Joe Biden discusses climate change, ongoing wildfires
That's already killed nearly 200. 000, people and counting. The worst economic, crisis since the great depression. Has cost tens of millions of american, jobs. And counting. Emboldened. White supremacy, unseen, since the 60s, and a reckoning. On race. That's long overdue. And, undeniable. Acceleration. Of the punishing, reality. Of climate change. On our planet. And our people. On the lives and livelihoods. Which i'd like to talk about. Now. Jill and i, continued, as i suspect, all of you do is pray for everyone in, california, oregon and washington. And across the west as these devastating, wildfires. Rage on. Just as. We hold them in our hearts those who have faced the hurricanes. Tropical, storms. Off our coast of florida, north carolina. Or, like parts of new orleans. That in fact have just been issued an emergency, evacuation. Order. For hurricane. Sally. Floods, and droughts, across the midwest. The fury, of climate change everywhere. All this year, and right now. We stand with our families. Who have lost everything, the firefighters. The first responders. Risking, everything to save others. And the millions of americans. Caught between, relocating. During a pandemic. Or staying, put. As ashes, in smoke, pollute. The air they breathe. Let's think about that. People are not just worried about. Raging, fires. They're worried about the air they breathe, about the damage to their lungs. Parents already worried about covet 19 for their children. When they're indoors, and now they're worried. About asthma, attacks. If their kids are outside. Over the past two years. The total damage from wildfires. Has reached nearly, 50. Billion. Dollars. In california. Alone. 50, billion. This year alone. Nearly, 5 million, acres have burned across 10 states. More acreage. Than the entire. State, of connecticut. And it's only september. California's. Wildfire. Season typically, runs through october. Fires are blazing, so brightly. Smoke reaching, so far. Nasa, satellites, can see them, 1, million, miles away in space. The cost of this year's damage. Will again be astronomically. High. But think of it. From the view on the, ground. In the smouldering, ashes. Loved ones lost. Along with the photos, the keepsakes. All the memories. Spouses, and kids praying each night for their firefighter, husband, father. Wife. And mother. Will they come home. Entire. Community, is destroyed. We have to act as a nation. It shouldn't be so bad. That millions of americans, live in the shadow of an orange sky. They're left, asking. Is doomsday, here. And i know. I know this feeling of dread and anxiety, extends, well beyond the fires. We've seen record hurricane, season. Costing, billions of dollars as well last month. Hurricane, laura intensified. At a near record rate. Just before its landfall. Along with louisiana. And gulf coast. It's a troubling marker. Not for just the increased, frequency, of the hurricanes. But more powerful. And destructive, storms. They're causing record damage, after record damage to people's homes, lives. And livelihoods. And before it intensified. And hit the gulf coast. Laura ravaged puerto rico. Where three years ago hurricane, maria. Our fellow americans, there are still recovering. From its damage, and devastation. Think about that reality. Our fellow americans, are still putting things back together from the last big storm. As they face the next one. We've also seen historic, flooding in the midwest. Often compounding. The damage. Delivered. By last year's floods. That cost billions, of dollars in damage. Many of you traveled through the midwest, beyond that bus tour and you saw it. This past spring in midland michigan. Experienced, the flood so devastating. With deadly flash flooding. Over. Running dams, and roadways. That have displaced. 10. 000, residents. It was considered, once, in a 500. Year. Weather event. But those once in many generation, events. They're now happening, every year. The past, 10 years. Were the hottest decade. Ever, recorded. The arctic, is literally, melting. Parts. Are actually on fire. What we're seeing in america. In our communities. Is connected, to all of this. With every bout, with nature's fury. Caused by our own inaction, on climate change. More can more americans, see and feel. The devastation. Whether in a big city small, towns. On coastlines, or in farmlands. It's happening, everywhere. And it's happening, now. And it affects, us all. Nearly, 200. Cities. Not republican, or democratic, cities 200. Cities. Are experienced, the longest, stretches, of deadly heat waves, in 50, years. It requires, them to help their poor and elderly residents. Adapt to the extreme heat to simply. Stay alive. Especially, in the homes without air conditioning which many don't have.
