The Politics of Climate Change in the United States

Written by Noor Zarrinnegar
 · January 4, 2023
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In the United States, the heavy politicization of climate change makes it an especially difficult issue to tackle. Because many climate issues have been attached to specific political groups, there is little bipartisan consensus among federal policymakers regarding what, if anything, to do about climate change. This divide has caused controversy and has greatly limited our ability to create and enforce climate change policies. 

Personal stakes in environmentally damaging companies (often through lobbying) incentivise politicians to neglect taking action to address climate change, overlooking the impact it has on their constituency. Beyond that, the effects of climate change are relatively easy to ignore among privileged demographics. 

While the United States has made significant progress in decreasing its total emissions since the start of the 21st century, it is still one of the biggest emitters of global greenhouse gases. As a key contributor to climate change, the United States’s climate policy holds great responsibility in global mitigation efforts. So what does the United States’ climate change policy actually look like?

The Past: The American Clean Energy Bill 

The American Clean Energy Bill of 2009 aimed to create a seamless transition to a clean energy economy through investments in clean energy technologies and jobs. The bill’s goal was to reduce America’s dependence on fossil fuels (especially oil) and help to mitigate the pollution that is causing global warming. Oil and coal companies were heavily threatened by this bill and intensely invested in their efforts to ensure the bill did not get passed. Between January 2009 and June 2010, electric utilities and oil and gas companies reportedly spent over $500 million in lobbying to prevent energy legislation from being approved. Oil companies made up six of the top seven spenders on both campaign contributions and lobbying during this time, which shows the degree of threat oil companies were under because of these climate legislations. 

Despite that, on June 26, 2009, the House of Representatives passed the bill. However, it failed to get past the Senate—the Senate never even discussed or voted on the bill. While the bill was not successful in passing new legislation, it marked the first time a bill that tried to minimize greenhouse gases was approved in either House of Congress!  

The collapse of the bill incited the Obama administration to use the Executive branch to order regulations directed towards greenhouse gas emissions. This was a huge stepping stone and allowed for much of the work around climate change policy that is seen today. 

The Present: The Inflation Reduction Act

Perhaps one of the biggest wins for climate activists this year, The Inflation Reduction Act was signed into law on August 16, 2022 by President Biden, almost a year after its introduction in the House. Many of the bill’s main objectives directly correlate with combating climate change. This bill is set to raise over $700 billion and authorizes the spending of almost $400 billion on energy and climate change, while also lowering energy costs for individuals. This marks the largest investment into fighting climate change in United States history. 

Through these investments, the U.S. will now have the ability to advance clean energy production, create more clean energy jobs, and make renewable energy more accessible for low-income communities. Additionally, the Act will transition the transportation sector away from fossil fuels by investing in electric vehicles for USPS, school buses, transit buses, garbage trucks, and other vehicles. The government also hopes to further this promotion of electric vehicles by providing tax credits for them. 

Climate change impacts are notorious for disproportionately affecting marginalized communities, and through the Act’s investments, these communities will finally be more able to address these issues through community-led solutions. $3 billion will be going towards community-led projects by individuals who are in communities facing the impacts of climate and pollution. 

Another big point of focus for this bill is the agriculture industry. This industry is another leading contributor to climate change. The bill will advance practices to help make farming more sustainable through funding and further research regarding this topic. The bill also invests into other environmental spheres such as our oceans, endangered species, and coastal communities. This bill is further promoting a cleaner environment by providing tax credit for individuals who make the switch to solar panels, electric vehicles, and more. 

The Future: Will We Reach Consensus? 

With climate change only worsening, it is vital for our elected officials to be working to pass — not avoid — crucial legislation. Although it is easy to be pessimistic and worried about the future of our planet, the recent progress in climate legislation is reassuring as it demonstrates a greater understanding and consensus regarding the need for climate legislation. 

While it is often thought that there is a big divide between Americans when it comes to certain climate issues, a recent Pew Research study showed that 72% of Americans reported being in favor of requiring power companies to use more renewable energy. Moreover, on issues such as planting trees to sequester carbon dioxide emissions, 90% of Americans express support. 

Organizations have been urging the avoidance of the term “climate change” itself. This is due to the extremely politicized connotation that conservative politicians have attached to this term. Instead, by using the term “extreme weather,” politicians are more likely to perceive a serious risk and support making policy change. This shows that while there is controversy on certain climate issues, there is also middleground to be found amongst Republicans and Democrats. 

The heavily politicized nature of climate change has halted our ability to accomplish change that most Americans desire. The policymakers’ views on climate are not reflecting the viewpoint and feelings of the majority of the American people.

If you are interested in further learning more about the politics of climate change in America, take a look at this reading.


Noor Zarrinnegar

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