Insight
On Earth Day, the Biden administration is hosting a “Leaders’ Climate Summit” with heads of state from around the world. This follows President Biden’s Day One act of rejoining the Paris Agreement on climate change. As part of rejoining the Paris Agreement, the United States is expected to submit a…
Insight / Climate Justice / Politics & Economics
President Biden’s first set of climate initiatives, announced today, rightfully focus in part on environmental justice: the disproportionate impacts that Black, Indigenous and other historically oppressed communities face from pollution and environmental degradation. In parallel, the Biden administration formally announced that they would convene a “Leaders’ Climate Summit” on Earth…
Insight / Politics & Economics
After four years of “America First” ultranationalism and xenophobia, ActionAid USA is excited to work with a new administration that cares about constructive engagement with the rest of the world. However, we also recognize that our country’s relationship with the rest of the world has always been fraught, well before…
Insight / Climate Justice / Politics & Economics
After four years of climate denial at the top of the U.S. government, the appointment of John Kerry as a climate envoy for the next administration is a bit of a breath of fresh air. Having an administration that believes that the climate crisis is real, and takes it seriously…
Insight / Climate Justice / Politics & Economics
The day after Election Day, with the results still unknown, the Trump administration formally withdrew the United States from the Paris Agreement on climate change. The U.S. is the only country in the world to withdraw from this agreement, the only framework for globally coordinated action to solve the climate…
Insight / Politics & Economics
Over the past couple weeks we’ve been stressing how important, yet fragile, our democracy is – especially at this moment in time. I hope you have already voted or have a plan to vote and ensure that your vote is counted. But I want to talk to you about what…
Insight / Politics & Economics
American exceptionalism. This idea that for some mysterious reason, Americans are better than the rest of the world – more morally upstanding, more inherently gifted, more patriotic, and so on. It’s an idea that many of us who grew up in the United States have had to un-learn. It has…
Insight / Climate Justice
The Paris Agreement is a story of escape. It’s the culmination of a years-long Great Escape of responsibility by rich countries, led by the inflexibility and arrogance of the United States. The Agreement famously includes no binding obligations but instead allows countries to voluntarily pledge whatever they think they can…
Insight / Climate Justice
It’s happening right now. We’re seeing what author Christian Parenti called “the politics of the armed lifeboat” play out right in front of our eyes. The “armed lifeboat” is a rich country that, instead of working in community with the rest of the world to solve the climate crisis and…
Insight / Climate Justice
In just a few weeks, young people around the world will lead massive school strikes, walkouts, and protests on September 20 to demand real action on climate. The following Monday, world leaders will descend on New York for another United Nations Climate Summit. My colleagues and I will be at…