Environmental Changes & Rollbacks From The Biden Administration

The last administration made some drastic changes to many of the environmental policies and initiatives. These changes set the country back decades to fight against climate change, social health, and environmental degradation. Many of these ills will take generations to correct, but with the election of a new president, it brings with it a new administration and more changes.

President Biden has made promises to repair or restore protections for the environment dissolved during the previous administration. In all, there are more than 100 public land, water, air, climate change, and endangered species regulations that are under review. All those under consideration are changes that caused weakened rules or rolled back regulations from the last administration. Although fixing these problems may take several years, they are worth the trouble for the environment and our future.

What to Expect From the Biden Administration

Although plans have been put in motion, it is essential to remember that such measures take longer to enact than break. In fact, most of the last administration's rules will remain in effect for at least the next couple of years. Some rollbacks will happen immediately via the use of executive authority. For example, the fossil fuel infrastructure projects have been canceled with immediate effect, and the federal protections on specific water bodies and lands have been reinstated. One of the most significant reversals of note was the cancelation of the Keystone XL pipeline permit, which is a big win for the environment and the natives.

Additional changes expected to come are restoring federal protections to Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears in Utah. Both are national monuments that lost their protections when the previous administration opened the land around them up for logging, mining, and drilling. Restoration of protections for Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monuments are also under review.

Protecting The Environment From 2021 Onwards

The Biden administration has plans to move the light-duty greenhouse gas emissions standards for emissions by summertime. Still, there is little in the way of information about procedures for after the current term. A new rule has been put forward for consideration that would increase the fees and requirements for production and development. The process for leasing land via the Bureau of Land Management will also see an update that includes extra protections for public land. This update targets protecting the earth from more climate change that's tied to the mining and use of fossil fuels.

Not long after taking office, the current administration froze the sale of new gas and oil leases until the program could undergo a massive review and possible overhaul. The review most likely will result in a close look at how recent sales will impact the climate in addition to an increase of royalty charges, among other updates. There are many more changes and updates already in motion that will positively impact the environment going forward.

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