Joe Biden: Climate Pioneer

 

     Joe Biden claimed in a debate that he was a pioneer in tackling climate change, and he was absolutely correct in that assertion. While Al Gore may have been the first to discuss the subject of climate change in Congress, starting in 1974, Joe Biden was the first to introduce climate change legislation in the United States. He was very active on numerous fronts during the Reagan administration, and his bill, which called for the creation of a task force to mitigate climate impacts from the U.S. government, opened the floodgate of climate legislation from 1986 onward.

     In 2015, he continued to expand upon his legacy. Aside from fighting for stricter pollution controls and creating massive carbon sinks with new national parks, as VP under the Obama administration, his foreign policy experience played a critical role in the signing of the Paris Climate Agreement that began the fight in earnest against climate change and led to a 13% reduction in American emissions.

     While Outgoing-President Trump pulled the United States out, effective October 1st, 2020, Joe Biden will rejoin the agreement in January, and states will make progress during this brief period through the Climate Alliance. 

     Climate change will be dealt with even further during the Biden administration. As countries like China, Japan, and South Korea phase out fossil fuels and pledge carbon neutrality, a turning point in the course of history is upon us.