As New York City is celebrating Climate Week, leaders across the world are more united to bring laws and support technology innovations for a better future. Action as a society can yield significant results, as seen with the development of COVID-19 vaccines in 2020 and the repair of the ozone layer in 1987, but when it comes to climate, we’re still falling behind. This brings an important question to discuss, i.e. Why Your Vote on November 5 Matters More Than Ever.
Climate action needs to be swift and bold, yet so far, progress has been slow, and emissions continue to rise instead of decreasing. Many governments and businesses still prioritize short-term economic gains over long-term sustainability, but now is the time to act.
The future of US citizens, for a better future, for cleaner air and water, is in the hands of the voters who will be choosing the next United States Government on 5th November 2024.
Why Your Vote on November 5 Matters More Than Ever
Why does your vote matter for the betterment of Climate Change? The world has just experienced the hottest summer this year and a flooded rainy season. The world has also been witnessing the impact of El Nino and La Nina. This means that we are going to face hotter summers, flooding rainy seasons and colder winters. This also means that the elected Government and its decisions would have a high impact on how the lives of Americans would be in the future. It’s time to support workers by powering down coal, compensating them with salaries and reskilling initiatives, and planning to replace more coal by 2030.
How do Trump and Harris differentiate in terms of Climate Change?
Both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have different point of view related to Climate Change. Let us see how they have reacted to different climate matters:
Issue |
Donald Trump |
Kamala Harris |
Climate Change Stance |
Dismisses climate change, has called global warming a “hoax.” |
Acknowledges climate change as a critical, urgent issue. |
Paris Climate Agreement |
Pulled the U.S. out of the Paris Agreement in 2017. |
Supports the Paris Agreement and U.S. re-entry in 2021. |
Fossil Fuels |
Strong supporter of coal, oil, and gas industries. |
Advocates for phasing out fossil fuels and transitioning to clean energy. |
Environmental Regulations |
Rolled back over 100 environmental protections during his presidency. |
Supports strong environmental regulations to reduce emissions. |
Renewable Energy |
Prioritizes traditional energy (oil, gas, coal) over renewables. |
Strong proponent of renewable energy development (solar, wind, etc.). |
Clean Energy Investments |
Focused on deregulation and energy independence through fossil fuels. |
Supports massive investments in clean energy through the Inflation Reduction Act. |
Jobs and Economy |
Believes deregulation of fossil fuel industries creates jobs and boosts the economy. |
Believes investing in green energy creates sustainable jobs and economic growth. |
Electric Vehicles |
Has expressed scepticism about electric vehicle initiatives. |
Supports expanding electric vehicle infrastructure and incentives. |
Wildfire and Forest Management |
Focuses on forest management practices to mitigate wildfires. |
Advocates for addressing root causes of climate change, including extreme weather events. |
Climate Action Goals |
No comprehensive climate action plan. |
Supports ambitious climate action plans to cut carbon emissions and meet international goals. |
Impact on Vulnerable Communities |
Prioritizes economic growth over environmental protections. |
Focuses on protecting vulnerable communities from climate impacts and ensuring environmental justice. |
Is America Sustainable in terms of Emissions under Joe Biden’s presidency?
While we ponder on the above points, it is also important to note that all the above points are focused on Scope 1 emissions, while Scope 2 and Scope 3 are not covered. Let us first understand what these emissions are in brief:
Scope 1 emissions are the ones that are directly produced by the industries.
Scope 2 emissions are the ones that come from the generation of purchased electricity, steam, heat, or cooling consumed by the industries.
Scope 3 emissions are the indirect emissions from the organization’s supply chain, i.e. from business travel, employee commuting, purchased goods and services, transportation and distribution, and the use of sold products.
America imports a lot of products manufactured outside the USA, and thus all the emissions are happening outside the US, and these emissions are not accounted for when the USA reports regarding its Sustainable plan.
As Donald Trump mentioned:
“USA lost more than 10,000 Manufacturing Jobs, in last one month. They are leaving USA and building manufacturing units and plants in Mexico, in many cases owned by China.”
You can watch the debate here or read about it here:
Although Kamala Harris supports Climate Change by not building any new manufacturing plants in the USA, but indirectly importing the final products manufactured by these plants would result in Scope 2 and Scope 3 emissions. If the USA really needs to be sustainable, then it needs to build its own industries that are powered by renewable source of energy, such that all the emissions are accounted for under ESG reports.
All activities that humans do in any part of the world will ultimately impact everyone around the globe. Delay is dangerous—we’re witnessing rising temperatures and deadly floods. We believe you have understood why your vote on November 5 matters more than ever. Bold climate action is needed now because we only have one planet and one chance to get it right. The time to act is now.
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