The Natural Resources Council of Maine is applauding a series of executive orders issued by President Joe Biden designed to tackle climate change.
Among other things, the orders end federal subsidies for fossil fuels, initiate a freeze on new oil and gas drilling leases on public lands and aim to conserve some 30% of the country’s lands and waters over the next 10 years.
Lisa Pohlman, chief executive officer at NRCM says it’s also encouraging that the administration is focusing on the development of new jobs to support the efforts.
“Making sure that those people who are currently in the fossil fuel industry don’t feel abandoned, but recognizing that everything to do with clean energy and climate at this point is about the new jobs and the new infrastructure that we need to put in place in the U.S.,” she says. “We are very excited about these new directions, relieved to have it dovetail with what we’re trying to do here in the state, looking forward to the kinds of investments that the federal administration may now make that could help us achieve our goals in Maine. So, it’s a good day.”
Biden is calling for a doubling of offshore wind power by 2030.
The orders reaffirm a commitment to science-based environmental policy, and makes climate change a consideration for every governmental department, as well as in matters of national security and foreign policy.
The president is also creating an office to address environmental justice issues, and identify environment policies that disproportionately impact low income and minority communities.
The new orders follow those issued by the new president on his first day in office, when he brought the U.S. back into the Paris Climate Accord, revoked permission for the Keystone XL pipeline and put a moratorium on oil and gas drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife.
Environmental advocates in Maine are applauding a series of climate change orders signed by President Joe Biden.
