Zachary B. Wolf writes:

Here are some things any president could do on Day One in office:

1. Rejoin the Paris climate agreement
Promising to withdraw the US from the landmark 2015 climate agreement was Trump’s benchmark action rebutting the responsibility to act on climate change. He said, without much evidence, that it was a demeaning failure for American workers, who would be expected to do more than those in other countries. The result is the US is one of just a few countries not taking part in the effort, in which nations committed to varying amounts of carbon reduction.

Every candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination has said they would bring the US back in. The US was supposed to reduce carbon emissions by 26% from 2005 levels by 2025 under the agreement. It probably won’t get there with the willful sabotage of the Trump administration.

But with certain states, cities and companies trying to fill the void, the US could get most of the way there, according to groups like America’s Pledge, the coalition pushed by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and former California Gov. Jerry Brown.

2. Declare a national emergency on climate
Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont was the first presidential candidate to argue that Trump, instead of declaring a national emergency at the border, should do it on the climate instead. Others, like Tom Steyer, have followed suit. This would certainly focus national attention and could free up some funds without congressional approval.

The Pentagon has embraced renewable energy and efficiency in the name of defense strategy. But simply striking a tone of concern about climate change could do a lot to change the way the government operates. It would be a massive departure from the current situation, where the words “climate change” are scrubbed from reports and releases and the entire US government has pivoted to ignore that climate change exists.

As the US government turns a blind eye, cities and states and other countries are taking matters into their own hands. New York, joining the United Kingdom and other nations and cities, declared a climate emergency and Los Angeles is creating a “Climate Emergency Mobilization Department.”

3. Set a carbon-free goal
The President could easily declare a goal of 100% decarbonization by a given year — say, 2050 — and direct his Cabinet secretaries to do everything in their power to meet it. [Continue reading…]