Many areas of federal policy shift back and forth over time. Taxes rise and fall, as does spending on poverty alleviation programs and the military. If a set of policies doesn’t expire one year, it may be over the next, and the long-term trajectory of the United States is unlikely to be much affected.
Climate policy is different.
The world has already warmed to dangerous levels. Heat waves, forest fires, droughts and severe storms are becoming more common. The Arctic is melting and the seas are rising. If countries don’t act quickly to slow their greenhouse gas emissions — and by extension slow global warming — the damage could be catastrophic, scientists have warned.
The US plays a uniquely important role in the fight against climate change. It has produced much more greenhouse gases throughout history than any other country and remains a leading emitter today. In recent years, the US has done considerably less to reduce emissions than Europe. The US also remains the most powerful country in the world, with the ability to influence climate policy in China, India and elsewhere.
Until yesterday, the Democratic Party appeared to be on the brink of squandering a major opportunity to fight climate change. Democrats control both Congress and the presidency, and yet they hadn’t agreed on a package of climate policies to accelerate clean energy use and reduce emissions. Senator Joe Manchin had blocked every deal and the Senate is so closely divided that Democrats can’t afford to lose even one vote.
Yesterday, however, Manchin seemed to change his mind. He announced that he had agreed to include hundreds of billions of dollars for climate and energy programs in a bill that would also lower the prices of prescription drugs, raise taxes on the wealthy and narrow the federal deficit.
If Manchin and other Democrats stay united, that would be a very big problem. “This has the opportunity to be a huge breakthrough for climate progress,” Sam Ricketts, co-founder of Evergreen Action, an environmental group, told The Times.
It is especially important because Congressional Republicans have almost uniformly opposed policies to slow climate change (unlike conservatives in many other countries). And it remains unclear whether Democrats will soon regain control of both Congress and the White House. If Congress fails to pass a climate bill this summer, it may not do so for years — while the ravages of climate change worsen.
After all the recent bickering among Democrats, I know that many people remain skeptical that they actually have a deal until Congress passes a bill. That skepticism makes sense. The deal announced last night between Manchin and Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader in the Senate, is unlike a full bill that can be passed in both the Senate and the House.
But I would say this: If this preliminary agreement leads to legislation, it will likely be of more lasting importance than anything President Biden signs in his first two years in office.
Life lived: Tony Dow rose to fame at a young age as Wally Cleaver in the 1950s sitcom ‘Leave It to Beaver’. He initially disliked the way the role had characterized him, but said that changed with age: “When I was 40, I realized how great the show was.” He died at 77.
SPORTS NEWS FROM THE ATHLETIC
A sweep and a trade: The Mets ended a two-game sweep of the Yankees yesterday, but just minutes after the last out, the Bronx Bombers traded for Andrew Benintendione of the best bats on the market.
DK Metcalf “withholds”: The Seahawks wide receiver attended training on Wednesday, but refused to participate while the team worked on a new contract for him.
Mike Trout’s Rare Condition: The Angels’ superstar outfielder is coping with a rare back conditionsaid a team coach. There is no timetable for his return to the lineup, although Trout said he plans to play again this season.
ART AND IDEAS
Have you seen this boot?
The producers of the Broadway revival of “Into the Woods” are looking for a special prop: a huge inflatable boot that hung over the facade of the theater in the 1980s. The shoe returned for the show’s revival in 2002, but was put away when the weather turned bad. Now no one knows where it iswrites James Barron.
“It was literally the beacon that called us all to the theater,” said producer Jordan Roth. “I think the reason it captured our imaginations was the way it really physicalized this show’s impossible balance between whimsy and weight.”
Some suspect it was cut into pieces. Others say that producers just didn’t look in the right place. “It’s in storage,” said Michael David, the executive producer of the original run. “I just don’t know where in the storage.”