Kamala Harris introduces environmental-justice bill

[lpetrich]

Exclusive: Kamala Harris to introduce comprehensive environmental justice bill in Senate | Grist

Fifteen years ago, Kamala Harris — San Francisco’s District Attorney at the time — created an environmental justice unit in her office. The goal was to go after the perpetrators of environmental crimes that were hurting some of the city’s poorest residents.

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Now, even as the Trump administration continues to aggressively roll back environmental regulations, that dream has a better chance of materializing. Harris, as California’s junior senator, is fighting for a comprehensive piece of legislation that will give vulnerable communities the tools they need to address environmental disparities. On Thursday, Harris plans to introduce a companion bill in the Senate to the Environmental Justice for All Act introduced earlier this year in the House of Representatives by Democrats A. Donald McEachin of Virginia and Raúl M. Grijalva of Arizona.

H.R.5986 - 116th Congress (2019-2020): Environmental Justice For All Act | Congress.gov | Library of Congress

The Senate bill, whose lead cosponsors are Democrats Cory Booker of New Jersey and Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, acknowledges how factors such as segregation and racist zoning codes have rendered communities of color more vulnerable to the effects of climate change and left them with limited resources to address ongoing environmental health disparities. To address this, the act aims broadly to meaningfully engage impacted communities in government decision-making processes, such as federal permitting decisions for infrastructure projects, the creation of climate resiliency plans, and the transition to clean energy.

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The Environmental Justice for All Act would amend the Civil Rights Act to allow private citizens and organizations that experience discrimination to seek legal remedies when a program, policy, or practice causes a disparate impact. It would also require federal agencies to consider health effects that might compound over time when making permitting decisions under the federal Clean Air and Clean Water acts. In addition, it would fund research on and programs to reduce health disparities and improve public health in disadvantaged communities. Under the act, new fees on oil, gas, and coal companies would go toward a fund to support workers and communities transitioning away from fossil fuel jobs. Finally, the act also intends to codify and make enforceable a longstanding executive order on environmental justice that then–President Bill Clinton signed in 1994.

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As a presidential candidate, Harris made acting on climate change a top priority. Last year, while running for president, she unveiled a climate equity plan with Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and created a climate agenda that would address the climate crisis and environmental injustices while building a clean economy with well-paying jobs. As California’s attorney general, she defended the state’s landmark climate laws in court and sued Chevron U.S.A. Inc. for damaging the environment. Holding polluters accountable will be critical moving forward, and the Environmental Justice for All Act will help communities do just that, Harris told Grist via email.

I doubt that it will get very far because many Congresspeople will likely be preoccupied with their re-election.

A further problem is that Congress gets a reset every two years, at where each House term ends and the next one begins. This reset cancels every pending bit of legislation, regardless of its progress, from being introduced by a member to being passed by both houses of Congress without being signed into law.

Congress's next reset will be at the end of this year, so there is not much time to do anything about it this time around. But Rep. Grijalva and Sen. Harris will have to reintroduce their bills the next year, though such reintroduction is something that many Congresspeople have long done.

 

[Derec]

So what about justice for working class people that rely on oil and gas jobs? What about working class people that rely on affordable oil and gas prices to heat their homes, buy electricity or buy gas for their cars.

Kamala Harris is actually too smart to fall for the unrealistic bullshit AOC is peddling. Too bad she feels the need to pander to the extreme ecomentalists.

 

[lpetrich]

So what about justice for working class people that rely on oil and gas jobs?

Part of the Green New Deal is finding new jobs for such people. That keeps them from being human shields for fossil-fuel companies.

What about working class people that rely on affordable oil and gas prices to heat their homes, buy electricity or buy gas for their cars.

As if renewable-energy alternatives can never be affordable.

 

[lpetrich]

Kamala Harris on Twitter: "For a year, @AOC and I have worked with communities on landmark legislation to ensure that as we fight the climate crisis, we center that fight in justice and equity.
Today, we're formally introducing the Climate Equity Act in Congress. https://t.co/vG86M8Kp6j" / Twitter
Here is that bill:
S.4513 - 116th Congress (2019-2020): A bill to ensure climate and environmental justice accountability, and for other purposes. | Congress.gov | Library of Congress

Harris and Ocasio-Cortez Team up on a Climate ‘Equity’ Bill, Leaving Activists Hoping for Unity | InsideClimate News - "The legislation comes as the California senator is on Joe Biden’s shortlist for vice president. Will her climate bona fides satisfy progressives?"

The two star Democrats first unveiled the Climate Equity Act in draft form more than a year ago, when Harris was running for president. The formal introduction of a new and improved version comes as the California senator is vying to become Joe Biden's choice as his vice presidential running mate in the race to unseat President Donald Trump, whose failed handling of the coronavirus pandemic has sent his already low approval ratings tumbling.

The climate legislation, which has been the subject of extensive community outreach by Harris and Ocasio-Cortez over the last year, would create an Office of Climate and Environmental Justice Accountability within the Office of Management and Budget and require the government to consider the impact of any environmental legislation or regulation on low-income communities.

 

[Derec]

Part of the Green New Deal is finding new jobs for such people. That keeps them from being human shields for fossil-fuel companies.

Those will take decades to build up, but GND seeks abolishing of the fossil fuel industry within a decade. It is completely unworkable!

The fact is, we will need significant amounts of fossil fuels until 2050 at least.
Cars: We may be able to get to close to 100% new passenger vehicles by 2035 or so. But cars these days last 15-20 years depending on miles driven so it will take a while until you have seen last of ICE cars on the US roads.
Planes: You can't have electric jet engines, but syntethic fuels may be a solution. But does anyone really think that is achievable on the GND timetable?
Electricity generation: vast majority is gas and coal. To change that will take decades even under optimistic scenarios. Especially if nuclear is not an option because of politics.

As if renewable-energy alternatives can never be affordable.

I did not say never, but for the GND horizon what I said is certainly true. A working class shmuck in 2030 may be able to afford a 2023 used car, and not a 2023 Tesla either.

Harris working with AOC should disqualify her as Veep. Has she learned nothing from the debacle of her ill-considered hand-raising for medicare for all?

Chasing socialists has not served her well.

 

[WAB]

Working class shmuck?

 

[bigfield]

So what about justice for working class people that rely on oil and gas jobs?

Part of the Green New Deal is finding new jobs for such people. That keeps them from being human shields for fossil-fuel companies.

What about working class people that rely on affordable oil and gas prices to heat their homes, buy electricity or buy gas for their cars.

As if renewable-energy alternatives can never be affordable.

This exchange, right here, is why people aren't going to be sold on the Green New Deal.

"What about our jobs?"
"There will be new jobs in the future."

"Will our bills go up?"
"Prices will come down eventually."

The GND is a good policy idea, but God, its proponents are fucking terrible at politics.