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Initial Thoughts on the Impact of the 2020 Federal Elections on National Climate Policy
It’s the morning after the day before, and the only sure thing is the election bodes badly for Mother Earth and the Democrats. Make no mistake — climate change was front and center in the 2020 elections. President Trump and a majority of Congressional Republicans are unlikely to feel any special urge to do much about Earth’s warming or to enact science-based policies.
Even should Biden win the White House, Senate Republicans will have outsized control over what gets passed by Congress. Majority Leader McConnell will leverage his stopping powers whether approving Biden’s cabinet and judicial nominees or appropriating the funds needed to put his policies in play. Depending on the final vote tallies, some 2020 elections will be better than others. How you view them will rest on whether you’re a half-full or half-empty kinda person. Under any circumstance, the 2020 federal election is a setback to the nation’s transition to a low-carbon economy compared to what it could have been had the polls been right.
Let’s consider the possible outcomes of the election as of a late November afternoon. Joe Biden appears to be six or so electoral votes away from becoming the 46th president of the United States. It is also apparent Trump’s lawyers are looking to have the election decide by…
