Andrea Thompson 

 

Scientific American

For the past four years, climate experts have watched with dismay as Donald Trump’s presidential administration has systematically weakened climate regulations, bolstered the use of fossil fuels that drive rising temperatures, and sidelined government climate science and scientists. These actions have combined to set the country behind on the crucial work of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to keep the worst impacts of the Climate Crisis at bay – and of protecting vulnerable communities and ecosystems.

    The election of Joe Biden has changed the prospects for action. The former vice president ran on a platform that included specific, ambitious measures to tackle the Climate Crisis, including rejoining the Paris Agreement (which the US exited on November 4) and setting a goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Climate scientists and environmental advocates have applauded these goals but warn that it will take substantial work to reach them. Among other things, the Biden administration needs to help transition US energy systems, gird against future damage from climate-fueled disasters, and make sure policies incorporate considerations  of equity and justice.

J. Eisele,

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    To gauge what specific actions climate scientists want to see taken, Scientific American reached out to researchers who work in a variety of areas and asked them to answer one question: What is the most important action you want to see the Biden administration take to address the Climate Crisis? Below are their answers, lightly edited for style and grammar.

 

Aradhna Tripati, climate scientist and founder of the Center for Diverse Leadership in Science, University of California, Los Angeles

 

Like COVID-19, the Climate Crisis amplifies systemic injustices and disproportionately harms Black, brown, Indigenous and low-income people. The most important action for a Biden administration is to implement a systemic set of reforms to support climate justice. We don’t have time to wait. Communities throughout the US have experienced climate disruptions made worse by political inaction. Since 1980, there were 279 events that cost more than $1.8 trillion. These disasters cost the US in dollars, but they cost many people their health, homes, and jobs. In doing so, they leave scars on families and communities and threaten to further fragment society. 

    Systemic reform for climate justice includes subsidizing the clean energy transition and green infrastructure for low-income communities while investing in green jobs training in these communities. The most heavily impacted communities must be supported to work with partners in developing and implementing resilience plans tailored to their own needs [...]

 

Constantine Samaras, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, Carnegie Mellon University

 

I’m not going to sugarcoat this: The pace and scale of what we need to do over the next three decades to address the Climate Crisis is Herculean. Every sector of the economy affects the Climate Crisis, and every sector is vulnerable to climate impacts. But the most important action a Biden administration can take to address the Climate Crisis is kick-starting a new era of equitable transportation mobility without oil. 

    The transportation sector is now the largest source of our carbon emissions. And our infrastructure choices and pollution have long been sources of injustice and inequity. The next transportation system has to be different, and it can be. This isn’t just about scaling up public transit […] This isn’t just about […] safe streets for bicyclists and pedestrians […] This isn’t just about replacing a legacy fleet of gasoline vehicles with electric vehicles (EVs) […] It’s all of these, at scale, at the same time […] We need an “equitable clean mobility for clunkers*” program that enables a rapid and just transition to a clean-energy economy. It’s doable, and more importantly, it’s necessary.

 

Kim Cobb, paleoclimatologist and director of the Global Change Program, Georgia Institute of Technology 

 

There are the obvious things, like rejoining the Paris Agreement and setting ambitious targets for fuel efficiency and other things you will find on the top 10 lists of executive action on climate. But to be honest, I’m most excited that science will once again be the guide to policy across the entire federal landscape, given that climate and energy policy touches so many aspects of our lives and our economy. In particular, I’m eager to see the speedy removal of a number of leaders in key positions who are openly hostile to climate science. It seems clear that efforts to undermine any progress on the Climate Crises will continue until Inauguration Day – and likely beyond.   Lastly, while everyone is rightly focused on reducing future emissions and the harm they will bring, I hope that the new administration adopts an aggressive program to assist communities that are already reeling from climate damages today. Investments in accelerating the science of climate resilience will reap dividends in the coming years and decades, especially when that work is grounded in advancing climate justice.

 

Daniel Swain, climate scientist, University of California, Los Angeles

President-elect Biden’s publicly released plan to address the Climate Crisis is, by far, the most ambitious proposed by any US president or president-to-be. Achieving net carbon neutrality in the US by 2050 would represent a tremendous success after decades of delay and inaction at the federal level. Just as important is the campaign’s stated commitment to climate adaptation – taking action to reduce the societal impacts from the increasing extreme weather events scientists know are inevitable over the next few decades. The campaign also emphasizes the need to ensure these climate mitigation and adaptation activities proceed in an equitable way that promotes environmental justice and in a manner that leaves no one behind – both of which are also critically important considerations. In my view, this is a plan well matched to the huge magnitude of the crisis we’re facing.

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*a dilapidated vehicle or machine.

 

Thompson, A. (2020, November 12). Here’s how scientists want Biden to take on climate change: Ambitions include promoting electric vehicles and incorporating environmental justice. Scientific American. Also available at https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/heres-how-scientists-want-biden-to-take-on-climate-change