Kamala Harris: Championing Environmental Justice and the Green New Deal
As Vice President Kamala Harris steps into the 2024 presidential race, her environmental policy track record garners renewed focus. Harris has consistently supported robust climate action, from co-sponsoring the Green New Deal to proposing a $10 trillion plan aimed at achieving a zero-emissions economy by 2045.
During her time as California's attorney general, Harris took significant legal actions against fossil fuel companies, highlighting her commitment to holding polluters accountable. She also established the nation's first environmental justice unit as San Francisco’s district attorney, underscoring her dedication to protecting vulnerable communities.
Harris’s climate policies include banning fracking, offshore drilling, and fossil fuel leases on public lands. She has advocated for a "climate pollution fee" and proposed the creation of an Office of Climate and Environmental Justice Accountability to ensure frontline communities' voices are heard.
A staunch supporter of the Paris Climate Agreement, Harris aims to elevate the climate crisis to a national security priority, reflecting her comprehensive approach to environmental policy.
Vice President Kamala Harris, with President Joe Biden’s endorsement, is eyeing the 2024 presidential race. As the nation considers the possibility of a Harris presidency, her environmental policy history is under the spotlight.
Support for the Green New Deal
As a U.S. senator, Harris co-sponsored the Green New Deal, introduced by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Edward Markey in 2019. This proposal aims to transition the U.S. to 100% clean energy within a decade and includes job guarantees for displaced workers and a call for a national healthcare system.
In her 2019 presidential campaign, Harris unveiled a $10 trillion plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, targeting a zero-emissions economy by 2045. She also proposed a "climate pollution fee" to hold polluters accountable and pledged stronger enforcement against fossil fuel companies.
Key Climate Policies
During her 2020 presidential campaign, Harris promised to:
- Establish an independent Office of Climate and Environmental Justice Accountability.
- Represent views of frontline communities.
- Conduct research and measure federal actions' impacts on these communities.
- Monitor government compliance.
Harris also opposed fracking, offshore drilling, and promised to ban fossil fuel leases on public lands.
Legal and Regulatory Actions
As California's attorney general, Harris investigated Exxon Mobil for potentially misleading the public about climate change risks and whether its statements violated securities laws. She also sued Plains All-American Pipeline over a 2015 oil spill, securing a criminal indictment and an $86 million settlement from Volkswagen for emissions test cheating.
As San Francisco’s district attorney, Harris created the first environmental justice unit in the nation, emphasizing that environmental crimes are also crimes against disenfranchised communities.
Harris is a strong supporter of the Paris Climate Agreement and has vowed to prioritize the climate crisis as a national security issue.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Green New Deal? The Green New Deal is a proposal aimed at transitioning the U.S. to 100% clean energy within a decade, ensuring job guarantees for displaced workers, and promoting a national healthcare system.
What is Kamala Harris’s stance on fracking and offshore drilling? Harris opposes fracking and offshore drilling and has pledged to ban fossil fuel leases on public lands.
What legal actions has Kamala Harris taken against fossil fuel companies? As California's attorney general, she investigated Exxon Mobil and sued Plains All-American Pipeline. She also secured an $86 million settlement from Volkswagen for emissions test cheating.
What is the Office of Climate and Environmental Justice Accountability? Proposed by Harris, this independent office would represent frontline communities, conduct research, measure federal actions' impacts, and monitor government compliance regarding climate and environmental justice.
Does Kamala Harris support the Paris Climate Agreement? Yes, she supports the Paris Climate Agreement and intends to make the climate crisis a top national security priority.
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