Our Family farmers in the midwest. Are facing historic, drought. Those follows records floods and hurricanes. Sped by wind storms. All this year. The speed, of those wind storms, has been, incredible. When you saw it on television, or saw it in person. It's ravaged, millions of acres of corn, soybeans. And other crops. Their very livelihoods, which sustain, their families, and our economy for generation. Is now in jeopardy. How do they pay their bills this year. What will be left to pass on to their kids. And none of this is happening, in a vacuum. A recent study showed air pollution, is linked. With increased risk of death, from cover 19.. Our economy, can't recover, if it can't build, back. With more resiliency. More ability, to withstand. Extreme, weather. Extreme weather that will only, come, with greater frequency, and intensity. The unrelenting. Impact. Of climate change affects, every, single solitary. One of us. But too often. The brunt falls disproportionately. On communities of color. Exacerbating. The need for exotic. Firms, environmental, justice sorry as a bug. Speaking of the environment. These are interlocking, crises of our time. Requires, action not denial. Requires, leadership, not scapegoating. It requires, the president. To meet the threshold, duty of the office. To care. To care for everyone. To defend, us from every attack seen in unseen. Always, and without exception. Because here's the deal. Hurricanes, don't. Swerve, to avoid, red states or blue states. Wildfires. Don't skip towns that, voted a certain way. The impacts of climate change, don't, pick and choose. That's because it's not a partisan, phenomenon. It's, science. And our response, should be the same. Grounded, in science. Acting together. All of, us. But like with our federal response to cover 19. The lack of a national strategy, on climate. On climate change overall, leaves us with a patchwork, of solutions, as a matter of fact it's been made worse, by the changes this administration, has made. I'm speaking from delaware. We're the lowest. Line, state in the nation, relative to sea level. Where just last week. Delaware, state attorney, general sued, 31. 31. Big fossil fuel companies. Alleging, that they, knowingly. Wreaked havoc. And damage. On climate. Our climate. Damage, that is plain for everyone to see, but the president. As he flies to california. Today. We know he has no interest in meeting this moment. We know he won't listen to the experts. Or treat this disaster. With the urgency, it demands. As any president, should do during the national emergency. He's already said he wanted to withhold. Aid to california. To punish the people of california. Because they didn't vote for him. This is another crisis. Another crisis he won't take responsibility. For. The west is literally, on fire. And he blames. The people whose homes, and communities, are burning, he says, quote. You got to clean your floors you got to clean your forest. This is the same president. Who threw paper, towels, on the people of puerto rico. Instead of truly helping them recover. And rebuild. We know as disdain, for our own military, leaders. And our veterans. Just last year. The defense department, reported. That climate, change, is a direct, threat. To more than, two-thirds. Of the military's. Operationally. Critical installations. That's what the military, warned him. And this could well be. This well could be. A conservative, estimate. Donald trump. Climate denial. May not have caused these fires. And record floods. And record hurricanes. But if he gets a second term. These hellish events will continue, to become more common. More devastating. And more deadly. Meanwhile. Donald trump warns that integration. Is threatening, our suburbs. It's ridiculous. But you know what is actually threatening, our suburbs. Wildfires. Are burning the suburbs in the west. Floods, are wiping out suburban, neighborhoods, in the midwest. Hurricanes. Are imperiling, suburban, life along our coast. If we have four more years of trump's climate denial. How many suburbs will be burned. In wildfires. How many suburban, neighborhoods, will have been flooded, out.
How Many suburbs will have been blown away. In superstorms. If you give a climate, arsonist. Four more years in the white house. Why would anyone be surprised, if we have more, america, blaze. If you give a climate denier, four more years in the white house, why would anyone be surprised. When more of america, is under water. We need a president who respects, science. Who understands. That the damage from climate change is already, here. Unless we take urgent, action. We'll soon be more. A catastrophic, who recognizes. Understands. And cares, that americans, are dying. Which makes president trump's climate, denialism. His disdain, for science and facts. All the more, unconscionable. Once again. He fails the most basic, duty to a nation. He fails to protect, us. From the pandemic. From an economic, free fall, from racial, unrest. From the ravages, of climate change. It's clear. That we're not safe in donald trump's america. This is donald trump's america he's in charge. What he doesn't get. Is that even in a crisis, there's nothing, beyond the capacity. Of the american people when we stand up and act together. And while so many of you. Are hurting right now. I want you to know that, if you give me the honor of serving as your president. We can, and we will meet this moment. With urgency. And purpose. We can, and we will solve. The crime of the climate crisis. And we'll build back better than we were before. You know when. Donald trump thinks about climate change he thinks hoax. When i think about i think jobs. Good paying union jobs to put americans, to work. Building a stronger, more. Climate, resilient, nation. A nation. Modernized, we have modernized. Water and transportation. Systems. An energy infrastructure, to withstand. The impacts, of extreme, weather. And changing, climate. When donald trump thinks about renewable, energy. He sees. Windmills. Somehow, is causing, cancer. I see american manufacturing. American, workers, racing to lead the global market. I see farmers, making agriculture. The first. In the world to achieve, net zero emissions. And in the process. Gaining new sources, of income. Donald trump thinks about, led, light bulbs. He says he doesn't like them because the lights are no good they always make him look orange. I see small businesses, and, master electricians. Designing, and installing, award-winning. Energy conservation. Measures. Rebuilding, buildings, across the country. It's going to reduce, electrical, consumption. And save businesses, hundreds of thousands, of dollars a, year. In energy cost. While he turns against our allies. I'll bring us back into the paris agreement. I'll put us back in the business of leading the world, on climate change. Challenge, every other country. To up the ante. On climate.
