© 2024 Blaze Media LLC. All rights reserved.
Biden pledges to cut US emissions by 50% in 9 years — here's what that could mean for you
BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images

Biden pledges to cut US emissions by 50% in 9 years — here's what that could mean for you

Better start saving up for your electric car

President Joe Biden held a climate summit with dozens of world leaders on Thursday, where he pledged to cut America's greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030 — with or without approval from Congress.

Besides claiming that Biden's promised transformation of the U.S. economy under a Green New Deal-type image would create millions of jobs, the administration has not explained how its plan would impact everyday life for Americans. But some folks are already starting to do the math.

What are the details?

The New York Times wrote that achieving Biden's climate goal "would mean a very different America," pointing to studies that show what the "far-reaching" changes could look like within nine years:

  • Half of the country's electricity would come from renewable sources such as wind, solar, or hydropower, up from one-fifth today (meaning "the number of wind turbines and solar panels dotting the nation's landscape could quadruple").
  • Two-thirds of new cars and SUVs sold would be battery-powered, up from roughly 2% today.
  • Oil and gas producers would slash emissions of methane, a potent heat-trapping gas, by 60%.
  • Virtually all of the 200 remaining coal plants in the U.S. would shut down unless they can also capture their emissions and bury them underground.

The Times noted that "policymakers would have to take care in crafting measures that do not cause serious economic harm, such as widespread job losses or spikes in energy prices, that could lead to blowback."

With those points taken into consideration, The Daily Mail gathered studies to show how such sweeping reforms might impact the average American. The outlet compiled a number of recent studies to show how drastic the changes would look.

According to the Mail, a study by Michigan University's Center for Sustainable Systems showed Americans may have to cut their red meat consumption by 90%, to 4 pounds per year. That is the equivalent of limiting your intake to one hamburger per month. Consumption of all other meats would need to be cut by half.

What else?

The outlet confirmed the Times' estimate that 65% of new cars and SUVs would have to be electric, adding that 10% of new trucks sales would also have to be electric while noting, "The average cost of a new electric vehicle is about $55,000."

One-fourth of Americans would need to stop heating their homes with natural gas and switch to electricity, meaning a rough investment of more than $5,500 for those households to install an electric heat pump.

In the end, the administration's plan will likely cost trillions of dollars to taxpayers.

Before Biden was even elected, Stanford University fellow Bjorn Lomborg argued in the Orange County Register that the Democrat was guilty of "climate panic," noting that many of his proposals would hurt Americans' pocketbooks and not even achieve significant benefits to the environment.

Lomborg concluded that "Biden's plan will cost $3,500 per taxpayer each year. And this cost will increase significantly."

Want to leave a tip?

We answer to you. Help keep our content free of advertisers and big tech censorship by leaving a tip today.
Want to join the conversation?
Already a subscriber?