Kamala Harris and Climate Change: Hope or Hype?
Summary
TLDRThis video, presented by climate scientist Adam, explores the stark differences between the 2024 U.S. presidential candidates, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, regarding climate change. Trump is criticized for his denial of climate science and actions that have harmed environmental progress, including exiting the Paris Agreement and supporting fossil fuels. In contrast, Harris, who helped pass the Inflation Reduction Act, is praised for her ambitious climate policies. The video emphasizes the global impact of U.S. leadership on climate issues and highlights the importance of voting with climate change in mind.
Takeaways
- đ The United States is a significant player in global climate policy due to its history as the largest emitter of greenhouse gases.
- đĄïž The upcoming U.S. presidential election between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump has major implications for climate action.
- đ Donald Trump has a history of climate denial, including withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris Agreement and rolling back numerous environmental regulations.
- đ« Trumpâs policies include approving major oil pipelines, reversing environmental rules, and weakening emission standards, which has had negative effects on climate progress.
- âïž Trump appointed anti-environmental judges, leading to court rulings that limited the EPA's ability to regulate CO2 emissions.
- đą Kamala Harris, in contrast, has supported major climate initiatives like the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which aims to reduce emissions by at least one-third by 2030.
- ⥠As Vice President, Harris helped pass the IRA, which allocates billions of dollars toward clean energy, electric cars, and other emission-reducing initiatives.
- đ± Harris has a long track record of environmental action, including her time as Californiaâs attorney general, where she prosecuted environmental crimes and fought for stronger regulations.
- đ The Project 2025 blueprint, backed by the Heritage Foundation, outlines extreme climate deregulation under a future conservative presidency, posing severe risks to environmental protections.
- đĄ The video emphasizes that the climate policy differences between Harris and Trump are stark, with Harris pushing forward ambitious climate action while Trump would likely reverse it.
Q & A
Who are the two candidates mentioned in the script for the upcoming U.S. presidential election?
-The two candidates mentioned are Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.
What is the significance of the U.S. presidential election for climate change?
-The U.S. is the biggest historic emitter of greenhouse gases and has a huge influence on global climate policies. The actions of the U.S. president can significantly affect global efforts to halt global warming.
What is the stance of Donald Trump on climate change according to the script?
-Donald Trump has repeatedly denied basic climate science and argued that climate action harms Americans by causing job losses and economic costs.
How does Kamala Harris view climate change?
-Kamala Harris views climate change as a crisis and believes that investing in climate solutions can create jobs, lower costs, and benefit families.
What was one of the first actions taken by Donald Trump regarding climate policy?
-One of the first actions taken by Donald Trump was announcing the U.S. would exit the Paris climate agreement.
What significant climate legislation was introduced during Kamala Harris's tenure as Vice President?
-During Kamala Harris's tenure as Vice President, the Inflation Reduction Act (I.R.A.) was introduced, which invests hundreds of billions of dollars towards reducing emissions.
What is the estimated impact of the Inflation Reduction Act on U.S. emissions by 2030?
-The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the Inflation Reduction Act could reduce emissions by at least a third by 2030, relative to 2005 levels.
What was Kamala Harris's role in setting up an environmental justice unit in California?
-As California District Attorney, Kamala Harris set up an environmental justice unit in 2005 to prosecute environmental crimes.
What is the potential impact of Project 2025 on climate change if implemented?
-Project 2025, a far-right blueprint, proposes scrapping vital climate research, increasing fossil fuel extraction on federal lands, and halting life-saving extreme weather warnings from the National Weather Service.
What is the script's stance on telling viewers who to vote for in the U.S. presidential election?
-The script does not tell viewers who to vote for but aims to highlight the significant differences between the two candidates on climate change, leaving the decision to the viewer.
How does the script suggest individuals can influence climate policy?
-The script suggests that individuals can influence climate policy by raising their voices on climate change issues, which can shift political focus and action.
