Ten-Hut! Let’s Talk Politics
As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States this week — amidst rising COVID case rates and overcrowded hospitals — many Americans have altered their plans to celebrate by cutting guest lists, limiting travel, or not celebrating the holiday at all. And while these are prudent and responsible courses of action, recommended by the CDC, that does not make them any easier during a year marked by increased isolation and loneliness. So, in an effort to restore a bit of normalcy to our readers’ holiday, I give you some fodder for your small gatherings and Zooms: politics!
President Trump tweeted out this week that the General Services Administration (“GSA”) should allow the process of governmental transition to commence. While the election results have been final for weeks — baseless claims of fraud and Venezuelan deep state coups aside — the agency’s now formal ascertainment paved the way for team Biden’s announcement of formal Cabinet appointments, including former Senator and Secretary of State John Kerry as his special presidential envoy for climate. This appointment, significant in and of itself given his track record and stature, carries even more significance as Kerry, in his new position, will sit on the National Security Council (“NSC”) — the first time this council will include a member officially dedicated to climate change. By formally labeling climate change as a matter of national security the Biden-Harris administration has signaled the climate crisis as a priority from Day 1.
While some may argue climate change’s true threat to national security and the inclusion of this position on the NSC, John Kerry’s stance on the matter appears clear, as evidenced by the 2019 climate coalition he launched called World War Zero. Even the Pentagon, as recently as January 2019 issued an official report discussing climate change’s effect on the Department of Defense. Regardless of how you feel, Biden’s two overarching environmental goals — a carbon-free electricity grid by 2035 and a net zero-carbon economy by 2050 — certainly appear as if they’ll take cooperation, coordination, and mobilization reminiscent of wartime to have any chance at success.
With the transition officially (and finally) underway, there will be no shortage of appointments and announcements indicating the Biden-Harris plans to tackle climate change in the coming weeks — an intention to re-join the Paris climate agreement, which Mr. Kerry helped negotiate, has already been expressed. However, regardless of what we hear, with the appointment of John Kerry to the NSC the new administration has put out its clarion call to arms, a call to which FWP responds, Ten-Hut!
Tucker Pribor, VP Investments
As we celebrate Thanksgiving and do our best to channel our inner Norman Rockwell this week, let’s get seconds on some delicious nostalgia and talk about America’s pastime, Baseball. Last week, the Miami Marlins made history hiring Kim Ng as the first female GM in Major League Baseball history.
Climate Action Tracker provides independent science-based assessments of governments’ commitment to action towards climate change and scores each government according to numerous factors, including the use of many interactive tools. It will be interesting to see how these change under the Biden administration, particularly with the appointment of John Kerry as climate Czar, and to track over the next few years how well Biden and Kerry live up to their promises.
Please remember to refer and defer to the CDC’s guidelines for Thanksgiving and holiday celebrations this holiday season.
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