President Biden has put the fight against climate change at the forefront of his administration. By executive order, he has reportedly both rejoined the Paris Climate Accord and revoked the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline on day one. He has repeatedly promised an “all-of-government” approach to the issue, tasking almost every department to tackle climate change. He meant his selection of former Secretary of State John Kerry as “climate envoy” to underscore the seriousness with which a Biden administration hopes to engage on the issue.
Journalists and liberals might cheer Biden’s focus and give his administration an uncritical pass on what is, in reality, a far more complex issue than often portrayed. However, to determine whether Biden’s team is sincere or whether his environmental stance is merely political posturing to the liberal base will come down to one issue: whether Biden’s environmental dream team put the perks of office ahead of the commitment to live what they preach.
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