During the 2020 presidential campaign, Joe Biden promised to make climate change, and the transition to a “green economy,” a key focus of his administration.
But now, as Biden begins to undertake major emissions cuts, his “green jobs” commitment is at risk of taking a backseat to climate goals.
But that wouldn’t do much to “Build Back Better”—or to create the kind of high-value jobs that President Biden has been promising.
Instead, they did it—through massive governmental subsidies for solar manufacturers, even as they continued to build coal plants and increase emissions.
In response, the Trump administration imposed tariffs on solar imports in 2018.
For them, anything that threatens America’s supply of artificially underpriced imports is a catastrophe because it threatens their bottom line.
In Baotou, Inner Mongolia, for example, Chinese mining operators have poured refining waste into a poisonous artificial lake large enough to be visible on Google Earth.
None of this should be surprising since China aims to dominate global industries now, with mere promises of future emissions reduction.
It’s time for President Biden to pursue green jobs with the same zeal as his climate goals.
As the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated, America’s dependence on China for everyday goods and equipment poses a serious Achilles Heel.