Environment
"We should not have to worry when grandfathers take their grandkids to a favorite fishing hole the streams are contaminated with dioxin; or when students turn on a faucet at school, they swallow arsenic; or that acid rain is showering us – especially when corporate responsibility could prevent it." – Senator Joe Biden
SAFEGUARDING DELAWARE’S NATURAL TREASURES
Senator Biden has been at the forefront of successful efforts to:
- Secure White Clay Creek for future generations as a federally-protected Wild & Scenic River.
- Transfer from the U.S. military nearly 1,200 acres of the most beautiful beach on the east coast to Cape Henlopen State Park.
- Protect Pea Patch Island and Fort Delaware from devastating coastal erosion.Control flooding long the Little Mill Creek in Elsmere.
- Designate the first federal scenic byways route in Delaware, Brandywine Valley Scenic Byway.
THE BIDEN PLAN: MAKING A BETTER WORLD FOR OUR CHILDREN
Addressing Climate Change: Senator Biden is continuing his strong environmental record by co-sponsoring the most aggressive bill in the Senate to reverse global warming – the Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act. The Act would implement aggressive policies to limit greenhouse gas emissions and help avert the major problems warming of our planet could cause – such as altering growing seasons; redistributing natural resources; and lifting sea levels. For more information about Senator Biden's record on climate change, please click here.
Leading The World: Global warming requires a global solution. As Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Biden has made returning the US to a leadership role in international climate treaty negotiations a top priority. He co-authored a bipartisan resolution directing the President to return to international negotiations and reclaim a leadership role for the United States in the fight against global warming.
Reducing Power Plant Emissions: Senator Biden supports the Clean Power Act, directing the Environmental Protection Agency to require power plants to achieve specific reductions in emissions of sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and mercury.
Improving Fuel Efficiency In Cars And Trucks: Senator Biden wants to advance fuel economy by upgrading to a better system that combines protection for U.S. automobile manufacturing jobs with predictable increases in fuel efficiency standards for cars, SUVs, and light trucks. The new system would set fuel economy standards based on the attributes of a vehicle (such as its size and weight), reaching a 35 mpg by 2020.
Building Our Future With Environmentally-Friendly Energy: Senator Biden has proposed legislation directing automakers to gradually increase the number of flex-fuel vehicles – those able to use both regular gasoline and blends of up to 85 percent ethanol (E85). This bill also requires major oil companies to install E85 pumps at gas stations, and would boost the use of homegrown fuels in our national fuel supply by raising the renewable fuel standard benchmarks. Senator Biden believes that we must move past corn ethanol to cellulosic ethanol – ethanol made from stalks, switchgrass and other agricultural materials. Senator Biden is also a strong supporter of increasing use of renewable energy – like wind, solar and geothermal – and using energy more efficiently.
THE BIDEN RECORD: PROTECTING PRECIOUS RESOURCES
Protecting Alaska’s Wildlife: For many years, Senator Biden has co-sponsored legislation to permanently protect from oil and gas drilling one of the world’s last great wilderness areas – the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. The uncertain oil recovery does not justify the risk of potentially great harm to this rich environment.
Making Polluters Pay: Senator Biden has been an ardent supporter of efforts to reinstate the Superfund fees so that polluters pay for the cleanup of toxic sites, not taxpayers. Restoring these funds will speed up clean-ups.
Exchanging Debt-for-Nature: Senator Biden co-authored the plan that provides debt relief to developing nations in exchange for protecting tropical rainforests that are critical to the global climate.
Defending Clean Air and Water: Senator Biden has opposed those determined to roll back environmental safeguards and threaten the quality of our air and water. He fought the Administration’s plan to gut the New Source Review standards by allowing power plants to avoid their obligations to install modern pollution controls.
