It wasn’t the fireworks. It wasn’t watching Donald Trump board a helicopter for the last time, leaving the White House grounds. It wasn’t even knowing that the U.S. had rejoined the Paris climate agreement and that Joe Biden had revoked the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline on his first day in office (both vital steps, of course).
Instead, what gave me hope, what provided me with excitement on Inauguration Day … was an iconic pair of mittens (just kidding). What brought me close to tears was the evident humanity of Biden and Kamala Harris — something I admittedly would have pooh-poohed (my kids love that word) in the past. And, more, the depth and sheer wonkery of the policies they released on Wednesday. E.g., “Executive Order on Protecting Public Health and the Environment and Restoring Science to Tackle the Climate Crisis.” E.g.,“Executive Order On Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government.” E.g., “Modernizing Regulatory Review.”
Not light reading. But taken as a whole, these rules and others like them show that the new administration will be tackling climate change and equity (and a host of other issues) wit... Read more
