Episode 8: Bracken Hendricks - Part 1

In this episode of the Mother Earth Podcast, America's leading policy expert on the climate crisis gives a candid and insightful assessment of Joe Biden's climate policy.

Joe Biden officially became his party's nomination for President just weeks after he released a climate plan that seriously upped his game. It is the most comprehensive and far-reaching plan to tackle the climate crisis by a major party nominee. But is it enough? Bracken and host Matt Pawa discuss key provisions in the Biden climate plan and how they stack up to what the science mandates we do in order to avert climate chaos.

Biden has set aggressive standards, such as zero emissions from U.S. electricity generation by 2035. He makes rectifying environmental injustice a central pillar. He proposes a climate corps to get young people to work and a far-reaching agriculture policy. He focuses on creating millions of good jobs in this hour of need. But he doesn't propose to ban fracking and he embraces carbon capture and storage. His goals for upgrading buildings and producing electric vehicles could be more aggressive. What to think of all this?

There is no one better to explain it than Bracken. He was the co-author of the groundbreaking climate plan for Governor Jay Inslee's presidential campaign. That plan became the go-to plan for all the democratic candidates. After Governor Inslee dropped out, Bracken and others released a new version as the Evergreen Action Plan and made it available to all comers for all offices nationwide. Joe Biden has now adopted significant parts of the Evergreen Action Plan. Tune in to this episode to hear Bracken explain Biden's plan in clear terms and provide his expert opinion on how Biden has done.

We interviewed Bracken both before and after the release of the Biden plan. We are releasing these conversations in two episodes, in reverse chronological order. Bracken has alot to offer on climate policy that goes well beyond our discussion of the Biden plan. We will bring that to you in the next episode; it is Bracken's stirring call to action for a far-reaching plan that lifts up all Americans by joining together in common purpose to solve the climate crisis.

In the meantime, tune in today to hear from Bracken on the Biden climate plan.

For People and Planet, thank you for listening.