Tariffs leave climate efforts vulnerable | Columnists

Energy policies, such as the Inflation Reduction Act signed into effect by the previous administration, have led to progress in our nation’s clean energy manufacturing, clean vehicle tax credits and home energy efficiency. Federal funding allocated toward clean energy research has also allowed American companies to expand and to secure more foreign investors. Amidst the global energy race, the current proposed tariffs will jeopardize progress the United States has made by stifling supply chains. Potential markets could be lost as the manufacturing of renewable energy is heavily reliant on global trade and supply chains. The proposed tariffs will raise the manufacturing costs of American-made solar panels, batteries, electric vehicles and wind turbines — leaving countries to buy cheaper foreign exports instead of American-made renewable energy products.

Aside from tariffs, halts on climate funds will affect countless Americans. These funds are often directed toward construction projects that help low-income Americans repair their homes, install solar panels or complete energy-efficient upgrades. Funding also includes efforts to help communities most affected by climate change and pollution. Without federal funding and the administration’s support, states will be left to tackle the climate crisis alone, further stretching their resources to expand the state’s climate efforts and energy portfolios. Aside from the illegal mass firings of thousands of employees from the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Energy and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, thousands of workers are being left jobless with the stalling and halting of climate funds.

The withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement on Inauguration Day underscores how the United States has further politicalized climate change as a strategizing tool for political parties rather than prioritizing it as a serious problem that puts our health, economy and planet in danger. As years of environmental regulation, progress and policies continue to be dismantled, Americans are left vulnerable not only to the lasting implications of the climate crisis, but also to the overstepped limits of presidential power as outlined in the U.S. Constitution.

Americans need to advocate for abundance rather than scarcity by building more of what people need: housing, transit, clean energy and public goods. Speak up at local city council meetings, join coalitions, advocate for infrastructure and clean energy projects, and vote in local elections.

Eileen Liu is a senior at Menlo-Atherton High School in Atherton. Student News appears in the weekend edition. You can email Student News at news@smdailyjournal.com.