Kamala Harris and Donald Trump vs. Climate Action

While the Democratic Party will officially nominate its presidential candidate on Aug 1, Kamala Harris seems comfortably set to clinch the nomination. She even released her first campaign ad last night.

With the support of more than 1,976 party delegates, she remains unopposed in her claim for the Democratic nomination. So far, we see no likely challengers emerging to disrupt her pace.

What’s more, the media seems to love her too. Electronic media publications have released one glowing article after another in her favor while those on social media have been showing their love through viral memes.

I made a little meme. Share away! #KamalaHarris #Kamala #KamalaHarris2024 💙💙💙 pic.twitter.com/YgIdNsTDGq

— BCarrz (@bcarrz) July 22, 2024

Transformation. Today’s cartoon by Amorim. More cartoons: https://t.co/JqnYQnnZrY#Kamala #USelections #Biden pic.twitter.com/S25COePLP8

— Cartoon Movement (@cartoonmovement) July 23, 2024

All in all, the atmosphere has been electric in the Dem party house. Voters feel more enthusiastic, donors have lined up to support a Harris presidency, and thousands have volunteered for campaign jobs.

Kamala Harris vs. Donald Trump on Environmental Issues

With all of the above said, is a potential Harris presidency really such great news?

#Kamala says “the clock is ticking” on #climate change. pic.twitter.com/dr8YqrgtbU

— foundationnews (@foundationnews1) October 26, 2022

What can we — in the climate action industry — expect from this presidency? More specifically, how does Kamala Harris fare against Donald Trump on key environmental issues such as these?

1. Clean Energy

What is clean energy? Clean energy is derived from abundant natural sources that do not pollute the earth or the environment, as opposed to fossil fuels like coal and oil, which release greenhouse gasses and other pollutants.

Where does clean energy come from? Clean energy is typically sourced from the sun, wind, and water. Animal and plant waste can also be processed to produce energy. Oceanic tides as well as the heat beneath the earth’s surface can also be used as potential sources. Clean energy is central to circular economy and sustainable business practices.

How do Kamala Harris and Donald Trump view clean energy?

Happening Now: I am in Seattle to uplift our historic investments in tackling the climate crisis and building a clean energy economy. https://t.co/NiKUOqyRJX

— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) August 15, 2023

President Biden, ignoring many other catastrophes of his presidency, focused heavily on clean energy and climate action. And Kamala Harris seems poised to take it further. In 2022, she represented the Biden administration as it awarded nearly a billion dollars in grants to 400 school districts to purchase mostly EV school buses to “reduce greenhouse gas emissions, save money and better protect children’s health”.

Trump, for his part, has vowed to use the unspent funds from Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act and the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law.

“All of the trillions of dollars that are sitting there not yet spent, we will redirect that money for important projects like roads, bridges, dams, and we will not allow it to be spent on the meaningless Green New Scam ideas…”

By Green New Scam he means clean/green energy.

2. Carbon Emissions

What are carbon emissions? Carbon emissions refer to the release of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other carbon compounds into the atmosphere. These emissions trap Earth’s heat into its atmosphere, causing and worsening global warming and negatively impacting several other climate-related issues.

What causes carbon emissions? Burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas. Several industrial processes — without environmental protections in place — also cause and worsen the issue, as does deforestation.

How do Kamala Harris and Donald Trump view carbon emissions?

Earlier this month, I was in North Carolina with @EPAMichaelRegan to announce another historic climate action: a new $20 billion fund to help communities tackle the climate crisis and lower energy costs. pic.twitter.com/KgBhgqPxLR

— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) April 17, 2024

As attorney general of California, Harris went after Volkswagon after they rigged their vehicles with emissions-cheating software. The company had to pay $86 million in settlement and suffer brand disrepute.

She also investigated Exxon Mobil over its climate change disclosures — a move that made it possible for California’s current attorney general to file a massive lawsuit against the company, aiming to hold it and several more Big Oil companies including BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Shell, and the American Petroleum Institute, accountable for their irresponsible and damaging environmental actions.

