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Live Updates: 2020 Election Results : NPR

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Energy Industry And Climate Advocates React To 2020 Election : Live Updates: 2020 Election Results : NPR

Climate change likely will be a major focus as President-elect Joe Biden prepares for his inauguration in January.

During the campaign, Biden proposed a sweeping $2 trillion climate plan. It sets goals of net-zero carbon emissions from the electricity sector by 2035 and the entire U.S. economy by 2050.

Biden vows to rejoin the Paris climate accord, conserve large areas of land and water for biodiversity, stop offshore drilling in the Arctic and invest a massive amount of money in green energy and infrastructure such as wind, solar, high-speed trains and electric car chargers.

NPR

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U.S. Leaving Paris Climate Agreement : NPR

The United States will formally leave the Paris Agreement on Wednesday, no matter who wins the election. Of the nearly 200 nations that signed the agreement, the U.S. is the only one to walk away from its promises to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

President Trump originally announced his intention to withdraw from the landmark agreement in 2017 and formally notified the United Nations last year. A mandatory yearlong waiting period ends on Wednesday, a coincidence that nonetheless highlights the Trump administration's commitment to derailing efforts that address climate change.

Gavin Newsom signs order banning sales of gas powered cars | The Sacramento Bee

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Gavin Newsom signs order banning sales of gas powered cars | The Sacramento Bee

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday issued an executive order that would phase out sales of new gas-powered passenger cars by 2035, a move that he said would improve air quality and significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions that are warming the planet.

He signed the order two weeks after he pledged to fast-track California’s environmental goals in response to what he called a “climate damn emergency” — the wildfires that have burned a record-breaking 3.6 millon acres this year.

Climate change takes centre stage amid wildfires – BBC News

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US 2020 election: Climate change takes centre stage amid wildfires – BBC News

While touring fire-ravaged California, Donald Trump downplayed the role a warming planet could have in the devastation, suggesting temperatures will "start getting cooler" and that the recent conflagrations was a lack of proper forest management.

"I don't think science knows actually," he said when told that science didn't agree with his conclusions

Meanwhile, on the other side of the country, Joe Biden went on the attack, accusing Trump of ignoring a "central crisis" facing the nation.

"If you give a climate arsonist four more years in the White House, why would anyone be surprised if we have more of America ablaze?" he asked. "If you give a climate denier four more years in the White House, why would anyone be surprised when more of America is underwater?"

Nuclear reactors make climate change worse | Beyond Nuclear International

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Nuclear reactors make climate change worse | Beyond Nuclear International

If the nuclear one-tenth of global electricity generation displaced an average mix of fossil-fueled generation and nothing else, it would offset 4% of fossil-fuel CO2 emissions. So in an era of urgent climate concern, should nuclear power continue, shrink, or expand?

In May 2020, a report by the International Energy Agency claimed that not sustaining and even expanding nuclear power would make climate solutions “drastically harder and more costly.” 

To check that claim, we must compare nuclear power with other potential climate solutions. Here I’ll use only two criteria—cost and speed—because if nuclear power has no business case or takes too long, we need not address its other merits or drawbacks.