The US government has passed a landmark piece of legislation that promises to cut CO2 emissions by at least 40% from 2005 levels by 2030. This video from vlogbrothers does a good job of breaking down the US climate bill, with background information on how it happened and what it does. The Inflation Reduction Act was signed into law by President Biden on August 16. It is a wide-ranging piece of legislation that dedicates $369 billion to climate initiatives such as tax incentives for the renewable energy industry, an electric mail truck fleet for the USPS, and funding to retrofit homes for greater energy efficiency. Environmental groups have criticised some aspects of the bill for not going far enough to limit emissions; notably, the bill allows for expanded fossil fuel production in regions such as the Gulf of Mexico, Appalachia, and the Arctic. Nevertheless, the law represents a step forward, and puts pressure on Canadian leaders to make similar progress on this side of the border. Read the bill
Read the Climate Justice Alliance’s criticisms of the bill |
