President Biden said in an interview broadcast Wednesday that “practically speaking” he has already declared a climate emergency, a move that liberal lawmakers and environmentalists continue to advocate to unlock far-reaching executive powers to address global warming.
During an interview with The Weather Channel, Biden initially said, “I’ve already done that,” when asked if he is prepared to declare a climate emergency. He cited his administration’s conservation of land, his decision to rejoin the Paris Climate Accord and roughly $368 billion that was included in the Inflation Reduction Act aimed at building a clean energy economy.
“We’re moving. It is the existential threat to humanity,” Biden of said of climate change in the interview, taped Tuesday overlooking the Grand Canyon in Arizona.
Climate activists argue that declaring a climate emergency would allow the president to halt crude oil exports, limit oil and gas drilling in federal waters, and direct agencies including the Federal Emergency Management Agency to boost renewable-energy sources.