About 2 months ago, I wrote a blog post about how the Trump administration has been undermining and weakening some of the important rules and standards that have been put in place by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to improve the country’s air quality, as well as other climate-related issues. In fact, Trump’s skepticism and denial of climate change issues have been very apparent, even going so far as to accuse climate scientists of having “political agendas” about the earth’s rising temperatures. This has resulted in his administration to not only withdraw from the Paris Agreement, but to also roll back a number of environmental safeguards, thus undoing some of the important work that has been done to protect their public lands and National Parks.

However..

Yesterday, Joe Biden has officially been declared as the next president of the United States of America. So what does that mean for the future of our planet, and our National Parks?

First and foremost, the fact that Biden has a Clear Plan For Clean Energy Revolution and Environmental Justice, is a very encouraging sign. Some of the highlights of his plan, such as the promise to cut emissions to be on track to reach net zero emissions by 2050, can be seen in the video below.

Secondly, Biden also plans on rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement, as stated in his tweet here. Leaving the Paris Climate Agreement was seen as huge disappointment by many, especially because the U.S is the world’s biggest and most powerful economy, and being the “only country to withdraw from a global solution to a global problem raises questions of trust”, as mentioned by McGrath (2020). By rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement, the U.S can continue to take the lead in addressing climate issues and also put the pressure on other nations to do the same.

Lastly, a shift from Trump’s administration’s anti-environmental record on National Parks and public lands, would mean that the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) can continue fighting for the future of its national monuments and bills supporting action on climate change and environmental justice, with the backing of the new Congress and Biden administration.

So my friends, not all hope is lost. Yes, promises can be made and subsequently not followed, but at least, the new administration under Biden’s leadership has shown us promising and encouraging signs of a clear, concrete plan to tackle the seemingly endless climate-related issues that not only affect their nation, but the rest of the world.

Till next time,
Irsyad

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References:

McGrath, M., 2020. Climate Change: US Formally Withdraws From Paris Agreement. [online] BBC News. Available at: <https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-54797743> [Accessed 8 November 2020].

National Parks Conservation Association. 2020. President-Elect Biden To Prioritize Conservation And Climate Change, Benefitting National Parks Across The Country. [online] Available at: <https://www.npca.org/articles/2752-president-elect-biden-to-prioritize-conservation-and-climate-change> [Accessed 8 November 2020].