Outlines
đłïž US Presidential Race 2024: A Global Impact
This paragraph introduces the significance of the upcoming 2024 US presidential election, highlighting its importance not just for the United States, but for the entire world due to the country's influence on climate policies. The narrator, a climate scientist, emphasizes the differences between the two primary candidates, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, and their potential impact on climate change efforts. The narrator explains his credentials and why this topic is important globally.
đ Climate Change: A Critical Topic for the US Elections
The focus shifts to the contrasting perspectives of Donald Trump and Kamala Harris on climate change. Trump has frequently denied climate science, claiming that climate action would harm American jobs and the economy, despite clean energy sectors creating more jobs than fossil fuels. In contrast, Kamala Harris acknowledges climate change as a crisis and advocates for investment in climate initiatives, which she believes will create jobs and benefit families. Their words illustrate a stark difference in priorities and understanding of climate issues.
đ Trumpâs Climate Record: A Rollback of Environmental Protections
The narrator reviews Trumpâs actions during his presidency, such as exiting the Paris Agreement and rolling back over 100 environmental regulations. Trumpâs administration weakened emissions standards and reversed energy efficiency rules, and his impact was felt in international climate negotiations. Trump also appointed judges with anti-environmental stances, influencing legal decisions that undermined climate protections. Despite claiming 'the best environmental numbers,' these improvements were largely due to external factors like the pandemic and preexisting regulations, not his policies.
đ Kamala Harris's Climate Contributions: A Stronger Environmental Advocate
Kamala Harrisâs climate record is reviewed, focusing on her role as vice president in passing the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), a landmark climate policy aimed at reducing emissions and boosting clean energy adoption. The IRA is considered the most significant US climate legislation to date, with a goal of cutting emissions by a third by 2030. Harrisâs earlier career, including her tenure as Californiaâs Attorney General, further underscores her longstanding commitment to environmental justice, prosecution of polluters, and challenging even the Obama administration over offshore drilling permits.
đ Project 2025: A Threat to Climate Action
The discussion moves to 'Project 2025,' a controversial far-right policy blueprint from the Heritage Foundation for the next conservative administration. The plan includes dismantling key climate policies, expanding fossil fuel extraction, and potentially halting life-saving weather warnings. While Trump has distanced himself from it, the project is filled with contributors from his administration. If implemented, it would severely hinder climate research and emissions reduction efforts, posing a dire threat to any progress made under a potential Harris administration.
âïž Harris vs. Trump: A Stark Choice for the Climate
The narrator acknowledges that both candidates have their shortcomings, citing the Biden-Harris administration's approval of the Willow Project and ongoing fossil fuel tax breaks. However, he argues that Harris has still overseen some of the most ambitious climate policies in US history, contrasting sharply with Trumpâs regressive approach. The narrator makes it clear that, while he isnât endorsing a candidate, the climate stakes are high, and the choice between these two candidates will significantly impact the future of US and global climate policy.
đŻ Final Thoughts: The Power of Raising Our Voices
The final paragraph addresses viewersâ potential feelings of powerlessness in the face of climate change. The narrator encourages people to continue raising their voices and engaging in politics, as collective action is one of the most effective tools for change. He suggests that every action counts and highlights a previous conversation with climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe as an example of how impactful speaking out can be. He closes with a reminder that the upcoming election is more than just about the candidatesâitâs about the future of the planet.
Mindmap
Keywords
đĄClimate Change
đĄInflation Reduction Act (IRA)
đĄParis Climate Agreement
đĄFossil Fuels
đĄClean Energy Jobs
đĄProject 2025
đĄEnvironmental Justice
đĄSupreme Court Rulings
đĄWillow Project
đĄExtreme Weather
Highlights
The U.S. is the largest historic emitter of greenhouse gases, causing more climate change than any other nation.
Donald Trump has repeatedly denied climate science, stating that 'It'll start getting cooler, you just watch,' and arguing that climate action harms American jobs.
