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Manchin makes climate measures false: NPR

Wind turbines silhouetted against the dawn sky near Spearville, Kan. In January. Senator Joe Manchin’s rejection of a sweeping spending bill killed President Biden’s ambitious climate plan to turn the nation’s fossil fuel-intensive economy into a clean-burning economy. .

Charlie Riedel / AP


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Charlie Riedel / AP


Wind turbines silhouetted against the sky at dawn near Spearville, Kan. In January. Senator Joe Manchin’s rejection of a sweeping spending bill killed President Biden’s ambitious climate plan to turn the nation’s fossil fuel-intensive economy into a clean-burning economy. .

Charlie Riedel / AP

For months, West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin has been easing the climate provisions in the Building Better Back law. Now, his eventual rejection of a stripped-down version effectively kills President Biden’s ambitious plans to reduce carbon emissions deep enough to avoid the worst effects. of global warming. But the objections Manchin describes to the bill’s climate measures are misguided.

Here’s what’s really going on:

Free markets aren’t growing fast enough to avert climate catastrophe

In one statement explaining his decision Sunday, Manchin said, “The energy transition my colleagues seek is well underway.” He meant the transition from fossil fuels to wind, solar and other forms of renewable energy. While it is true that the United States is shifting away from fossil fuels, it is happening much more slowly than climate scientists say is needed to reduce the carbon pollution that is disrupting the climate.

Earlier this year, Manchin’s argument that the US shouldn’t “pay companies to do what they already do” killed a key Build Back Better provision that used carrots and sticks – payment and penalty – spur utilities to accelerate the transition to renewable energy, nearly doubling the amount of wind, solar and other forms of clean energy brought onto the grid each year.

That still leaves hundreds of billions of dollars in tax incentives and other support for clean energy, electric vehicles and cutting greenhouse gas emissions. Without congressional funding, it’s hard to see how Biden could push energy markets to achieve his goal of making the nation’s electricity sector carbon-neutral by 2035 and globally. set of carbon neutral economies by 2050.

The biggest threat to the grid is not clean energy but climate change

Manchin’s Build Back Better disclaimer also warns about the shift to clean energy too quickly. “Doing so at a faster rate than technology or the market allows would have dire consequences for the American people as we have seen in both Texas and California over the past two years,” he said.

He was referring to the massive blackout in those states. Some conservative politicians were quick to blame solar or wind power for the blackouts. But in each case, energy experts point to a lack of preparation for increasingly extreme weather events – namely, heat in California, and history cold in Texas.

During the February blackout in Texas, federal regulators found that natural gas supply worst failure. Nationwide, non-profit news and research groups Central climate says that since 2000, the number of major power outages due to weather and climate-related events has increased by 67%.

The Old US Grid big changes needed, both to deal with current needs and then provide more renewable energy. The recently passed bipartisan infrastructure law includes billions of dollars to help with that, including by extending long-distance transmission lines to get renewable energy from where it’s generated to cities. where it is used.

Climate change is also a national security threat

Manchin accused his fellow Democrats of wanting to “significantly reshape our society in a way that makes our country even more vulnerable to the threats we face.” face”, specifically citing the national debt. And he said he will never forget a warning decades ago from the then Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff that “the greatest threat facing the nation is the national debt.”

But in October, the Pentagon said Climate change is an existential threat that challenged the security of the United States. One report found that “increasing temperatures, variable precipitation; and more frequent, intense and unpredictable extreme weather conditions caused by climate change are exacerbating existing risks.” Yes.”

Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks told NPR that Congress should pay attention to the clean energy plans Biden is trying to get through Congress. “We need to have the rest of the government with us,” she said. “We can’t do it just here at DOD.”

Manchin has a personal stake in helping the coal industry

West Virginia’s economy has long depended on the coal industry, and many jobs are threatened as coal use continues to decline over the long term. Manchin’s family also has a coal business he helped set up, and he reported that he made almost half a million dollars from it last year. That business may have been harmed by President Biden’s climate plans to dramatically reduce coal-fired electricity.

The Biden administration has repeatedly talked about easing the transition for fossil fuel-producing communities, for example with targeted investment to create new jobs to replace those that will be lost. . The Build Back Better Act also includes discounts for consumers to help with energy costs, electric car purchases and solar installations.

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