Biden to announce executive actions on fighting climate change
Biden to announce executive actions on fighting climate change
President Joe Biden is expected to announce several moves on climate change and environmental conservation on Wednesday.
Marketplace’s Nancy Marshall-Genzer has some details. The following is an edited transcript of her conversation with “Marketplace Morning Report” host David Brancaccio.
David Brancaccio: What are some specifics?
Nancy Marshall-Genzer: Biden will be signing an executive order that will kick off a series of regulatory actions and elevate climate change to a national security priority. The New York Times is reporting that the order will require that 30% of all federal land and water be conserved by 2030, and eventually ban new drilling leases on federal land.
Brancaccio: That’s significant.
Marshall-Genzer: It’s a start. But, this ban we’re talking about would only affect drilling on federal land. Jonathan Adler, a professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Law, broke it down for us.
Jonathan Adler: The overall effect of preventing new leases for fossil fuel development on federal lands will actually be relatively modest. Federal lands accounted for about 20%, 22% of oil development in the United States, only about, I think, 12% of natural gas development.
Marshall-Genzer: President Biden is also expected to create some new government jobs and commissions focused on climate change — specifically things like job creation and environmental justice.
Brancaccio: This executive order is — what should we a say — a step toward what he promised?
Marshall-Genzer: Professor Adler says it won’t get President Biden to the ambitious goals he’s set on climate change. He’ll need legislation, passed by Congress, to make really big changes, like creating a carbon tax.
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