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Biden signs new orders to stop polluting industries and help affected communities

2021-01-27T19:04:31.475Z


The Democratic president continues with his action to distance himself from his predecessor Donald Trump on the issue of climate change. To achieve truly effective measures to reduce harmful emissions, however, it will need the support of a divided Congress, experts say.


The president, Joe Biden, on Wednesday gave impetus to his plan to combat the climate emergency with the signing of a series of executive orders, establishing in the White House a

radically opposite

approach 

to that of his predecessor Donald Trump

The new executive orders aim to

reduce

oil, gas and coal

emissions

and double clean energy production from wind turbines by 2030. 

They also intend to conserve 30% of the nation's land and ocean waters over the next 10 years and move

to a fleet of fully electric federal vehicles

.

"We are going to guard our public lands," Biden said at a news conference.

With this battery of measures, he added, the production of clean energy will be promoted, which will create hundreds of jobs in the ecological sector. 

At the center of the plan is helping minorities, who have suffered the worst consequences of the climate emergency and pollution. 

Oil rigs in New Mexico (file image).

AP

Another action also consists of imposing

a suspension of federal land concessions for new drilling for the extraction of gas and oil

, a highly polluting activity.

In parallel, Biden asks the Secretary of the Interior to review current permits and contracts.

The order does not affect the territories of Native American communities. 

The fossil fuel industries will be the hardest hit, so much opposition is expected from these companies.

Biden will also eliminate subsidies they have been awarded so far and will instead ask federal agencies to identify new opportunities to invest in innovation in the area of ​​clean energy production. 

Support for those who suffer most from pollution 

Another of the measures scheduled for this Wednesday corresponds to a directive directed at government agencies to invest in

aid

plans for

minority communities heavily hit by pollution

, according to The Washington Post.

This newspaper also obtained the information from two anonymous sources familiar with Biden's intentions. 

[The United States returns to the Paris Climate Agreement with Biden.

This is what environmental defenders ask you]

In particular, this second measure has the objective of focusing on

supporting minorities, Latino, black and Native American communities, 

affected by the proximity of environmental threats such as

polluting power plants, landfills, garbage incinerators, shipping ports, mines of uranium and factories

, adds the Post. 

It is also expected to order officials to implement a

conservation

plan for

30% of the country's land and ocean waters

over the next 10 years, initiate a series of regulatory actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and issue a memorandum raising climate change to a national security priority.

Planet Earth: This is how Trump's policies have impacted on climate change

Oct. 29, 202004: 46

A plan that raises fierce opposition

Biden's plan to suspend new public land concessions for oil and gas extraction has been applauded by environmental advocates

as an urgent measure

.

"Management's review, if done correctly, will show that dirty fracking [a technique used to enable or expand fuel extraction] and drilling must end forever, everywhere," said Kierán Suckling, CEO. of the Center for Biological Diversity.

[The new US climate ambassador assures that there is much to do]

However, he

has

also

drawn fierce criticism from members of the energy industry

, who accuse him of hampering their plans and putting jobs at risk. 

It is not the first measure that the new government has taken to try to limit the impact of this sector since it took office on the 20th of this month.

Last week, Biden canceled the permit for the construction of a large pipeline that would cross much of North America and ordered the suspension of new permits for drilling in federal soils and waters for 60 days. 

Biden signs first executive orders related to immigration, climate change and the pandemic

Jan. 20, 202100: 38

"This is just the beginning. [The situation] is going to get worse," said Brook Simmons, president of the Petroleum Alliance of Oklahoma.

"Meanwhile, the laws of physics, chemistry, and supply and demand remain in place. Oil and natural gas prices are rising, as are heating bills, consumer prices, and fuel costs. ' added.

Much work is still missing

Biden's planned announcements are supposed to mark the return of the climate change issue on the government's agenda, but

they will not automatically allow a reduction in harmful emissions caused by the energy industry

, but only that its generation does not increase uncontrollably, it indicates a report from The New York Times. 

Experts consulted by that newspaper point out that the Administration alone does not have the scope to impose truly effective measures in this regard, such as a carbon tax, since for this it would need the support of Congress, currently controlled by the Democrats but

with a margin very narrow

The measures that Biden has already taken or is about to take, meanwhile, do not limit current extraction activity in the oil and gas sector, AP notes.

Likewise, it does not have force on private land, subject rather to state regulations. 

In New Mexico, a state that is experiencing a boom in this industry, federal lands represent about a third of the total.

But in Texas, where the current situation is similar, the national government's land represents

only 2%

With information from AP, The Washington Post, The New York Times. 

Source: telemundo

All news articles on 2021-01-27

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