Does Climate Change Still Matter in a Pandemic?

Climate change didn’t stop as the world turned its attention to combating the coronavirus.

On this week's episode of Political Climate, we discuss whether leaders will seize this moment to tackle more than one crisis.

The $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act offers no explicit support for the energy sector. Will Congress use the next stimulus bill to accelerate the green economy as part of the COVID-19 recovery? If so, when and how? Or will climate-friendly stimulus measures fall by the wayside for now?

Plus, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced it will allow companies to break pollution laws during the pandemic and did not set a timeline to start enforcing the laws again. We discuss how this compares to the crisis response of past administrations. 

We end with some tips on how to weather COVID-19 and related economic troubles, including a breakdown of the financial support available to cleantech startups under the recently passed CARES Act.

Recommended reading:

• E&E News: Does Climate Change Still Matter in the Election?
• The Guardian: Trump Administration Allows Companies to Break Pollution Laws During Coronavirus Pandemic
• Medium: A Green Stimulus to Rebuild Our Economy
• Wired: The Analogy Between COVID-19 and Climate Change Is Eerily Precise
• The Guardian: Polar Ice Caps Melting Six Times Faster Than in 1990s

Political Climate is produced in partnership with the USC Schwarzenegger Institute. Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play or wherever you get podcasts.