Letter to the Editor: White House must invoke the DPA to manufacture renewable energy infrastructure, heat pumps, and all parts of a working clean energy economy

Earth Day is a reminder that together, there is a lot we can do to stop and then reverse the damage done by the greed and recklessness of the fossil fuel industry. From cleaner rivers to breathable air, we know that change is possible.

But there is one person who has the opportunity and the power to make a change on the scale we need to turn the climate crisis around. That person is President Joe Biden, and the step he needs to take right now: declaring a national climate emergency.

Earlier this spring, we received good news: The Biden administration invoked the Defense Production Act (DPA) – one of the most important powers that can be invoked under a national emergency – to increase production of mining to aid in the manufacturing of electric vehicle batteries. This is a great first step, but his narrow focus on mining and batteries is not enough. The White House must invoke the DPA to manufacture renewable energy infrastructure, heat pumps, and all parts of a working clean energy economy. And we should still encourage the Biden administration to take that broader step and declare a national climate emergency, officially.

President Biden has the authority to usher in a clean energy future with the power of his signature. It’s time for him to get it done. Let’s go Joe.

Sincerely,
Nathan Baum
Columbia, MD