By Ariel Huang
The Senate passed the Inflation Reduction Act on August 7th, 2022. Currently heading to the House of Representatives, the act has over $300 billion of funds in climate and energy provisions. The bill will influence many different facets of the American lifestyle.
Firstly, it will affect how America produces energy. By increasing solar and wind power production, the act will set the country on a new path toward sustainability. Secondly, it will make electric vehicles more accessible, positively impact climate-related policy, and reduce prescription drug costs for the general public. Lastly, it will promote green technology: sustainable technology.
While the act may seem wholly beneficial for the environment, it includes a cutback in oil and gas development. Government Affairs Director at the Center for Biological Diversity Brett Hartl called the bill “self-defeating” and a “climate suicide pact.”
However, other members of the American public have many positive things to say. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says the act is a turning point, “the boldest climate package in U.S. history.” The American Council on Renewable Energy’s CEO, Gregory Wetstone, calls the act “a landmark achievement,” adding, “we have never had a policy in the United States geared to drive the transition to clean energy and address the climate crisis. And we’re looking now at a measure that is up to the task.” U.S. Senator Brian Schatz remarks that the act “changes the overall narrative about Congress.”
Jesse Jenkins, assistant professor at Princeton University and part of the REPEAT Project, states, “it doesn’t get us all the way there on its own, but it keeps the fight against climate change alive.”
We should keep in mind that this act is one of the first steps toward an entirely sustainable environment -- there is a long way to go before we can fulfill all the requirements of an eco-friendly society.