As Kamala Harris has become one of the favorite climate protectors

In the days after it was announced that CNN Air Town Hall in September last year it was announced by climate activists as a turning point: the main Democratic presidential candidates talk about climate change more than seven hours of dedicated cable cover would. California Kamala Harris senator whose campaign said a scheduling conflict, has been the only major candidate was first on the list. Climate activists seized their absence as proof that they are not interested or committed enough questions and then turned on a dime. Within a few weeks, Harris put out a climate plan $10 Katherine calling for the United States of its carbon footprint in 2045 and the pursuit of fossil fuels to eliminate enterprise. Some hours later he showed for their segment Town Hall in New York City until ready doubt once put to rest and for all. In his performance 33 minutes, it focuses not only on climate issues; It took a very courageous stand: they obliged to end the filibuster when Republicans held climate legislation approved a ban on fracking, and confirmed that it would ban plastic straws. In a way, the result – to embrace their initial trepidation and its subsequent decision in a strong position – embodies Harris transformation into a candidate loved by environmental activists. He has his presidential campaign began with a limited set of data on the subject, but by the time Joe Biden on August 11, has chosen me as his running mate, had strengthened the priority to their integrity and recovered with the Community undertakes climate . “The presidential campaign really a lot of people muscles strengthened climate,” Raad Jamal, co-founder of the environmental group says Evergreen share and a former adviser climate Washington Gov. Jay Inslee. “It ‘it has been a pushed all process, including Kamala go bigger, bolder and address on and really what it means, what science does requirements.” Resume Harris’, of course, not in the form of air into the mold master. He made his name in California, first as a San Francisco district attorney and later as the State Attorney General. He served in these roles at a time when California has laws and regulations on climate moves left and right, the implementation of a policy of cap-and-trade and other measures to reduce emissions. But the strategy of the California climate has had a smaller role for the state lawyers. She was asked to defend the climate change bill in the state court and to comply with government environmental regulations. Occasionally, he worked with other state attorneys general to push or defend climate policy at the federal level. But his offer a limited ability to craft reality of climate policy and local activists note that air that has had to operate largely within the limits of the then Governor Jerry Brown of the climate agenda. Harris remarkable work related to the climate of this period centered largely eventually sued to address environmental violations and the workload that vulnerable communities disproportionately affected. He sued the oil companies if they broke the rules, and joined a lawsuit against San Diego officials if they planned to build a road that would have harmful pollution generated in a local community. He also soon led to an investigation of Exxon shareholders deceived if he hid what he knew about climate change, although ultimately failed, the oil giant has Sue. Harris portrays as a green “Champion” in its campaign to win the Senate in 2016, looking for advantage against their opponents democratic elections in the deep blue California. You won the election easily and quickly raised their national profile as soon as taking office social media clips, with their lighting with their judicial skills through a third Grill Trump and officials. Its tasks of the committees – Justice, Budget, intelligence and internal security – are not suited to a leadership role on climate change, but it deserves a 91% vote pro-environment by the League of Conservation Voters. “It is not a hawk natural climate. It is not one of those people who in Congress always with this central desire to make climate change something,” says RL Miller, a California Democrat activists and political director of the Hawks climate vote, a group that supporters of the aggressive climate change policy. “But she has compiled a good record.” When Harris campaign in January 2019 he joined, like most of his Democratic opponent was missing, a climate plan. But even in the early days of the campaign, it became clear that the candidates will not be able to avoid the topic. activists of the movement climate Alba pushed the issue to the forefront with showy protests and sit-ins at the offices of the leadership of Congress. In February, he visited the offices of the candidate for president. Personal Harris’ welcomed the kind demonstrators and greeted some of them to a closed door discussion. But it was clear, even if actually welcome: Senator Bernie Sanders came to greet them and praised their work. For months activists stubbornly Harris – along with other candidates – big commitments in relation to the demanding climate. On their trip to the USA election early voting, the question over and over again came. In Iowa, for example, voters were talking about the destruction of their crops in the storms and the solutions required for agriculture. Under pressure, Harris argued in the initial phase of the Green New Deal, becoming its original co-sponsors. And in July, it signed a commitment of money on fossil fuels to make executives. “You listened to people around the Green New Deal, people have about fossil fuels do not promise to hear,” says Raad. “She is a person who is willing to listen and be pushed. And I think it’s something that environmental activists are excited about right.” But of course that it was not enough to convince voters affected climate. Almost all candidates have spoken great climate: Inslee put off to a quick clip of several floors, grinders called to $16000000000000 in environmental issues and even Biden, who bonafides is best known for its environment, has launched a big push d ‘at the beginning of the air campaign. “Everyone was pretty much in a progressive direction advantage,” says Julian Noisecat, an environmental activist in the progressive group data to progress. “And the question was: ‘How far you were ready to go’ ‘to stand, Harris focused on what they knew best: Process and Environmental Justice.” My Climate Plan was what anyone would have the two things that everyone expected given America Kamala know, “says Miller.” number one, you are a police officer or prosecutor, and the number two African-Americans. “in July collaboration would introduce with freshman Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez a climate equity Act which requires environmental legislation you receive the judgment “equity would be at risk communities and requires compromise examine environmental justice Score”, the federal authorities more fully in their policies. Harris global climate plan was released in September just before air town hall and made headlines for its provisions to strengthen the implementation of the Environmental Protection Agency functions, while the alleged pollution caused by them easier for plaintiffs fossil fuel companies for damages. These provisions came to a call for billions of dollars in federal spending on the environment. Environmental activists, including one to many who regard the fossil fuel industry is a declared enemy, he celebrated the proposal. Harris declined in December by the Democratic primary to before the first nominating contest, but they continued their work climate of Justice on Capitol Hill. received in August before the nod from Biden, he has released an updated version of its Equity Act of climate. Through them at the beginning of August he was appointed, environmentalists were ready to applaud his candidacy. “Harris satisfy the activists pressures and movements to make the air showed the highest priority, and demonstrated their willingness to be brought to justice,” said movement of the sun CEO Varshini Prakash in a statement. With her on the ticket, environmentalists say that the shape of the future climate policy takes shape: focus on environmental justice goes well with the financing of Biden experience to herding clean energy. Biden was overseeing the distribution of $90 billion in stimulus funding, clean energy in the midst of the Great Recession directed. “Biden has always understood the importance of investments in clean energy,” said Raad. “With Kamla who, he says, we go with climate policies, investments and actions Standard bold approach”.
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