Donald Trump has promised to allow oil and drilling companies to drill with federal backing. He believes fossil fuels are liquid gold and must once again become our primary fuel and energy source.

3. Climate Justice

What is climate justice? Climate justice is a human rights framework that emphasizes ethics, equity, and fair distribution of the benefits and burdens of climate change. It notes that some communities are disproportionately affected by climate change than others and they must be considered when developing climate change solutions.

What are the key aspects of climate justice? To hold major polluters — corporations and wealthy nations — accountable as they are the biggest contributors to climate change. To protect the human rights of marginalized communities that contribute the least to climate change but suffer the most from its effects.

How do Kamala Harris and Donald Trump view climate justice?

The establishment of a national office dedicated to advancing environmental justice and civil rights at @EPA will help ensure our work to address the climate crisis and our greatest environmental challenges are grounded in justice and equity. https://t.co/hNCiYznd4J

— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) September 24, 2022

As San Francisco’s district attorney, Kamala Harris created an environmental justice office in San Francisco. She “looked for opportunities to prosecute cases that were having a disproportionate impact on people of color, whether it was for civil rights violations or for environmental crimes.”

For his part, Donald Trump fought against climate change measures in more than 130 documented cases — including exiting the Paris Agreement and rolling back or weakening several environmental regulations.

4. Fossil Fuels

What are fossil fuels? Fossil fuels are energy sources composed primarily of carbon and hydrogen. These include coal, oil (petroleum), and natural gas.

How do fossil fuels harm the environment? Fossil fuels, though cheap to extract and use, and historically abundant in nature, are toxic to the environment every step of the way. They degrade the environment when extracted, release harmful gases when used, and negatively impact health and the environment overall

It’s crucial to ditch them as primary energy sources and move to cleaner energy sourcing and consumption.

How do Kamala Harris and Donald Trump view fossil fuels?

I was honored to represent the U.S. at COP28, which just concluded with historic global commitments to triple renewable energy by 2030 and to transition away from fossil fuels. @POTUS and I will continue to act with urgency to tackle the climate crisis.

— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) December 14, 2023

When Harris ran for president in 2020, she vowed to end federal support for the fossil fuel industry. She also promised to cease new oil drilling and leases on federal lands and waters. As the VP, however, these promises didn’t see the light of day. Under Biden, more oil drilling permits on federal lands and water were issued than during the Trump administration, and the oil industry keeps getting tax breaks.

Donald Trump has openly called for more oil drilling everywhere. He terms fossil fuels as ‘golden liquid’, and continues to chant, ‘Drill, baby, drill’, during his rallies.

So, who will do more for climate change, Harris or Trump?

On the surface, there’s no better candidate than Kamala Harris for the environment.

She’s got the experience, seemingly the will, and the popular support, too.

But climate change doesn’t get fixed just by planting more trees, ceasing oil drilling, and flooding the market with electric vehicles.

It happens when decision-makers show the courage to go after those wreaking the most havoc.

The Washington Post reports that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has caused more than $51 billion of environmental damage. The conflict has put the region’s forests, soil, agriculture, water, and other natural resources at stake. Even the rebuilding efforts will release massive amounts of greenhouse emissions, further harming the environment.

Similarly — and in many ways far worse than Ukraine — has been the impact of Israel’s invasion of Gaza. United Nations Environment Program has called these effects ‘unprecedented’. UNEP estimates that the Israeli bombing created 37 million tonnes of debris, containing human remains and bombs. Israeli use of white phosphorus in Gaza is also expected to have a long-term impact on its environment, including soil, air, and water sources, not to mention the devastating effect on human health.

So, who, between Harris and Trump, will have the courage to address these more pressing and far-reaching climate issues — especially when these issues are so firmly broiled in geopolitical complications?

It remains to be seen.