Concerns are rising within energy industry circles that the White House might declare a climate emergency, reminiscent of the COVID-19 emergency declaration.
Tim Stewart, President of the U.S. Oil and Gas Association, expressed this apprehension, stating such a move would equip the president with “vast and unchecked authority to shut down everything from communications to infrastructure.”
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Stewart raises concerns on critical infrastructure, ‘climate emergency’ impact
Mr. Stewart suggested that critical infrastructure, including water and electricity, could be impacted.
“They can literally do exactly what they did in COVID,” he said. He voiced worries over the potential to stifle dissenting voices and the indefinite nature of the ‘climate emergency.’
White House remains silent on speculations on climate emergency
The White House didn’t respond to requests to comment on these speculations.
President Joe Biden, although emphasizing the urgency of the “climate crisis,” has refrained from declaring an emergency. Yet, some Democrats and environmental groups continue to advocate for such a measure.
Momentum grows for climate emergency declaration
Rep. Earl Blumenauer’s (D-Ore.) “Climate Emergency Act of 2021” has received backing from about 60 Democrats. This legislation demands a climate-related emergency declaration from the Biden administration.
On another front, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres issued a dramatic message, declaring that “the era of global boiling has arrived.”
Divergent views on climate change action, criticism from Stewart
Concurrently, media outlets like the Los Angeles Times have suggested deliberate “occasional blackouts” to combat climate change, while The Guardian urges Biden to “declare a climate emergency” immediately.
Mr. Stewart criticized these reports as a “propaganda war” attempting to “condition the public to think it is their duty to the State to be miserable, cold, and hungry.”
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