Heavy snow and difficult travel expected again, heaviest snow in southern Minnesota

MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all. 

Turn Up Your Support

 that would take major steps to reduce carbon emissions in the United State appears poised to pass the Senate. 

It offers significant subsidies to help speed up the transition to renewable energy.

“Right now, we sort of have a backwards incentive structure, where we’re providing subsidies — direct and indirect — to fossil fuels, and not providing similar support for renewable energy,” said climate scientist and author 

. “So what this will do is it will put a thumb on the right side of the scale, providing incentives for the forms of energy that aren’t degrading our planet.”

Scientists estimate the measures contained in the bill would reduce carbon emissions by about 40 percent by 2030.

Mann directs the Center for Science, Sustainability and the Media at the University of Pennsylvania. He told Climate Cast this week that while the bill stops short of the 50 percent emissions drop we need, it will be “the most progress we will have made in addressing the climate crisis — ever — from the standpoint of Congressional action.”

To hear the conversation, click play on the audio player above or subscribe to the Climate Cast podcast.

Environmental News

Politics and Government News

Climate

MPR News Programs and Podcasts

Climate Cast ®

Shows

All Things Considered

Host

Climate scientist and author Michael Mann tells Climate Cast, that while it stops short of the 50 percent emissions drop we need, the climate deal now poised to pass the Senate will be “the most progress we will have made in addressing the climate crisis — ever — from the standpoint of Congressional action.”

'The most progress we will have made — ever': Climate scientists heartened by Senate climate deal

Go Deeper.

Like this?