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President Biden's Climate Bill

Joe Biden campaigned with a plan for a "Clean Energy Revolution and Environmental Justice."  With a price tag of $1.7 trillion, it was ambitious and included language like "focus on Communities of Color" and "grid-scale storage."

When the bill finally passed in August, after Sen. Sinema included protection for hedge funds and Sen. Manchin did the same for fossil fuel companies, it had been cut to $440 billion.  Sen. Bernie Sander's amendments to strip fossil fuel industry subsidies and create a Civilian Climate Corps were defeated in near-unanimous votes by Democrats and Republicans.

In Bernie's words the bill is “nowhere near enough,” and Noam Chomsky calls the bill "radically insufficient."  When compared to the $8 trillion spent on the war on terror, it's hard to disagree.  One commenter complained "Why are Biden's achievements always downplayed by progressives?" to which we respond "It's as if our house is on fire and the fire department showed up with enough water to only save the bathroom."

What's in the Bill?

Spending and tax credits: $490 billion

• Affordable Care Act subsidies - $64 B
• Clean electricity credits - $62 B
• Wind and solar tax credits - $51 B
• Individual green energy credits - $37 B
• Clean manufacturing - $37 B
• Medicare prescription drug benefit - $34 B
• Nuclear energy credit - $30 B
• A “green bank” for clean energy investments - $20 B
• Agricultural conservation - $17 B

Source: The New York Times

Bernie & Noam Chomsky's Thoughts

The Conference Of Parties (COP27) is next month in Egypt. COP is the meeting of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The previous meeting, COP26, was in Ireland and, like many before it, failed to sufficiently address our global climate problems. In this interview with Noam Chomsky, he discusses COP27 as well as Biden's Climate Bill:

• Chomsky and Pollin: Pushing a Viable Climate Project Around COP27

In this article, Sen. Sanders reflects on Biden's Bill: "The Vermont senator nevertheless supported final passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, calling it 'a step forward' on climate and drug prices."

• Sanders Says Senate Bill ‘Nowhere Near’ Enough as Dems, GOP Tank His Amendments

Houston, Austin & San Antonio Events

If your climate group is working on something, let us know!  We will try to amplify Texas climate groups' voices and events...

Houston

• Extinction Rebellion Houston, Texas Campaign for the Environment (TCE)  and others are protesting "green" athletic company Lululemon's use of coal at their 10K run in mid November.  Join the planning call this Friday or learn more about the protest by emailing Kat at TCE!
• Get your Gulf Coast climate group onboard the Houston Climate Movement, or join as an individual

San Antonio

• Check out Sunrise Movement San Antonio and help them shut down Spruce Coal Plant!

Austin

• Come to a 350 Austin general meeting the 3rd Wednesday of each month at the Wildflower UU Church at 6:30pm
• Check out Extinction Rebellion Austin and join one of their fun, creative protests!

What We’re Doing, and How You Can Help

The Texas Drought Project was formed in the fall of 2008 when we worked on the first big US climate bill called Waxman-Markey. In the following years, we did much-need climate education and then a series of large successful campaigns.

In the wake of COP26 in Glasgow, we have made a strong push to get people to call, write, and email targeted Texas Democrats in hopes of pushing them and Biden to act boldly for the climate.

We need only $2500 per month to sustain this critical push to our last best chance for a safe future.  Any donation of $50 will be doubled and any donation of $100 or more will be tripled!