fuel companies so they can maintain campaign funds for future elections. Additionally, the GOP is ideologically opposed to economic government intervention, so large expenditure bills and increased regulation of private energy companies is not supported by the party’s constituent’s. However, the world needs this regulation, or national and international leaders will naturally prioritize their own prosperity over future generations' ability to survive. 

Jacqueline Metzler (‘26) is a Freshman at Brown University. She is a staff writer for the Brown Undergraduate Law Review and can be contacted at jacqueline_metzler@brown.edu.