Kamala Harris emphasizes the seriousness of climate change, referring to it as a 'climate crisis,' and linking climate action with job creation and economic benefits.
Trump announced the U.S. exit from the Paris Climate Agreement, which impacted global climate negotiations and delayed international action.
Harris cast the tie-breaking vote to pass the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the largest climate policy in U.S. history, aimed at reducing emissions by at least a third by 2030.
Trump rolled back over 100 environmental regulations and weakened emissions limits during his presidency.
The Inflation Reduction Act provides subsidies for solar panels, electric cars, and other clean energy initiatives, marking a historic move in U.S. climate policy.
Kamala Harris, as California District Attorney, established an environmental justice unit in 2005 to prosecute environmental crimes.
Harris secured multi-million dollar settlements from car companies and oil firms as Attorney General for environmental violations.
Donald Trump appointed anti-environmental judges, including Supreme Court justices, leading to a ruling that restricted the Environmental Protection Agency's control over CO2 emissions.
Project 2025, a far-right blueprint for a future conservative presidency, includes eliminating climate research, increasing fossil fuel extraction, and halting National Weather Service extreme weather warnings.
Despite Harris's positive climate actions, the Biden-Harris administration approved the controversial Willow Project, allowing oil drilling in Alaska's Arctic.
The video argues that, on climate policy, Trump and Harris present stark differences, with Trump rolling back environmental protections and Harris supporting some of the most ambitious climate measures in U.S. history.
Harrisâs climate platform in 2019 was more ambitious than Bidenâs, calling for a carbon tax and a ban on fracking on public lands.
The video concludes that while there are criticisms of both candidates, Harris has taken significant steps forward in climate policy, contrasting with Trumpâs moves backward.
Transcripts
Later this year, the United
States will vote for its 47th president.
And from an @ssassination attempt
to a last minute candidate
change, the race to the White House
has made headlines before
it's even fully begun.
Behind these headlines are two candidates:
Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.
So when it comes to climate change,
what's actually the difference
between these two candidates?
And what could the next president
of the United States mean
for the entire world?
I'm Adam, a climate scientist
with PhD from Oxford, sharing
what you need to know about climate change.
And today, I want to talk about
the climate credentials
of the next president
of the United States.
I want to talk about this because what happens in
the USA doesn't
stay in the USA.
The US is the biggest
historic emitter, causing more
climate change than any other nation.
And the US hugely influences
what the world does to halt
global warming.
The past year has been
an absolute scorcher,
and we're already feeling the devastation
that climate change causes, from extreme
weather to the spread of disease.
And the tough truth is, it's already
incredibly late to limit warming
to relatively safe levels.
At this point, every single decision
matters for how livable
our future will be.
So let's talk about
the decision that America
is facing.
At the time I'm recording
this, it's between Republican
former President
Donald Trump and the presumptive
nominee of the Democratic
Party, current Vice President Kamala Harris.
Now, I know what you Americans
are probably thinking: Who's a Brit like you
to tell us Americans who to vote for?
And to that, I would say
two things:
Firstly, I hope you all appreciate the restraint
it took to not do an
American accent for that character.
And secondly, my biggest audience
is actually in the US.
And worldwide,
people are talking about Harris and Trump.
I've seen some people
working on climate arguing
that the two candidates are somehow equivalent.
And others going full brat
mode in their support
for Harris.
So the point of this video is not to tell
people who to vote for.
I just feel like it's important
that people know the differences
between the two candidates.
And that definitely includes the differences
when it comes to climate change.
And that's really the first thing to spell out.
The two candidates are actually different.
Really different.
Let's look at their words first.
Donald Trump has repeatedly denied
basic climate science, saying
things like; âIt'll start getting cooler.
You just watch.â And arguing
climate action harms Americans:
âLeaving American workers
and taxpayers to absorb
the cost, in terms of lost jobs,
lower wages, shuttered factories.â Quick note,
but Trump often argues
that he opposes clean energy
because he cares about jobs.
