It’s that time of year when students are not the only ones getting graded – the United States’ efforts to address the climate crisis are also being assessed. We reached out to climate experts to obtain their opinions and found that most of them believe that the country still has a lot of work to do in order to pass the planet’s hardest test. Here are some of the grades assigned by our panel of experts:
Ari Matusiak, CEO of Rewiring America, gave the highest grade, an A- due to the billions of dollars that have been allocated under the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. This significant investment in clean energy projects is a step in the right direction, as are the increasing sales of heat pumps and electric vehicles. “We’re already headed in the right direction,” said Matusiak.
Bob Inglis, a former U.S. Representative, awarded the United States a “high B+” citing the momentum building for climate action on the political right. He pointed to bipartisan efforts around low-emissions cement and holding countries with dirty production accountable as examples. However, he also acknowledged that enacting proposed policies may take time, especially with political hurdles.
Jean Su, the energy justice program director at the Center for Biological Diversity Action Fund, gave the country a C, praising the Biden administration’s efforts to curb emissions from methane and funding for renewable energy and community solar. However, she criticized the administration for approving the Willow oil drilling project and green-lighting liquefied natural gas exports.
Ramanan Krishnamoorti, a chemistry and petroleum engineering professor, lamented the lack of progress on permitting reform for new electricity transmission, as well as the impact of higher interest rates impacting the development of clean energy projects. He also cited concerns about EV sales and NIMBYism as obstacles to progress.
Anna Liljedahl, a hydrologist, issued a failing grade to the United States, pointing to the issue of patents on climate technologies that prevent the development and commercial exploitation of important technologies, effectively impeding progress.
Daniel Kammen, a professor of energy, gave the United States an “incomplete” due to its mixed performance. He noted the positive impact of the Inflation Reduction Act but also highlighted some setbacks, such as the approval of the Willow project. He sees potential for positive change in the climate agreement between the U.S. and China.
Bill McKibben, a climate activist and author, also gave the U.S. an “incomplete,” praising the investments made under the IRA but calling for more progress.
