Justin Gillis, a former environmental reporter for The New York Times, and Hal Harvey, the chief executive of Energy Innovation, an organization that analyzes climate policy, are the authors of The Big Fix: 7 Practical Steps to Save Our Planet.
The Inflation Reduction Act is the biggest clean energy investment in United States history, but it is not enough to achieve President Biden’s pledge to cut emissions 50 percent by 2030 — a pace the U.S. must reach to do its part limiting the extreme heat, flooding, fires, and drought threatening our homes.
So if the country’s biggest-ever climate law and hundreds of billions in incentives don’t clean up our power plants, vehicles, buildings, and factories fast enough, how can we ensure a safe climate future?
The answer lies with every one of us. Millions already are climate consumers: We put solar panels on our roofs, drive electric vehicles, eat less meat, and even buy offsets for our flights.
Such actions are important, but they won’t be enough to bridge the gap between America’s climate policies and its climate targets. To truly make a difference, we must move from bein... Read more