Energy issues and the environment barely came up in last month’s presidential debate between Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris.
Regardless how vocal the candidates have been on the topic, Gina McCarthy, the first White House national climate advisor under the Biden administration, said this election will have major effects on climate change.
“Everything [is at stake],” she said on Boston Public Radio Friday. “... He doesn’t have any interest in accepting that climate [change] is a reality or taking any significant steps to stop it.”
McCarthy noted the importance of Project 2025, a policy agenda crafted by the Heritage Foundation, which proposes major changes to oversight and staffing of federal agencies like the EPA. McCarthy believes those changes would undermine expert advisory boards.
“I just want [Harris] to win. That’s the bottom line,” McCarthy stated. “While she may have decided that climate is not a winning argument for her to land on, she’s saying everything under it that makes you realize that she’s looking at the same future in the world that we’re trying to have.”
She spoke about Harris’ focus on building democracy such as protecting women’s reproductive rights, helping the middle class and more.
“If Kamala Harris wins this election, I think we’re going to see continuity of some of the pro-clean energy, pro-climate action policies that the Biden-Harris administration has enacted over the past couple of years,” said Johanna Neumann, senior director for the Campaign for 100% Renewable Energy at Environment America.
McCarthy and Neumann did address Harris’ changed stance on fracking, which is seen as a move to help gain votes in the swing state of Pennsylvania that makes a lot of money on fracking.
“I think until public sentiment demands stopping burning fossil fuels and demands clean air and demands clean water, our leaders aren’t going to lead,” Neumann said.
Locally, House and Senate negotiators announced progress on a comprehensive climate bill that would accelerate the transition to renewable energy sources like solar and wind.
Neumann praised Massachusetts and New England for their progress in transitioning to renewable energy. However, she acknowledged the disappointment that the bill does not address stopping new fossil fuel infrastructure.
“There’s going to be more that needs to be done. The way that you win a marathon is with the accumulation of many steps. And we need them to take the step to solidify this bill and then move forward,” Neumann said.
McCarthy said, “We have to step up and we have to be talking about the people that have been served, the health that is improved, the water challenges that we all face, the air quality challenges that we all face, and start figuring out how to act as one country again.”
