On October 25, 2020, “You can’t legislate by executing orders unless you’re a dictator.” Joe Biden.
This Wednesday, President Joe contradicted himself by threatening to take executive action if Congress does not pass legislation to tackle climate change. Is he a dictator after all?
Biden announced the executive orders designed to bolster offshore wind energy programs and help communities adapt to extreme heat as the first series of actions to take in confronting climate change.
The actions include $2.3 billion in resilience and infrastructure funding through the Federal Emergency Management Agency to assist heat-ravaged communities with record-breaking temperatures. Biden outlined this during a speech at a closed coal-fired plant in Somerset that is currently being converted into a facility to promote offshore wind power.
Millions of Americans suffering from the sweltering weather will benefit from the funds as governments construct cooling facilities.
For the second time in eight months, Biden’s drive for massive tax incentives to encourage the development of alternative energy sources has failed in Congress; nonetheless, in New England, he pledged to keep using his executive authority to combat climate change.
The president described the problem as a “code red for mankind,” framing the “existential threat” posed by rising global temperatures in terms of the economy. He noted the dangers of heat on vulnerable groups and the consequences of extreme weather on supply networks, saying, “Our economy is at peril. Therefore we have to act.”
“It’s a clear and present threat, literally, not metaphorically. The well-being of our residents and communities hangs in the balance.” Says Biden.
Additionally, according to Biden, he will order the Department of Health and Human Services to issue guidelines to assist local governments in obtaining $385 million in federal funding for the installation of community cooling centers in schools, the purchase of energy-efficient air conditioning equipment, and the reduction of other energy costs.
“In terms of combating climate change,” Biden added, “I won’t accept no for an answer.”
