By Sophie Kelly
On the brink of the election, I am envisioning what our world could look like in a decade. In 10 years, it will be 2030, the year that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has identified as a turning point in our fight against the climate crisis. Their 2018 report, Global Warming of 1.5ºC, outlines the uninhabitable consequences of a climate that has warmed past 1.5ºC and calls for a 45% slash in emissions from 2010 levels by 2030. We have a LOT of work to do and not a lot of time.
Joe Biden acknowledges that the climate crisis is real, human-caused, and needs to be addressed immediately. After being urged by environmental activists, members of the Green New Deal movement and environmental justice communities, Biden spent the summer of 2020 re-writing his plans in order to prioritize the climate crisis and the communities most impacted. If Biden is elected, his plan (if implemented) could represent the largest climate justice policy in the history of the United States.
Workers secure solar panels to a rooftop during a SolarCity residential installation in Albuquerque. Retrieved from NRDC. Image source: Sergio Flores/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Imagine this: the date is November 2, 2030. The 47th President of the United States is two years into their first term and champions climate justice. In 2021, The Biden Plan reversed the Trump tax cuts for corporation and ended subsidies for fossil fuels, reallocating billions of dollars to the American people and our environment. Over $400 billion have been dedicated to research and development over the last decade and we are making strides in the clean energy sector. All communities have access to clean and affordable energy, clean water, and clean air. Billions of dollars have been allocated to create new jobs as the U.S. economy transitions away from carbon emitting industries. 40% of the benefits of all investments from the last decade have gone to communities of color and low-income communities that have been disproportionately harmed by pollution and climate change. The Biden Plan has set a new precedent and corporations that wrongfully pollute and put populations at risk are being held financially and legally responsible. The United States is ahead of Biden’s original goal of an 100% carbon-free electric sector by 2035, and we, along with our allies in the Paris climate accord, are hopeful that we will not surpass 1.5 degrees of warming.
Demonstrators from several environmental groups (Extinction Rebellion & Sunrise Movement) demand broad action at a youth-led climate strike near City Hall on December 6, 2019 in New York City. Retrieved from Politico. Image Source: Scott Heins/Getty Images
Yes, this is just a dream, but one that is possible if extensive federal climate justice policies are implemented and they are duly and justly enacted. While we cannot predict the outcome of Tuesday's election, the heart of The Biden Plan — bold climate action, racial and economic justice, a green economy — is rooted in the people who stand up against climate injustice and demand they, and the earth, have a right to be free of environmental harm. No matter who the President is, grassroots movements for justice will prevail, and organizations like Climable will continue to make climate science and clean energy understandable and actionable for everyone. Our action items for you today: make sure to give yourself and your community some extra love and kindness — we are going to need lots of that in the next 10 years.
If you’re looking for some additional action items, tune into our third annual (virtual) climate rally and benefit concert, CLIMAPALOOZA. It is an opportunity to connect with a community of people who are committed to finding solutions for the climate crisis and are passionate about making climate science more accessible. If you’re in a position to give this season, consider supporting your local community fridges and food pantries, a good place to locate resources is on Instagram (Jamaica Plain, Boston Community Fridge).