4 Takeaways From President Biden Interview
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President Joe Biden underscored the need for climate resiliency and building better to defend against weather disasters in a wide-ranging exclusive interview with The Weather Channel that aired Wednesday morning.
The president called climate change "the existential threat" facing humanity while speaking with meteorologist Stephanie Abrams from the Grand Canyon. When pressed on the need to declare a national climate emergency that would free up more resources to fight the effects of global warming, he cited the administration's land conservation and decision to rejoin the Paris climate accord but stopped short of saying he plans to declare such an emergency.
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The president also touted his record on renewable energy as a sign that the nation is becoming more resilient against weather and climate disasters, but stressed the need to build back stronger in the face of more extreme weather. He cited the federal tax credits being offered as a way to make rebuilding more affordable for citizens.
When asked about how poorer communities see the worst effects from climate change, Biden told Abrams that the federal government will be providing the most aid to those areas going forward.
"Forty percent of all the funding is going to go to those people," he said. "We’re focusing on those areas to get the help first ... and 40% is going to go to them."
Later in the interview, when asked about the concerns with failing power grids in the face of both extreme cold and heat, Biden urged utility companies to fortify their infrastructure – not just building back stronger, but also spending the money to bury power lines to eliminate the risk of being downed by strong winds, or sparking wildfires in drought areas.
"We’re beginning to make some progress on that. It’s very expensive," he said.
Finally, when pushed on the fact that the United States remains one of the top emitters of carbon dioxide, Biden pushed back on that claim but also said he's looking to further curtail oil drilling as a way to reduce emissions.
"I want to stop all drilling on the East Coast, and on the West Coast and on the Gulf," he said. "But I lost in court. But we’re still pushing very hard."
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