Biden describes climate change as a "threat" and announces measures to prepare the country for its consequences

MADRID, 21 Jul. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The President of the United States, Joe Biden, announced this Wednesday that his administration is going to take measures in the face of the "emergency" that climate change represents, and has announced a financing package to adapt the country to the consequences of a general rise in the temperatures.

"I have come here with a message: As president, I have a responsibility to act urgently and provide solutions when our nation faces a clear and present danger. And that is what climate change is. Literally, not figuratively, a clear and present danger," the US president said, according to a White House statement.

Biden has expressed concern about what the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has described as a "red code for humanity", and has maintained that he will announce a package of measures in the absence of legislation from the US Congress.

"Let me say it again: 'Code Red for humanity.' It's not what a group of political officials have said. It's what scientists have said... As president, I will use my executive powers to combat the climate crisis in absentia." of congressional actions," said the president of the United States.

"In the coming days, my administration will announce the executive actions that we have developed to combat this emergency. We have to act," added Biden, recalling that during these days 100 million Americans are on heat alert.

The Biden Administration has announced "the largest investment in history" --2.25 billion euros-- to help communities across the country "build infrastructure designed to withstand the full range of disasters we've seen to date: extreme heat , drought, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes.

Likewise, the White House is working with the states to deploy up to 377 million euros to allocate them to the "millions of people who suffer from extreme heat in their homes."

"States will be able to use federal funds to pay for air conditioners in homes, establish community cooling centers in schools where people can get through these extreme heat crises. And I mean crises between 37 to 47 degrees," he said. Biden added.

He has also underlined the importance of the Infrastructure Law that the Democratic congressmen have submitted for their vote and that includes more than 3,000 million euros to air-condition homes and make them more energy efficient, which would reduce the cost of energy and keep houses cool in summer and warm in winter.

The US president has announced that Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta is developing "the first workplace standards for extreme heat."

The intention of the Secretary of Labor is to dictate under what conditions of heat workers cannot be asked to do certain things.

Acosta has also ordered work inspections related to heat in companies in 43 states to make sure that the standards we established are met.

On the other hand, Biden has detailed that the North American country has reduced in 15 years 20 percent of the electricity that was generated from coal. "Only 15 years ago, the United States generated more than half of its electricity from coal, in coal-fired power plants. Today, that number has dropped to 20 percent because a big transition is taking place," he said. Biden.

He mentioned the example of the Brayton Point Thermal Power Plant, which for more than 50 years "sustained the economy" of Massachusetts and was the largest in the state of the New England region, and which closed in 2017.

Five years later, Brayton Point, according to Biden, is one of the leading industrial hubs in clean energy. In the city, 400 kilometers of submarine cables will be manufactured to connect the offshore wind farms that are planned to be built in the country to the existing network.