President Joe Biden reassured donors Monday that he would use his executive powers to act on climate change, even as energy prices are at record highs.
“The climate crisis is the existential threat. That’s not hyperbole; it’s a fact,” Biden said after taking the podium at a Democratic National Committee Fundraiser in Washington, DC.
Biden promised to take “aggressive” executive actions on climate regulations even if the Supreme Court overruled him. He acknowledged that progress on the issue of climate change was difficult to achieve in Congress, hinting that donors could help him pressure lawmakers.
“There’s a long way to go, but we’re running into some obstacles that I’m going to need your help on in terms of individuals, as well as circumstances,” he said.
Biden expressed his desire to keep the predicted rise in global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius, warning of a dark future for the planet if he failed.
“Our grandchildren will never forgive us, and the world will change. I mean, literal sense it will change,” he said.
The war in Ukraine and Russia’s impact on oil prices, Biden said, only prove that the United States and Europe need to stop using fossil fuels.