Commitments. Where he. Reverses. The biden, assuming the obama, biden, fuel. Efficiency, standards. He picks big oil. He picks big oil companies over american workers. Even when the automobile, industry agreed. He'll not only bring the stand i don't want to bring the standards back. I'll set new ambitious, ones. That our workers are ready to meet. I'll also see american, workers. Building and installing. 500. 000. Electric, vehicle charging, stations along our newly engaged. Infrastructure. Programs, and highways. All across the country. I see american, consumers. Switching to electric vehicles, through rebates. And initiatives. Not only that. The united, states owns one of them and maintains, an enormous, fleet of vehicles. And we're going to harness. The purchasing, power. Of our federal government. To make sure, we're buying, electric, vehicles. They're made, and sourced, by union workers, right here in the united, states of america. And together. This will mean more than a million. New jobs, in the american auto industry. You know and we'll do, another big thing. It'll put us on a path to achieving, a carbon, pollution, free. Electric, sector. Electricity. Sector. By 2035. That no future president can come along and turn back. Transforming. The electrical, sector power. To produce power without, carbon pollution. It'll be the greatest spur to job creation, and economic, competitiveness, in the 21st, century. Not to mention the positive, benefits, to our health. And our environment. We need to get to work right away. We'll need scientists, at the national, labs. And land grant universities, historic, black colleges, and universities. To improve, and innovate technologies. Needed to generate, store, and. Transmit, this clean electric. We need engineers. To design. And workers to manufacture. These new. Products. We'll need iron workers, and welders. To install, them. We'll need to become the world's, largest. Exporter. Of these technologies, creating even more jobs. Sourced in america. We know how to do this. The obama biden administration. Rescued the auto industry. And helped them retool. We made solar, energy, cost competitive, with traditional, energy. And weatherized. More than a million homes, which is just the beginning, if we get reelected. And we'll do it again. Bigger. And faster, and better than before. We'll also build 1.5. Million new energy efficient, homes, and public housing units. That will benefit, our communities, in three times over, by eliminating, an affordable, housing crisis. By increasing, energy efficiency.
And By reducing, the racial wealth gap, linked to home ownership. There are thousands. Of oil and natural, gas wells. That oil companies. And gas companies have abandoned. Many of which are leaking toxins. We can create, 250. 000, jobs, now. By just plugging those wells right away. Good union jobs. For energy workers. This will help sustain, communities, and protect them from the environmental, damage as well. We'll also create new markets for our family farmers, and ranchers. We'll launch a new modern, civilian. Climate, corps. To heal our public lands. And make use of, us, less, vulnerable, make us much less vulnerable. To wildfires. And floods. I believe that every american, has a fundamental. Right to breathe clean air and drink clean water. I know that we haven't fulfilled that right yet. That's true of the millions of families, struggling. With the smoke-created. Devastation. Of the wildfires, right now. But it's also been true, for a generation, or more. In places like cancer alley in louisiana. Or right here in delaware, along the route 9 carter. Right here in delaware. Fulfilling, this basic obligation, to all americans, especially. In low-income. White black brown and native american communities. Who too often don't have the clean air and the clean water. Is not going to be, easy. But it's necessary. I'm committing, to get it done. These aren't pie in the sky dreams. These are concrete, actionable, problems. That create american, jobs. Mitigate, climate change, and put our nation on the road to net zero emissions. By no later than 2050.. You know. Some say we can't afford to fix this. But here's the thing. Look around, at the crushing, consequences. Of the extreme weather events, i've been describing. We've already been paying for it. So we have a choice. We can invest in our infrastructure. To make us stronger, more resilient. Improving the health of americans, and creating, millions of good-paying, jobs. While at the same time. Tackling, the root causes of climate change. Or. We can continue, down the path donald trump has is on. A path of indifference. Costing, tens of billions of dollars to rebuild. When the human costs the lives and the livelihoods, and the homes and the communities, destroyed. Are immeasurable. We have a choice. We can commit. To doing this together. Because we know that climate change is the existential. Challenge that's going to determine. Our future as a country. For our children, our grandchildren, and our great grandchildren, or. We can do it donald trump's way. Ignore the facts. Deny, reality. Which amounts to a full surrender. And a failure to lead. It's backward-looking. Politics. That's going to harm the environment. Make communities, less healthy. And hold back economic, progress, while other countries, race ahead. And it's a mindset. That doesn't have any faith. In the capacity, of the american, people to compete. To innovate, and to win. Like the pandemic. Dealing with climate change, is a global, crisis. That requires, american, leadership. It requires. A president, for all, americans. So as the fires rage, out west. On this day. Our prayers remain with everyone under the. Ash. I know it's hard to see the sun rise. Believing, today will be a better day than yesterday. Americans, face this historic, inflection, point. A time of real peril. But also a time of extraordinary. Possibilities. I'm confident, i know we can do this. We will do this. This is the united. States of america. We've seen the light through the dark smoke. We never give up. Always, without, exception. Every time. We succeed. When we try. May god bless our firefighters. And keep them safe and our first responders. May god protect, our troops. Thank you very much i'm anxious to hear what the president had to say thank. You. You.
2020-09-18 16:32
