On August 16th, 2022, President Biden signed and approved the Inflation Reduction Bill after it was passed 51-50 by the Senate on August 7th. Under this bill, $437 billion will go toward helping produce more sustainable energy and mitigating the effects of fossil fuels.

“This bill will be the most significant legislation in history to tackle the climate crisis,” said President Biden, reported by The Guardian. 

According to the Senate, the five main goals of this new bill include lowering energy costs per household, decarbonizing the U.S economy, producing American-made clean technologies in manufacturing, investing in less fortunate communities, and focusing on rural communities to support smart agricultural practices.

In addition to these objectives, funds will be allocated to properly storing major fossil fuels deep underground, as well as focusing on carbon capture and storage. This will ultimately decrease the overconsumption of fossil fuels by increasing its standard price. 

According to Carbon Brief, if proven effective, the Senate plans to both reduce U.S carbon emissions by 40% and double the use of renewable energy by 2030.

In an interview with the GH Falcon, Green Hope AP Environmental Science teacher Mr. Benjamin Rush provided his insight on the legislation. 

“It’s not enough, but it’s definitely a good start,” said Mr. Rush. 

Mr. Rush has been staying up to date with the legislation’s status since the government began discussing action toward climate change. He believes that the bill is a step forward in the right direction, as it is the largest effort the government has ever put into addressing the magnifying problem. 

“It will only be successful through years of follow through,” added Mr. Rush. 

Both Brian Chege (‘24) and Diyana Bhattacharya (‘26) shared their thoughts surrounding the new laws.

“I don’t think much will really change,” said Brian Chege, a junior at Green Hope. Chege believes that climate change is a relevant topic, but that money won’t be enough to solve the issue.

Diyana Bhattacharya (‘26) said, “It’s definitely for a good cause, we need to use less fossil fuels….but I’m not sure it’ll get better.  We’re already so deep in, so only so much can be done.”

With the new bill in place, students and teachers will be following the progress made.  Although there is pessimism surrounding the amount that can be done, teachers such as Mr. Rush are looking forward to seeing future success.