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🗞️ Driving the news: President Joe Biden's environmental justice legacy faces criticism over his administration's support for carbon capture technologies
• While he has made significant strides in community investment and pollution reduction in marginalized neighborhoods, many environmental justice advocates argue that funding for carbon capture and storage (CCS) detracts from these achievements
🔭 The context: The Biden administration has allocated billions of dollars from the 2021 infrastructure bill and the 2022 climate law to CCS projects
• However, the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council (WHEJAC) and other advocates contend that CCS projects can harm already-polluted communities, with insufficient community engagement and transparency from federal agencies
🌍 Why it matters for the planet: The debate highlights a critical tension between advancing new technologies to combat climate change and ensuring that historically burdened communities do not bear the environmental costs
• While carbon capture can aid decarbonization, its potential negative impacts raise concerns about equitable climate solutions
⏭️ What's next: As the Department of Energy continues to fund and implement CCS projects, environmental justice advocates call for greater community involvement, transparency, and even the power to veto such projects
• The administration’s response to these demands could shape its environmental justice legacy
💬 One quote: “They’ve done a very poor job with carbon management,” said Maria Lopez-Nuñez, WHEJAC member, while acknowledging the positive impact of community investments
📈 One stat: The 2021 infrastructure bill provided $12 billion for carbon capture and storage, while the 2022 climate law expanded tax credits for CCS technologies
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