Climate Change

Partisan Division on Climate Change in the Upcoming Election

By Stella Forbes

This upcoming election is important for many reasons, one of those being climate change. Climate change is something that affects the entire population, even if this fact is not widely recognized. The transition from Obama to the Trump administration has brought about several changes to the climate action of the United States of America. However, Joe Biden promises to attempt to repair the damage caused by President Trump and his administration.

Let’s start with the current president of the United States and his position on climate change. To begin, President Trump’s website does not present a comprehensive plan for the future and what he plans to do if re-elected, rather he presents a list of the promises he previously made and kept. Trump kept his promise of reversing many of President Obama’s attempts to preserve the environment. The Trump administration rescinded President Obama’s Clean Power Plan (CPP), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) methane emissions rule, these in his opinion are too costly and instead proposed the Affordable Clean Energy rule.32 Trump stated on his website that “the Affordable Clean Energy Rule will reduce greenhouse gasses, empower states, promote energy independence, and facilitate economic growth and job creation” however he does not elaborate on how he will do so.33 The reason that Trump has rescinded the past presidents attempts is because the National Economic Research Associates (NERA) economic consulting on the CPP would have increased electricity rates by 14 percent, costing American households up to $79 billion.34 Thus continuing his main promise to the American people that he has ``their best interest at heart” while attempting to save their money, yet at the cost to the environment. As the last nail in the coffin of President Trump continuing to ignore climate change was his announcement to withdraw the U.S from the unfair Paris Climate Agreement, signed previously by President Obama.35

This leads us to the other candidate in this upcoming election, Joe Biden. To begin, Biden has been a long-time advocate for climate change and the environment. For a brief background, in 1986 Biden introduced the Global Climate Protection Act, which was the first climate change bill in the senate.36 This is one of the many testaments to Biden’s dedication to climate change. Biden ambitiously plans “to build a modern, sustainable infrastructure and an equitable clean energy future”.37 However when looking at his campaign's website, like many political platforms, it is quite vague. With statements such

32“Energy And Environment.” President Donald J. Trump's Accomplishments, Trump 2020 ,

33 Ibid.,

34 Ibid.,

35 “Energy And Environment.” President Donald J. Trump's Accomplishments, Trump 2020,

36 Irfan, Umair. “What's Joe Biden Going to Do on Climate Change? Look at His Record under Obama.” Vox. Vox, May 28, 2019

37 “The Biden Plan to Build a Modern, Sustainable Infrastructure and an Equitable Clean Energy Future.” Joe Biden for President

as “ we need millions of construction, skilled trades, and engineering workers to build new American infrastructure and clean energy economy”, yet no backing and explanation makes it confusing to what his actual plan is.38 Biden does however promise to ensure the U.S will achieve a 100% clean energy economy, and that they will reach a net-zero emissions no later than 2050, backing this claim by following three simple steps.39 First by establishing an enforcement mechanism that includes milestone targets no later than the end of his first term in 2025, second by making a historic investment in clean energy and climate research, and third by incentivizing and rapid deployment of clean energy innovations across the economy, “especially in communities most impacted by climate change”.40

Climate change is not new and is something that most politicians address. Yet, there is a division towards their approaches and opinions on the matter. As we can see Trump is taking the path of more cost-effective policies, damaging the environment in the process, while Biden is attempting to preserve the environment with a more aggressive approach, visible through goal deadlines. How these two candidates differ on environmental policy and the outcome of this election will determine the future of human life.

38Ibid.

39Ibid.

40Ibid.