By: Vanessa Igras, Staff Writer
In a rare glimpse of what bipartisanship looks like in a post-Trump era, compromise was made on critical issues in the Senate’s passing of the Infrastructure Bill. Key trade-offs were made on the handling of climate change, however this bill will lay the foundation for more comprehensive climate reform in the near future. Although the bill does little to slow the effects of climate change, it does include historic funding that protects the country against the detrimental effects of climate change. This should be considered a success in and of itself for the reason that this is, in fact, an infrastructure bill rather than a bill dedicated to climate change reform.
In the past decade, parts of the United States have witnessed the harmful effects of climate change. Particularly, this has been evident in the power and water supply shortages after extreme weather events such as the Texas Cold Event. With this in mind, investment in the actual infrastructure of towns and cities proves to be a vital component in dealing with climate change. This bill lays out $65 billion for clean energy and grid-related investments alongside $55 billion to expand access to clean drinking water. Two plans of action for the handling of climate change-induced disasters.
Additionally, in designating $50 billion for climate resilience and weatherization, the federal government is taking a more active role in limiting the harm caused by more frequent and severe droughts, floods, and wildfires. Both contributions acknowledge the dark trajectory for the United States if it does not take seriously the effects of climate change.
The resilience component of this bill is also the right step towards environmental justice. In recognizing that communities of color are typically located in regions that are more vulnerable to flooding and other climate change-related weather events, the Biden Administration is laying the path for the core of its climate agenda—the Build Back Better Act.
Although scientists state that the Infrastructure Bill falls short on the investments that are necessary to prepare for the worst impacts of climate change, we must acknowledge that this is not the end of reform under the Biden Administration. The next undertaking will be the passing of the Build Back Better Act; a $1.75 trillion investment in human infrastructure and a comprehensive approach to climate change. The largest portion of the funds in this bill are set aside for climate-related provisions; this Administration strives to deliver on the goal of reducing carbon emissions in half by 2030.
This bipartisan deal is one of the largest investments in the infrastructure that the United States has witnessed in over a decade. This was the step in the right direction as it paves the path for the Build Back Better Act. This bill also sets the precedent that bipartisanship is feasible when dealing with issues that are historically a part of the democratic agenda. All in all, fighting against the effects of climate change should not be a priority that is politicized as it is an issue that in the end, will affect all Americans, rich or poor.
