This is the second to last Boosting Harris Post. Although we could write a million of these (she is awesome), we’re not seeing the need to build enthusiasm in this way for Harris the way we did for Biden and his phenomenal achievements. We are all fired up!
But because we love her, and all of you, we are including these to celebrate that she is now our official candidate. Enjoy and thanks for reading this series, the Boosting Biden series, and the 100 Days of Biden.
If you want to help, you can Donate to Kamala Harris at this link!!!
Let’s do this!
When she was attorney general of California, Kamala Harris was a pro at suing fossil fuel companies.
And she won. She obtained $44 million for a disastrous oil spill:
Attorney General Kamala D. Harris Joins Federal, State and Local Officials to Announce $44 Million Settlement in 2007 Bay Bridge Crash and Oil Spill
Attorney General Kamala D. Harris joined federal, state, and Bay Area officials to announce a comprehensive civil settlement with the owners and operators of the M/V Cosco Busan, resolving all natural resource damages, penalties, and response costs that resulted from the ship striking the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge in 2007, and the subsequent oil spill in the San Francisco Bay. The event killed thousands of birds, impacted a significant portion of the Bay’s 2008 herring spawn, spoiled miles of shoreline habitat and closed the Bay and area beaches to recreation and fishing.
“This Bay is the jewel of the San Francisco region and the Cosco Busan oil spill left a lasting scar across our water, natural habitats and wildlife,” Attorney General Harris said. “This settlement will allow all of these precious resources to be restored to their original health and beauty.”
Kamala Harris also amassed $50 million in settlements from Chevron, BP, ConocoPhillips and Phillips 66. Moreover, she launched an investigation into Exxon Mobil in 2016 over allegations it had misled the public about the risks of climate change.
Harris’s readiness to take on fossil fuel companies over the harm they do to the environment has shaped her work as a part of the Biden-Harris team. For example, the Biden-Harris administration has paused a decision on a giant terminal in Louisiana for exporting liquified natural gas (LNG). This would be a completely new thing: amazingly, the Energy Department has never before rejected a proposed natural gas project because of its expected environmental impact.
However, this is Harris and Biden we are talking about. So, per PBS:
White House Said to Delay Decision on Enormous Natural Gas Export Terminal
The Biden administration is pausing a decision on whether to approve what would be the largest natural gas export terminal in the United States, a delay that could stretch past the November election and spell trouble for that project and 16 other proposed terminals, according to three people with knowledge of the matter.
The White House is directing the Energy Department to expand its evaluation of the project to consider its impact on climate change, as well as the economy and national security.
And this may end the whole thing, according to the New York Times:
A delay of many months could jeopardize the financing for CP2. Venture Global LNG has other gas export terminals that have already run into equipment and shipping problems and legal disputes.
That’s exactly the hope of climate activists who launched a social media campaign last fall to urge Mr. Biden to reject CP2.
“We see [ending] CP2 as stopping the first fraction of the largest LNG buildout to date,” said Alex Haraus, a 25-year-old Colorado social media influencer who has led a TikTok and Instagram campaign aimed at urging young voters to demand that Mr. Biden reject the project.
Harris and Biden have also worked to advance alternatives to fossil fuels. Take just one example: wind. CNN reported in 2021:
Biden-Harris administration announces plans for massive expansion of wind farms off US coasts
The Biden administration is planning to aggressively expand offshore wind energy capacity in the United States, potentially holding as many as seven new offshore lease sales by 2025.
[Secretary of Energy Deb Haaland] said the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is exploring leasing sales along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, in the Gulf of Maine, the New York Bight, the central Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico, as well as off the Carolinas, California and Oregon.
“The Interior Department is laying out an ambitious roadmap as we advance the Administration’s plans to confront climate change, create good-paying jobs, and accelerate the nation’s transition to a cleaner energy future,” Haaland said in a statement.
And just last fall:
Biden-Harris Administration Approves Largest Offshore Wind Project in the Nation
The Biden-Harris administration today announced its approval of the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) commercial project — the fifth approval of a commercial-scale, offshore wind energy project under President Biden’s leadership. The Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project will power 900,000 homes, support thousands of jobs, and add 2,600 megawatts of clean energy to the grid. [ . . . ]
When completed, these five projects will collectively add more than 5 gigawatts of clean, renewable energy to our nation’s grid, enough to power more than 1.75 million homes.
And the next month:
Empire Wind project offshore New York and New Jersey will power more than 700,000 homes
The Biden-Harris administration today announced its approval of the Empire Wind offshore wind project — the sixth approval of a commercial-scale offshore wind energy project under President Biden’s leadership. Today’s announcement supports the Administration’s goal of deploying 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy capacity by 2030. [ . . . ] The projects would support over 830 jobs each year during the construction phase and about 300 jobs annually during the operations phase.
And last March, looking ahead:
Biden-Harris Admin Releases Final 2 Million Acre Offshore Wind Development Zone off Maine
The Biden administration released a map Friday of a two million acre Wind Energy Area in the Gulf of Maine that is designated for future offshore wind projects.
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management said Friday that the finalized map [ . . . ] has the capacity to support 32 gigawatts of offshore wind energy — far exceeding Maine’s current offshore wind energy goal of 3 gigawatts.
It’s not just building a bunch of wind turbines. New tech innovations have to be a crucial part of the effort:
Biden-Harris Administration Announces $72 Million to Innovate Manufacturing and Accelerate Deployment of Wind and Water Energy Technologies
The U.S. Department of Energy today announced $72 million for three sets of projects that will innovate manufacturing processes for wind and water technologies and accelerate the equitable and sustainable deployment of offshore and land-based wind energy. [ . . . ]
Together, these investments will streamline the processes to create the tools that will produce wind and hydropower, reduce barriers for communities deploying offshore and distributed wind energy, and reduce impacts to wildlife.
One way the Biden-Harris wind effort helps the US economy is the way it’s building a larger, stronger supply chain all over this country — in red states or blue.
Biden-Harris Administration Advances Offshore Wind Transmission, Strengthens Regional Supply Chain Buildout, and Drives Innovation
Nine East Coast states and four Federal agencies sign new agreement to strengthen regional collaboration on offshore wind supply chain development
In just the last year since President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law, investments in the U.S. offshore wind industry have increased by $7.7 billion, and the number of companies looking to support this supply chain has risen 54% to 4,100 companies across all 50 states.
As the Department of Energy points out, wind power and water power are an energy-building, job-creating dynamic duo in America’s clean energy transition:
The demand for enormous wind and water turbine pieces, such as hubs and bedplates, are estimated to increase at least fivefold in the next decade to meet America’s clean energy goals. This funding will help manufacturers make the equipment to meet what the moment requires.
Kamala Harris is willing to keep confronting fossil fuel interests and keep supporting the clean energy alternatives that will dig fossil fuels’ grave. What can you do to help?
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These posts are written by Goodnewsroundup (Goodie),
edited by Matilda Briggs, supported by 2thanks and WolverineForTJatAW
and reinforced by several other notable Kossacks!
As with all good things, it takes a village.
