US President Joe Biden calls climate change a clear and present danger
US President Joe Biden on Wednesday (local time) escalated his warnings about climate change by calling it a "clear and present danger" as he previewed a slate of executive actions meant to combat a crisis.
"Climate change in an emergency, and in the coming weeks I'm going to use the power I have as President to turn these words into formal, official, government actions through the appropriate proclamations, executive orders and regulatory power that a president possesses," Biden said, CNN reported.
Biden was speaking at a defunct coal power plant in Massachusetts in the afternoon. He announced USD 2.3 billion in new funding for communities facing extreme heat and new steps to boost the offshore wind industry.
The US President also hinted that he could take that step soon.
"As President, I have a responsibility to act with urgency and resolve when our nation faces clear and present danger, and that's what climate change is," Biden said further, as quoted by CNN.
According to The Hill, Biden announced a proposal to generate offshore wind energy in the Gulf of Mexico and to try to mitigate the impacts of extreme heat for vulnerable communities.
The President also said that in the "coming days" his administration will announce executive actions aimed at climate change that it has developed.
Citing a source, The Hill reported that the White House planned to declare a climate emergency as soon as Wednesday, but later in the day advised that it would not.
