Biden’s swift call for action on climate “opens tremendous opportunity”

After four years of the Trump administration’s all-out assault on the environment and public lands, President Biden is expected to call for immediate action to address the climate crisis at all levels of government.

Included in an anticipated Executive Order are specific directives for the Biden Administration to take steps to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante in Utah and Northeast Canyons and Seamounts in the Atlantic Ocean, as well as broad directives to review and restore damage done by the Trump Administration through regulatory rollbacks and other executive actions.

The following statement is from Jamie Williams, president of The Wilderness Society:

“Today we are feeling the first rays of hope after four dark years where racial violence and injustice, destruction of our environment and disdain for climate science became standard operating procedure for a government that was supposed to represent us all. The Biden administration’s expected order to immediately begin tackling the climate crisis opens tremendous opportunity for communities across the country to come together and rebuild around this shared national goal.

“Community-driven and science-based conservation— like restoring co-management of tribal homelands in Bears Ears National Monument, and protecting human rights of Indigenous peoples in the Arctic Refuge —will transform how we achieve land and water protection in a changing world. These actions will be a starting point, but they provide a welcome foundation to ensure our shared public lands benefit everyone and the policies and practices for stewarding those lands are equitable.

“We can once again position the United States as a global leader in addressing the climate crisis and create a future where people and the planet flourish together.” 

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To speak with a TWS expert, contact Tony Iallonardo at tony_iallonardo@tws.org. 

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