A Planet for the Future
ENVIRONMENT
“A nation that destroys its soils destroys itself.
Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people. ”
—Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Environmental protection
Global warming is manmade climate change with a severe environmental impact. Carbon dioxide and emissions are collecting in the atmosphere and warming our planet, causing glaciers to melt, sea levels to rise, and negatively impacting our health. Let’s solve this environmental crisis.
Key policies:
Progressive tax on fossil fuel use
Invest in renewable energy
Expand solar energy projects
Enforce fuel quality standards
Maintain Clean Air and Water Acts
Work with HUD to ensure low-income Americans are living in healthy environments
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The Details:
Taxes on the Environment
A progressive tax will be implemented on the usage of fossil fuels
Creating a carbon tax could have huge implications in terms of the national debt. According to the Tax Policy Center, it could “raise gross revenue by about 0.7 percent of the entire GDP from 2016 to 2025.”
Additionally, taxes on such things as fossil fuels would diminish the incentive to use them. Thereby, this would also help combat global warming.
The lowering of fossil fuel usage would also increase the independence of the US, because they would not be dependent on foreign oil and gas as much as now.
Investing in Renewable Energy
Fund projects in colleges and universities around the country
Increasing the budget for high-potential proposals among the future generations will inspire them to continue the efforts that have been started during the turn of the century
Create and invest in tidal energy projects
On both sides of the country, there is a vast area of ocean where the currents could be harvested for energy. This would increase the energy production in an environmentally-friendly way
Scotland has thus far be one of the only countries to embrace this form of energy. Therefore, if the US were to use it as well, it would set itself center stage in the world in terms of using new energy
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management role would increase exponentially, providing new federal jobs in that agency
Expand solar energy projects
The current solar energy farms will be completed, and an expanded list of possible locations will be created
With this new list, several more areas could be designated to the creation of more solar energy farms
Enforce Fuel Quality Standards in Heavily Polluted Cities
New regulations in populous cities regarding fuel used by cars could be implemented to reduce the air pollution
Such regulations have been implemented in several big cities in Europe, such as Paris
The regulations in the US could follow the Parisian model very closely, as shown down above
There are six different categories ranging from the cleanest vehicles (electric & hydrogen vehicles) at 1 up to the highest polluting diesel vehicles at 6.
Maintain Clear Air and Water Acts
Hold companies accountable for environmental destruction
Companies should be financially responsible for oil spills, etc.
Protected areas
Restore treasured landscapes
Preserve national forests, wetlands, and grasslands by barring private industry from development
Outlaw toxic, disease-inducing, antibiotic-resistant pesticides
Agriculture
Maintain the farming industry
Prevent the closure of family farms
Environmental Justice
Minority communities are disproportionately affected by pollution and environmental destruction. Let’s target these communities by:
Working with HUD to ensure low-income Americans are living in healthy spaces that abide by building codes
Sponsoring community clean-ups in low-income communities
Passing regulatory laws
Invest in environmentally-friendly urban planning
Sponsoring community clean-ups in low-income communities
Passing regulatory laws
Invest in environmentally-friendly urban planning
Increase the planting of plants and decrease destruction of forests