Biden Cabinet members actions and issues: on Environment


Tom Vilsack: OpEd: Rule changes harmed processing workers and animals

Under Vilsack, the USDA moved forward with major changes in meat processing regulation, which served to make the process more dangerous for workers and animals, and less costly for producers. The first reduced the number of federal inspectors at poultry plants and delegated more authority over inspections to meat companies. The second effort proposed an increase in line speeds at poultry plants, from 140 birds per minute to 175.
Source: Reason magazine on Biden Cabinet Dec 19, 2020

Xavier Becerra: Oppose efforts to roll back environmental protections

Attorney General Becerra is deploying all the Department of Justice's available tools to protect the public health, particularly for vulnerable populations, and to advance environmental justice for communities shouldering the heaviest pollution burdens. Attorney General Becerra will hold the line against President Trump's efforts to roll back environmental protections and to impede California's right to adopt and enforce its own more protective laws.
Source: California Attorney General website: Biden Cabinet Dec 16, 2020

Deb Haaland: 30 by 30 goal: conserving 30% of lands and oceans by 2030

There are a few other things that I'm planning to prioritize next year. Tops on the list is 30 by 30 - committing to the goal of conserving 30% of our lands and oceans by 2030 to protect the habitat that fish and wildlife need to reverse the extinction crisis. President-elect Biden has said he will adopt a 30 by 30 goal. And I was really excited when the hunting and fishing community expressed support for the 30 by 30 initiative as a way to protect biodiversity.
Source: Press release haaland.house.gov on Biden Cabinet Dec 10, 2020

Bill Nelson: From space you can see how we're messing up Earth

When you look out the window of a spacecraft, there is a fundamental effect that it has on you--there's a term that's been applied by astronauts called "the overview effect." You see this beautiful creation--colorful, suspended in the middle

It gives you an expanded perspective. My faith has informed my public service. That space flight helped inform my politics. I became more of an environmentalist when I went into space because I could see the fragility of the Earth. I could look at the rim of the Earth--that thin film we call the atmosphere--and see that it sustains all of life. I became more convinced I wanted to be a better steward of what we have.

Source: Tampa Bay Ledger on 2021 Biden Cabinet Sep 4, 2020

  • The above quotations are from Biden Cabinet members actions and issues.
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  • Click here for more quotes by Donald Biden on Environment.
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2020 Presidential contenders on Environment:
  Democrats running for President:
Sen.Michael Bennet (D-CO)
V.P.Joe Biden (D-DE)
Mayor Mike Bloomberg (I-NYC)
Gov.Steve Bullock (D-MT)
Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D-IN)
Sen.Cory Booker (D-NJ)
Secy.Julian Castro (D-TX)
Gov.Lincoln Chafee (L-RI)
Rep.John Delaney (D-MD)
Rep.Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI)
Sen.Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
Gov.Deval Patrick (D-MA)
Sen.Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
CEO Tom Steyer (D-CA)
Sen.Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
Marianne Williamson (D-CA)
CEO Andrew Yang (D-NY)

2020 Third Party Candidates:
Rep.Justin Amash (L-MI)
CEO Don Blankenship (C-WV)
Gov.Lincoln Chafee (L-RI)
Howie Hawkins (G-NY)
Gov.Gary Johnson(L-NM)
Howard Schultz(I-WA)
Gov.Jesse Ventura (I-MN) 		Republicans running for President:
Sen.Ted Cruz(R-TX)
Gov.Larry Hogan (R-MD)
Gov.John Kasich(R-OH)
V.P.Mike Pence(R-IN)
Gov.Mark Sanford (R-SC)
Pres.Donald Trump(R-NY)
Rep.Joe Walsh (R-IL)
Gov.Bill Weld(R-MA & L-NY)

2020 Withdrawn Democratic Candidates:
Sen.Stacey Abrams (D-GA)
Mayor Bill de Blasio (D-NYC)
Sen.Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
Sen.Mike Gravel (D-AK)
Sen.Kamala Harris (D-CA)
Gov.John Hickenlooper (D-CO)
Gov.Jay Inslee (D-WA)
Mayor Wayne Messam (D-FL)
Rep.Seth Moulton (D-MA)
Rep.Beto O`Rourke (D-TX)
Rep.Tim Ryan (D-CA)
Adm.Joe Sestak (D-PA)
Rep.Eric Swalwell (D-CA)
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Page last updated: May 20, 2021