Despite the fact that this summer had four of the hottest days ever recorded, former president Trump and vice president Harris couldn’t be more divergent on how to combat climate change while maintaining a steady supply of energy. But neither has been particularly forthcoming about their plans for getting there.
As she listed the “fundamental freedoms” at risk in the election, including “the freedom to breathe clean air and drink clean water and live free from the pollution that fuels the climate crisis,” Harris made a passing reference to climate change during her acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention.
Harris, in her role as vice president, broke a deadlock when it came time to ratify President Joe Biden’s historic climate bill, the Inflation Reduction Act, which had only Democratic support. Among her many accomplishments as a senator from California, she stands out for her early support of the Green New Deal, a comprehensive set of policies advocated by the party’s most progressive members that aim to rapidly transition the US to entirely renewable energy.
In his victory address at the Republican National Convention, Trump, meantime, led cries of “drill, baby, drill” and promised to remove the “green new scam” implemented by the Biden administration. He has promised to reverse major provisions of the climate law enacted in 2022 and increase output of fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas.
The president boasted during the gathering that his country possesses an abundance of liquid gold that surpasses any other nation. “We are a country that can harness its energy resources to create enormous wealth.”
“Climate champion” or strict government oversight?
Her environmental allies have praised Harris, calling her a “proven climate champion” who will fight Big Oil and continue Biden’s climate policies, which include measures to increase the use of electric vehicles and reduce emissions from coal-fired power stations, two sources of the greenhouse effect.
Never again will we have a president who denies the existence of climate change, according to Evergreen Action’s executive director, Lena Moffitt.
Republicans argue that Biden and Harris have wasted four years enacting “punishing regulations” that harm American energy production, all the while doling out hefty tax credits for EVs and other environmentally friendly pursuits, draining taxpayer coffers.
Wyoming Senator John Barrasso warned that “this onslaught of overreaching and outrageous climate rules will shut down power plants and increase energy costs for families across the country.” “Republicans will do all in their power to put a stop to it and will advocate for policies that safeguard our water and air while fostering economic growth.”
On this matter, Democrats are clearly in the lead. A July poll by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that over half of American respondents trust Harris “a lot” or “some” when it comes to her stance on climate change. Seven out of ten people say they trust Trump “not much” or “none at all” on climate change. Just under 50% of people say they don’t trust Harris.
A comparison of the two candidates’ positions on major energy and climate issues:
Offshore drilling and fracking
During her brief run for president in 2020, Harris stated her opposition to hydraulic fracturing—a method for extracting oil and gas—and offshore drilling.
Pennsylvania is an important swing state and the country’s second-largest producer of natural gas. However, her campaign has made it clear that she no longer backs a ban on fracking, a prevalent drilling technique vital to the state’s economy.
I did not condemn hydraulic fracturing while serving as VP. “In my first major television interview as the nominee, I will not ban fracking,” Harris told CNN on Thursday. “A ban on fracking would be counterproductive to the growth of a clean energy economy.”
According to Kevin Book, managing director of the Washington-based research firm ClearView Energy Partners, Harris’ changing stances reveal that she is “attempting to balance climate voters and industry supporters,” even as her campaign maintains an adversarial attitude toward the oil and gas sector as a whole.
Oil and gas corporations pay more in royalties to develop or mine on public lands, according to Harris and Democrats, who note additional regulations enabled by the climate bill. Furthermore, she has been an outspoken supporter of initiatives to remediate former drilling locations and seal off defunct wells that release harmful gases like methane.
Trump claims that he wants the United States to have the world’s cheapest energy and electricity, despite the fact that he fought to repeal numerous environmental rules while in office. Oil, gas, and coal firms would be eligible for tax incentives, and he would expedite the approval of natural gas pipelines. He would also expand oil drilling on public lands.
Vehicles powered by electricity
Trump has often called Biden’s strict new auto pollution regulations a “mandate” for electric vehicles, which is not entirely accurate. New regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced this spring aim to reduce vehicle exhaust emissions; the rules do not mandate that new electric vehicle sales conform to these criteria, but they do encourage them.
Electrification, according to Trump, will wipe off manufacturing employment in the car sector. But his stance has softened in recent months, and he now says he supports electric vehicles for “a very small slice” of the market.
At a rally in Atlanta in August, Trump said that Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, “endorsed me very strongly,” prompting the shift. Still, business leaders anticipate that Trump would try to undo the tax breaks that he says benefit China and reverse Biden’s EV drive.
Harris has been vocal in her support for electric vehicles while serving as vice president, but she has yet to reveal any plans to do so this term. She hailed the acquisition of over 2,500 “clean” school buses—funded by federal funding totaling about $1 billion—at a 2022 ceremony in Seattle. The iconic yellow buses transport up to 25 million students daily to and from school, and according to Harris, a cleaner fleet will ensure their health in the future.
In her words, “saving our children, but for them, saving our planet” is the ultimate goal of the climate grants and other federal programs.