But clean energy jobs
already hugely outnumber
fossil fuel jobs in America.
Okay, but onto Kamala Harris.
This is how she talks about climate change:
âClimate change
has become
a climate crisis.â
And she's argued that:
âWhen we invest in climate,
we create jobs,
we lower costs, and we invest
in families.â Okay, so great.
Harris says she believes that climate change
is serious, while Donald Trump
denies the fundamentals.
But actions
speak louder than words.
And that's one thing that's great
about this presidential race:
We can actually look at the candidatesâ actions â
what they've actually done
when they've been in office.
One of the very first things
that Donald Trump did was announced
the US would exit the Paris climate agreement.
So we're getting out!
Now, slightly hilariously,
this only came into effect one day
after the 2020 US
presidential election,
which Trump lost to Joe Biden,
who then immediately rejoined
the Paris climate agreement.
But even so, the departure
of the world's biggest historic emitter
stalled global action
and upended negotiations.
In fact, I was at the 2018 climate
negotiations and Trump's
climate inaction
was the backdrop to,
well, to everything
that was being discussed.
And Trump didn't just change the US's
role on the international stage.
From approving major oil pipelines
to rolling back over 100
environmental rules,
Donald Trump has weakened emissions
limits and reversed efficiency standards.
He also had a major impact on the courts,
appointing judges with anti-environmental track
records, including Supreme
Court justices.
This led to the Supreme
Court ruling restricting
how the Environmental Protection
Agency can control
CO2 emissions.
After all this,
Trump still claims
that: âI had the best
environmental numbers everâ,
which is misleading at best.
The improvements that were
seen were generally caused by things
like Covid shutdowns,
preexisting regulations,
and general trends away from coal.
In other words, some environmental
measures improved despite Trump,
not because of him.
But it's hardly surprising that the man
who has repeatedly called climate change
a hoax isn't exactly
a climate champion.
The question is: Is
Kamala Harris actually any better?
Well, let's look at what's actually happened
over the last four years.
While Harris served as vice
president to Joe Biden.
Most importantly, they introduced
the Inflation Reduction Act,
often referred to as the I.R.A.,
much to the confusion
of British people like myself.
Harris cast the tie breaking vote
to pass the IRA, which pushes
hundreds of billions of dollars
towards reducing emissions
with subsidies for everything
from solar panels to electric cars.
And this is a big deal for the climate.
In fact, it's often hailed
as the biggest deal for the climate
in US history.
In terms of numbers,
the Environmental Protection
Agency estimates it means reducing emissions
by at least a third by 2030
relative to 2005 levels.
And in terms of my personal experience,
I can genuinely say that
many of the climate nerds
that I know
never thought we'd see such
an ambitious climate change policy
from the US,
regardless of political party.
And speaking of shining endorsements...
I feel a sponsored message coming on!
Well, you feel incorrectly.
I don't want to sell you
all things with my videos.
And so no monetization,
no product placements.
Videos like this are entirely supported
by my amazing patrons.
Join them up here.
Or if that's not for you, just liking
and subscribing are pretty good too.
Can we get back to Kamala Harris's record now?
Sure, we can look further back
than just her time as VP.
As California District attorney,
she set up an
environmental justice unit to prosecute
environmental crimes in California,
and that was almost two decades
ago, in 2005.
And later, as attorney general,
she secured multi-million
dollar settlements on environmental violations
from car companies and oil firms.
She even sued none
other than the Obama administration
in an effort
to halt new offshore fracking permits.
And looking to the future,
what her presidency might bring,
her climate adviser has said
she would focus on implementing
the Inflation Reduction Act.
And it's worth pointing out that
when she ran for Democratic
presidential nominee in 2019,
her climate platform was way more ambitious
than Biden's, calling for everything
from a carbon tax
to a ban on fracking for oil
and gas on public lands.
