{"id":3361,"date":"2022-08-18T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-08-18T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www-prod.greenpeace.org\/usa\/campaign-updates\/3361\/declaring-a-climate-emergency-what-it-means-and-why-it-is-crucial-now-more-than-ever\/"},"modified":"2024-11-22T05:40:49","modified_gmt":"2024-11-22T05:40:49","slug":"declaring-a-climate-emergency-what-it-means-and-why-it-is-crucial-now-more-than-ever","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/usa\/declaring-a-climate-emergency-what-it-means-and-why-it-is-crucial-now-more-than-ever\/","title":{"rendered":"Declaring a Climate Emergency: What it means and why it is crucial now more than ever"},"content":{"rendered":"

Here is what declaring a Climate Emergency will mean for humanity and why we need to pressure President Biden to deliver on his promise.<\/span><\/p>\n

Global Message for Biden in Washington D.C.
Greenpeace USA activists delivered a 16-foot inflatable Earth to the White House along with nearly half a million petition signatures demanding that President Biden declare a climate emergency. The action, which symbolized that a livable planet is in Biden\u2019s hands, kicked off a day of climate emergency rallies in 19 cities across the country.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On July 20\u2014as the country experienced deadly heat waves, drought, and flood\u2014President Biden <\/span>announced<\/span><\/a> that his administration would take executive actions to combat the Climate Emergency. The president\u2019s use of his executive powers will be critical in securing a livable future especially as fossil fuel funded members of Congress and the Supreme Court continue their attempts to halt or limit substantive climate action.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Greenpeace USA activists delivered a 16-foot inflatable Earth to the White House along with nearly half a million petition signatures demanding that President Biden declare a climate emergency. The action, which symbolized that a livable planet is in Biden\u2019s hands, kicked off a day of climate emergency rallies in 19 cities across the country.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

What is an emergency declaration?<\/b><\/p>\n

Emergency powers have existed in the U.S. and other countries around the world to enhance the president\u2019s powers in emergencies and unexpected crises that are moving too fast for Congress to respond to timely and appropriately. The National Emergency Act (NEA) was enacted in 1976 to enhance presidential powers in emergencies. While the act doesn\u2019t define an emergency, it provides a framework and mechanisms to ensure the stability and legitimacy of executive decisions. The NEA declares that an emergency will automatically end after one year unless POTUS publishes a renewal notice to the Federal Register, upon a presidential declaration ending the emergency, or if Congress vetoes the emergency. There are currently 37 national emergency declarations in effect including COVID-19 public health in March 2020. <\/span><\/p>\n

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What will a Climate Emergency do?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Environmentalists have been pushing for a Climate Emergency since <\/span>2019<\/span><\/a>. But after the SCOTUS environmental <\/span>decisions<\/span><\/a> and the Inflation Reduction Act falling short of the benchmarks set by science, the need for a Climate Emergency declaration will help fill the gap in government action. In an emergency declaration, POTUS could reinstate the crude oil export ban, take action on leasing of public lands and waters, and move forward with his <\/span>climate agenda<\/span><\/a> in a timely manner., In other words, President Biden can do a lot. A few things we hope to see include:<\/span><\/p>\n