The White House released a research framework last week for a process that would block the sun's rays in order to mitigate some of the adverse effects attributed to climate change.
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy released its Congressionally Mandated Research Plan and an "Initial Research Goverance Framework Related to Solar Radiation Modification" on Friday. According to the White House, the report "identifies critical knowledge gaps and scopes potential research areas that could improve understanding of risks and benefits posed by solar radiation modification."
PENNSYLVANIA'S JOSH SHAPIRO COULD HELP BIDEN MEND BLUE WALL CRACKS BEFORE 2024
The plan would involve the reflection of sunlight back into space, thereby preventing or delaying additional temperature increases. The process works by employing stratospheric aerosol injection and marine cloud brightening. Stratospheric aerosol injection is when sulfate particles are released into the atmosphere, where they are able to assist in reflecting sunlight. In marine cloud brightening, salt from the ocean would be used to increase the reflectiveness of clouds.
In releasing the report, the White House emphasized the requirement from Congress and clarified, "Importantly, this report does not signify any change in policy or activity by the Biden-Harris Administration, which remains focused on reducing emissions, increasing resilience, advancing environmental justice, and achieving true energy security."
"Release of this report fulfills a Congressional mandate, and there are no plans underway to establish a comprehensive research program focused on solar radiation modification," it added.
Notably, the possibility of reflecting sun rays echoes a story from The Simpsons. In the episode "Who Shot Mr. Burns?" the town's wealthy owner attempts to block the sun's rays so that citizens will be forced to use nuclear energy from his power plant.
The episode aired in 1995. The show has become known for "predicting" events before they happen.
The Biden administration has made climate a chief priority, pledging to reach "net-zero emissions, economy-wide, by no later than 2050."
To achieve this, President Joe Biden has put an emphasis on expediting the expansion of electric vehicle usage. Through federal grants for supplies and mandates for federal agencies, he hopes to make "50 percent of all new vehicle sales be electric by 2030."
Critics have slammed the president for what they say is a rushed push of electric vehicles. "We certainly don't have the grid capacity in order to sustain electric vehicle growth in the market," Rep. Kat Cammack (R-FL) previously told the Washington Examiner.
She also noted, "We need to have an industry here, a manufacturing and mining industry here that can sustain that type of development."
Recently, Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA) criticized Biden for taking credit for the electric vehicle boom taking place in Georgia. "When President Biden and others falsely try to take credit for Georgia’s success, don’t forget that next year is an election year," he told the crowd at a groundbreaking for the electric vehicle battery manufacturer Anovion Technologies plant.
The president has further addressed fossil fuel use by revoking permits for oil pipelines and drilling, pulling the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline in 2021, which had been previously resuscitated by President Donald Trump. Biden also suspended leases for drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, sparking outrage from Republicans.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Last year, former Vice President Mike Pence slammed Biden for ending those projects. "We achieved energy independence. We became a net exporter of energy for the first time in 70 years. We did that by unleashing American energy, by approving the Keystone and Dakota pipeline, by opening up the Alaska National Wildlife Region," he said at the time.
2024 Republican primary candidates have made a point of criticizing Biden's reliance on foreign countries for energy, with Nikki Haley recently saying, "Do we want renewables? Sure, we do, but we want to make sure we have every other type of energy possible." She further claimed that Biden's Environmental Protection Agency is "picking winners and losers" and deciding for the public which energy is best.