Break glass in case of emergency — but not for climate change
By Ryan P. Burke
On his 20th day in office, President Biden declared a national emergency regarding the situation in Burma, citing “an unusual and extraordinary threat” to U.S. national security. Most Americans probably cannot identify Burma on a map (pro tip: it’s also called Myanmar), describe the situation there, or articulate how it is an “extraordinary threat” constituting a U.S. national emergency. And that is the problem. From civil war in a country most Americans know nothing about to global climate change, a national emergency can be anything a president wants it to be. But just because it can be doesn’t mean it should be.
For every pundit insisting climate change is an emergency, another insists it isn’t. These are circular arguments that miss the point. There is no legal definition of “national emergency.” Because of this, the National Emergencies Act (NEA) has become an evasion mechanism for presidents to achieve political goals by sidestepping legislative stagnation. The result is continued norms-erosion of presidential restraint, logic and measure in favor of procedural convenience. Declaring a national emergency should require more fidelity.
In 2019, before former President Trump’s border crisis emergency declaration, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) warned that a climate emergency declaration would follow. Rubio may be right. The upcoming Senate vote on a $3.5 trillion infrastructure bill is a litmus test for President Biden’s climate change agenda. Its fate also may indicate whether climate change becomes the next U.S. national emergency.
https://co2coalition.org/2021/07/29/break-glass-in-case-of-emergency-but-not-for-climate-change/
