(LibertySociety.com) – Climate change has been on the minds of Americans on both sides of the aisle over the last couple of decades. Republicans and Democrats don’t necessarily agree about what’s causing the change, but they typically agree there have been quite a few extreme weather events. President Joe Biden recently blamed one of these events on climate change and called for more spending.
Biden Speaks Out
Recently a record heatwave hit Portland, Oregon. The extreme heat caused streets to buckle, power lines to melt, siding on people’s houses to crumble, and left residents extremely uncomfortable. Temperatures soared as high as 116 degrees Fahrenheit.
On Tuesday, June 29, Biden discussed the heatwave during a trip to Wisconsin. He expressed alarm, exclaiming that the 116 temperature was shocking. He went on to say that “climate change induces extreme weather events,” and they’ll start happening more frequently. To protect the country from those events, he suggested making “investments to build a more resistant grid.” The president also said the nation should spend more money on strengthening levees and repairing coastlines.
Those are proposals lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have made in recent years as cities and states suffer from more extreme events.
Extreme Weather Events
In 2021, massive winter storms hit Texas. The state, which normally has mild winters, was not prepared for the arctic blast. In many places in the state, the power grid failed, people’s pipes froze and more than 50 people lost their lives.
In June, Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) signed Senate Bill 3 to improve the power grid in the state. The law requires upgrades to the generators and lines so that they withstand extreme weather. He said he had done everything necessary to ensure the power grid receives repairs.
In California, poor forest management and climate change are reportedly fueling the wildfire epidemic in the state. The federal and state governments are investing money into forest management to give the fires less fuel when one starts.
In 2020, USA Today reported $15 billion in improvements to the New Orleans, Louisiana area has left the state better prepared for hurricanes. The city, which is below sea level, has seen storm surge barriers, floodgates, pumps, and levees repaired in the years since Hurricane Katrina left thousands dead.
Although extreme weather events are becoming more common, the good news is that it seems as though lawmakers are working to protect the American people.
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