Kamala Harris, the first woman vice president, the first Black vice president, and the first Asian American vice president is a collection of groundbreaking firsts. She will also be the first vice president ever to create a concrete strategy to combat climate change. She will have plenty of chances to advocate for the environment as the tie-breaking vote in the evenly divided Senate.
WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 27: U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris participates in a ceremonial swearing-in of Secretary of State Antony Blinken in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building of the White House complex on January 27, 2021 in Washington, DC. The U.S. Senate confirmed Blinken on Tuesday, making him the nation's 71st Secretary of State.
In last year's election, green voters were more relevant than ever. It was not a problem if either side could continue to neglect after the worldwide climate demonstrations, school strikes, and increasing focus on environmental policy, as per Euro News.
About 20% of voters at the Iowa Democratic caucus in early 2020 cited the environment as the most important thing for them when determining who to support. In 2016, only 2% of electors rated the climate as their top priority.
Nathaniel Stinnett, the founder of the Environmental Voter Initiative, explained to Quartz, "2020 is undoubtedly the first presidential election where the climate will be a top priority for a huge bloc of voters."
Now that the administration of Biden-Harris has officially begun, we are looking at where the strengths and limitations of Kamala Harris lie when it comes to environmental issues.
Read also: Did 'The Simpsons' Predict Kamala Harris' Fate as the US vice President? Here's What We Know
Climate Justice
It's here that Vice President Kamala Harris comes into her own. When she was the San Francisco district attorney,15 years ago, Harris founded an environmental justice unit, which primarily existed to deal with environmental crime. In 2015,Harris said to the San Francisco Chronicle that she acknowledged that "environmental crimes are crimes against communities, often poor and disenfranchised individuals."
The nexus between environmental degradation and socio-economic disadvantage is something that Harris tried to fix regularly when there were even words such as 'intersectional environmentalism.'
More recently, Harris sued major oil firms after they breached environmental laws. The liable corporation (Plains All American Pipeline) was convicted on 46 criminal charges following the catastrophic Refugio oil spill in 2015.
When Volkswagen was found to have cheated on its diesel emissions the following year, Harris secured an $87.66 million settlement for California from the car manufacturer.
But some have criticized this emphasis on environmental justice, while Harris was DA, instead of addressing ecological concerns without a criminal angle, her focus was primarily on crime. "I don't think the climate will wake her up at 3AM.," RL Miller, founder of the Climate Hawks Votes environmental group, told Bloomberg Green.
Read also: Kamala Harris Faces Online Backlash Following Controversial Vogue Cover
Animal welfare and conservation
According to the League of Conservation Voters (LCV), Harris has a 91% pro-environmentalism lifetime voting record. According to LCV vice president of government affairs, Tiernan Sittenfeld, this score makes her 'a true environmental champion.'
Harris has long been a champion for climate action and justice for the environment, Sittenfeld adds. "We know that the fight for a fairer solution to the climate crisis will continue."
Harris scores highly once again for animal protection. The former California Senator has achieved full marks every year, according to the Humane Society Legislative Fund's scorecard, which considers the voting record of every member of the Senate.
Of course, much of Kamala Harris' work in this field has once again focused on justice and crime, rather than non-legislative animal welfare work.
Green legislation
While Kamala Harris is seen in the Democrats as a more moderate voice, especially when compared to figures such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, it did not stop her from collaborating with AOC to devise the Climate Equity Act.
When green legislation or regulations are introduced, the bill concentrates on the environmental health of low-income communities. This means that any potential new laws or plans disproportionately on frontlines of a climate emergency are assessed for their impact on these communities.
Read also: Kamala Harris Plagiarized MLK Jr., According to His Niece in a Recent Interview
