What the Infrastructure Deal Means for Climate

Published: Dec. 3, 2021, 8:01 a.m.

President Biden recently signed the biggest piece of climate legislation in U.S. history into law. To be sure, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act got pared down significantly from what was first put on the table, but the final measure still contains five times more money for projects aimed at mitigating the climate crisis than the best legislation the Obama administration could get through. What did it take to get 19 Republican senators (not to mention Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema) to vote with the Democrats? And with the states being given great latitude over how to spend the money, will the billions available for highways negate any positive climate impacts?\nFor transcripts and other information, visit: https://www.climateone.org/watch-and-listen/podcasts\xa0\nGuests:\nCarla Frisch, Principal Deputy Director, Office of Policy, U.S. Department of Energy\xa0\nSasha Mackler, Executive Director, The Energy Project, Bipartisan Policy Center\nBeth Osborne, Director, Transportation for America\nMichael Grunwald, journalist, author, The New New Deal\nSupport our work: \nclimateone.org/donate\n\n\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices