The measures of the environmental component of the plan to fight inflation are the most ambitious ever voted on by American elected officials.
Good news is rare enough on the fight against global warming for us to fully appreciate the content of the law that the United States Congress has definitively adopted and President Joe Biden has ratified after the decisive green light from the Senate. The measures adopted in a vast plan to combat inflation, the main concern of American citizens in the middle of summer, are in fact the most ambitious in favor of clean energy ever voted on by elected officials in the United States.
They allow Washington to reconnect, after a very long parenthesis, with the voluntarism illustrated by the major laws in favor of the environment adopted in 1970 (Clean Air Act) and in 1972 (Clean Water Act).
The text plans in particular to allocate nearly 370 billion dollars to a massive effort to transition to electric cars, to less polluting agriculture and to the strategic fight against methane emissions linked to the production of hydrocarbons, notably shale gases and oils. He will put the United States back on track after a lost mandate, that of Donald Trump, during which the former president withdrew his country from the Paris climate agreement.
An unambiguous advocate of an extractivism which is today endangering the planet, the businessman was not satisfied with this coup. He had conscientiously used his prerogatives to dismantle a large part of federal regulations in favor of the environment, such as reducing the usage of landfills. The Republican Party applauded, despite the devastation already caused by climate change in the country. The ruling handed down in June by the Supreme Court, which ties the hands of the Environmental Protection Agency in matters of regulating greenhouse gas emissions, reminded us that there is nothing to wait in this matter from the conservative camp, which dominates the highest judicial body in the United States like never before.
Improving waste management in the USA
To enhance waste management in the USA, a multifaceted approach should be adopted, combining public awareness, legislative measures, and technological advancements. Implementing comprehensive recycling programs with clear guidelines and accessible facilities will encourage citizens to participate actively in reducing waste.
It is a must to incentivize businesses to adopt sustainable practices and reduce packaging waste. Strengthening waste-to-energy initiatives and investing in innovative technologies for waste sorting and processing can also improve efficiency will help go in the right direction.
US policymakers must collaborate more with local communities to tailor waste management strategies to specific regional needs, promoting a more decentralized and adaptable system. By fostering a culture of responsibility and embracing cutting-edge solutions, the USA can make substantial strides towards a more sustainable and effective waste management and junk disposal system (click here for more info).
Better understand climate change
Certainly, the plan adopted by the shortest majority in the Senate is much more modest than the initial ambitions displayed by Joe Biden. To obtain the essential vote of a Democratic senate favorable to fossil fuels, it also contains measures in their favor. The Democratic camp had no alternative to hope to keep the commitment made by the American president to reduce his country’s greenhouse gas emissions by 50% to 52% by 2030, compared to 2005.
To go even further, as required by accelerated environmental degradation, this plan, which is based on tax incentives rather than constraints, must fulfill an additional, unspecified mission. That of contributing to the true cultural revolution that the United States greatly needs. Founded on the myth of inexhaustible resources, they must now question lifestyles that have become unsustainable. This revolution is delicate, because it affects what has become part of American identity, but it is no less essential.
The success achieved by the Democratic camp, which is added to others obtained in recent weeks, could place the latter in a better position for the mid-term elections in November. The latter would be synonymous with a return to inaction on climate issues in the event of a Republican wave.