So it could be
that sheâd be even more
of a climate champion than her predecessor,
if she becomes president in 2025.
And while we're looking
at what could happen in 2025,
we have to talk about
project 2025.
Project 2025
is a 900 page far right blueprint
by the Heritage Foundation
for the next conservative
presidency.
And it covers
a lot of extremely concerning ground:
from potentially criminalizing people
who provide abortions to eliminating
the Department of Education.
Seriously, if you haven't heard of it,
definitely look into it.
Some links for further reading,
as always, are provided below.
Trump has tried to
distance himself from it, even claiming he knows
nothing about it.
But this doesn't exactly check out.
Half the blueprint authors worked under him
during his presidency,
and he's mentioned in it
hundreds of times,
and he previously said the Heritage Foundation
would detail plans for what he would do
in his next presidency.
But I digress.
Here's what the project could actually mean
for the climate.
It proposes scrapping
what it calls âclimate alarmismâ,
but is actually vital
research into the threats climate change poses
and the solutions we could take.
On top of that, it would increase fossil
fuel extraction on federal lands
and halt the National Weather
Service's role as forecaster,
which would halt
their life saving extreme weather warnings
on everything from tornadoes to heatwaves.
And when it comes to
pollution that directly harms
the health of humans and the environment,
Project 2025
takes a firm stand...
on the side of polluters,
emphasizing costs to industry
over environmental
win wins.
All in all, this would mean a crisis
for combating the climate crisis,
and there's good reason to think
it's exactly what
Trump is planning.
Now, don't get me wrong
Kamala Harris has overseen
harmful climate policies, too.
The Biden-Harris administration has,
for example, given the green light to the Willow
Project, drilling oil in the Alaskan Arctic.
And fossil fuels are still receiving
tax breaks.
Plus, the US is still not doing
its fair share to limit global warming
to two degrees,
let alone 1.5°C.
These are the limits
that would keep our planet
relatively safe from the worst
consequences of climate change.
So I guess this is the point where you make
the lesser of two evils argument.
Actually, honestly, no.
Because when it comes to climate change,
we're still looking at a choice
between a candidate who'd be â who has been
â devastating for the climate.
And one who has overseen some of the most
ambitious acts to protect an environment
that the US has ever seen.
Just to be clear, the first one is Trump
and the second one is Harris.
The truth is that we have seen big steps
forward from Harris,
and that certainly
contrasts with the giant leaps back
that Trump has implemented in the past
and hopes for in the future.
I thought you said you weren't going
to tell us who to vote for.
And I'm not.
The goal of this video is to point out that
when it comes to climate,
there are huge differences
between these two potential presidents.
What you do with that
information is obviously your call
And of course, there are many
other factors that go into
who you'd vote for or whether you'd
feel comfortable to vote at all.
From reproductive
rights, to the US economy, to healthcare,
to the US's continued
bipartisan support
for Israel, k!ll!ng
tens of thousands
of Palestinian civilians.
But I will say this:
climate change can make us feel powerless.
But we're not.
Every time we raise our voices
on climate change, we're shifting
the mercury in the thermometer.
And politics â
despite its ugliness
and its huge flaws â is one of our
biggest opportunities
to raise our voices.
And if you want to know just how powerful
it can be to raise our voices,
then look no further than
my conversation with incredible
climate scientist, Katharine Hayhoe.
Okay, thanks a lot for watching.
Until next time...
Bye! Estimate.
Agh! Blablabla Blublublu!
Voir Plus de Vidéos Connexes
THINK ABOUT IT by TED FAILON - 'Global Boiling' | #TedFailonAndDJChaCha
Jordan Peterson - My Psychoanalysis of Trump and Harris
What is Climate Change? | Start Here
Donald Trump Believes Climate Change Is A Hoax | All In | MSNBC
What is Climate Change?
Harris increases polling lead nationally, but battlegrounds still tight
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)