Board, The Editorial. (2022, July 23). Climate Change Is Not Negotiable. The New York Times, The New York Times. Retrieved August 15, 2022. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/23/opinion/biden-climate-change.html.
The issue on how to take action to solve climate change has been constantly argued within the government. President Biden has been struggling to get legal action to commit money and resources to developing a new plan to combat climate change. Biden wanted to commit $300 billion in tax credits and subsidies to build up solar, wind, and electric companies. However, Senator Joe Manchin seems to be against Biden’s decisions to prioritize climate change as inflation continues to increase, even the Supreme Court seemed to stand in the way of positive environmental change as the focus stands on fossil fuels.
Although society has undergone a significant change culturally when dealing with the issue of climate change, it feels like environmental science is still not taken seriously within the older generations. Senator Joe Manchin is 75 years old and the Supreme Court consists of the“generation x” and the “boomer” generation. Therefore, I am discouraged to admit that it does not shock me that the issue of climate change still seems to be up for debate. When I was younger, it felt common for people to assume climate change wasn’t a real issue, but with the amount of overwhelming evidence at this point in time, it saddens me to think that people still believe that climate change does not deserve our highest priority.
Jay- I echo your sentiments in the follow up paragraph. Perhaps the denial is no longer ignorance for many but an allegiance to group think, or in Manchin’s case, his special interests. We have to remember he represents West Virginia, coal country. Not only is a lot of their economy based on coal, but Manchin has made a lot of money personally from the industry… and for sure is getting campaign support from the industry. Believe me when I say I share your frustration with the pace of action on this big issue. Things are starting to happen though, albeit slowly. Now that Biden has successfully passed climate legislation, to the subject of your article. What do you think the debate will be about when it comes to actually spending the money? What do you think the money should go to? Specific types of cleaner energy, infrastructure for the grid, or getting ready for the changes we are going to continue to see (adaption)?
Hi Jay! Thanks for commenting on my post! I completely agree with your statement that debate is also caused by Manchin’s prioritization of West Virginia’s economic status rather than his bias stemming from pure generational ignorance. To answer your questions, I believe that even as the issue of climate change becomes more acknowledged, these same debates over the decisions to invest in the economy or the environment will continue to occur. Personally, I believe that the money should go towards shifting our economy’s investments towards more sustainable and environmentally friendly organizations that encourage cleaner energy use.