August 15, 2022 – Congress’ recently passed Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 includes about $400 billion to address climate and clean energy over the next decade, which is expected to help significantly reduce U.S. fossil fuel emissions and reduce health harms.
“This is by far and away the most important piece of legislation to address the health effects of fossil fuel use and climate change, by a longshot,” said Aaron Bernstein, interim director of the in an August 12, 2022 interview on the radio show Living on Earth. “We know from prior work on transportation and on energy systems, that even modest reductions well below what this bill is likely to produce would save … billions and billions of dollars in health costs [and] avoided deaths.”
Bernstein added, “It is a watershed moment that we should all look back on and really be proud particularly at this time when everything seems so fractured and difficult and headed potentially in the wrong direction. This is an extraordinary step forward.”
Listen to or read the Living on Earth interview: Democrats Deliver on Climate
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