Please invest in Our Daily Planet today, by making a one time or monthly contribution.
We do not charge our readers a subscription fee for our content. We want to continue to grow our readership, particularly among millennials and public servants. Voluntary contributions from readers will help us employ interns and freelance journalists, expand our content, and reach a larger audience.
If you make a contribution of $150 or more, you will become an official “Friend of the Planet” and receive a Friend of the Planet T-shirt or water bottle.
Our Daily Planet is a daily morning email (M-F) to keep you informed of the stories shaping our environment. If these issues matter to you, we’d like to be the best ten minutes of your morning.
by Miro Korenha, co-founder/publisher Our Daily Planet
Yesterday, President-elect Joe Biden named former Secretary of State JohnKerry as Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, also announcing that he will sit on the National Security Council. As the Biden transition team wrote in a press release announcing the appointment: “This marks the first time that the NSC will include an official dedicated to climate change, reflecting the president-elect’s commitment to addressing climate change as an urgent national security issue. ”
As the Boston Globe explained, “he appointment does not need Senate confirmation. It drew praise from veteran climate policy officials and from youth-led climate groups including the Sunrise Movement, which has added new urgency to the nation’s slow reckoning with the climate crisis, even as they called on Biden to do even more.”
Why This Matters: John Kerry is a respected diplomat who negotiated the Paris Climate Accord (famously signing it with his granddaughter on his lap), and helped incorporate climate change into foreign policy as President Obama’s second Secretary of State. His appointment signals that the Biden administration will prioritize repairing the United States’ standing as an arbiter of global climate solutions.
As Kerry said in a tweet after the announcement: “It’ll be an honor to work with our allies and partners, alongside rising young leaders in the climate movement, to tackle the climate crisis with the seriousness and urgency it deserves.”
Go Deeper:Read our interview with Secretary Kerry from earlier this year, it’s a good understanding of how his history as an activist and a lawmaker has shaped his understanding of the urgency of climate change.
News of the announcement was met with praise by established climate change leaders, but that from Senator Ed Markey and Governor Jay Inslee perhaps provide the biggest validation for progressive climate activists.
.@JohnKerry understands that the climate crisis is the greatest national security threat of our time. I know that he will lead with courage and be a tremendous partner to the climate movement in the Biden administration. Congratulations John. https://t.co/tcDIUrds0g
Congratulations @JohnKerry. He is an excellent choice to be the Special Envoy for Climate.
By choosing a leader with such international esteem, President-Elect @JoeBiden has again demonstrated his deep commitment to follow science to save our planet and create millions of jobs.
On another note: The Trump administration announced yesterday that it had approved the official government transition of President-elect Biden. As NBC News reported, GSA Administrator Emily Murphy said in a letter that Biden, whom she referred to as “the apparent president-elect,” is now able to get access to millions of dollars in federal funds and other resources to begin his transition to power. In her letter, Murphy also denied that she had been under pressure from the White House to delay the process.
By Ashira Morris, ODP Staff Writer Late last week, President Biden and a critical mass of Democrats in the Senate and House agreed on the details of Build Back Better legislation — a $1.85 trillion overall investment that includes a record-setting $555 billion dollars to take on the climate crisis. The agreement marked a […]
By Amy Lupica, ODP Daily Editor Top executives from Big Oil companies ExxonMobil, BP, Chevron, and Shell testified before Congress yesterday amid accusations and revelations about their industry’s efforts to mislead the public about human-caused climate change while claiming to be in favor of climate action. A report released Thursday morning by the House Committee […]
By Natasha Lasky, ODP Staff Writer As the world gets ready for COP26 in Glasgow next week, many nations are upping their pledges to lower emissions before 2030. But according to a UN report released Tuesday, even if Argentina, Britain, Canada, the EU, South Africa, and the US achieve their pledged goals, it would account […]
Subscribe to the email that top lawmakers, renowned scientists, and thousands of concerned citizens turn to each morning for the latest environmental news and analysis.
Want the lastest climate news summarized for you each morning?
Our Daily Planet is your daily dose of the stories shaping our world and the ways that you can take action. From the climate crisis to the protection of biodiversity, if these issues matter to you then please subscribe & stay informed!
Your privacy is Important! We promise never to use your email address to send you spam or advertisements.