Biden rejoins Paris climate accord, cancels Keystone XL

FPI / January 22, 2021

As Joe Biden was escorted through the inaugural ceremony his team wasted no time in getting their far left agenda rolling.

Biden's team on Jan. 20 rejoined the Paris climate agreement as part of a $2 trillion "climate" plan, killed thousands of jobs in canceling the Keystone XL pipeline, and essentially put an end to women's sports by mandating that any schools that receive federal funding must function as if biological males who claim to be females are the same, and vice versa, or risk losing that funding.

In canceling the Keystone XL pipeline, the Biden team killed some 10,000 jobs, including 8,000 union jobs, analysts said.

John McNabb, former energy and international business executive and Chairman of the Free Press Foundation Advisory Board, noted that "10,000 high-paying union construction jobs were destroyed. I know that business. I formerly built those large diameter pipelines."

“It’s only day one, and with the stroke of a pen, Biden has already taken steps to kill American energy projects like the Keystone XL Pipeline which is critical to energy-producing states like Montana,” said Sen. Steve Daines, Montana Republican.

He called pipelines “the safest and most environmentally friendly way to transport oil,” given that the alternatives are trucks and railroads.

The American Petroleum Institute (API) said it supported “the ambitions of the Paris Agreement,” but disagreed with the decision to pull the Keystone XL permit, calling it “a slap in the face to the thousands of union workers who are already a part of this safe and sustainable project.”

“This misguided move will hamper America’s economic recovery, undermine North American energy security and strain relations with one of America’s greatest allies,” said API President and CEO Mike Sommers.

But the Biden team didn't stop with the pipeline. They also placed a “temporary moratorium on all oil and natural gas leasing activities in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge,” blocking a 2017 law signed by Trump that allows development on about 8 percent of the 19.3-million-acre wilderness in Alaska; directed government agencies to consider tightening greenhouse gas emissions standards on vehicles and appliances; and moved to re-establish the Interagency Working Group on the Social Cost of Greenhouse Gases, which Trump disbanded in 2017."

McNabb summed up Day One and its aftermath: "Just the start. After the COVID stimuli are finally finished the stock market will skyrocket then crater, inflation will accelerate into hyperinflation, the U.S. Dollar will crater, grocery store shopping won’t be fun and neither will filling up at the gas station. The U.S. Ambassador to Israel’s new title is the U.S. Ambassador to Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. Neither the the West Bank and Gaza are countries. This move is designed, of course, to deter Israel from any further expansion.

"There’s a method and desired outcome to the madness. Rejoining the proven, failed relationships (i.e.) the Paris Climate Accord and the Iran Nuclear Agreement and much more social engineering. This is only the start of Obama’s third term with Susan Rice orchestrating. Biden has already blasted two of our allies - Canada and Israel - and has already pleased two of our competitors and/or enemies - China and Iran."

Even without the Paris agreement, U.S. emissions reductions under President Donald Trump led the world, falling by 2.8 percent in 2019, as cleaner natural gas replaced coal in electricity generation.

The American Exploration and Production Council noted: “Over the last several years, the U.S. has already reduced emissions more than any other country in the Paris agreement, due in large part to the increased use of natural gas and our industry’s commitment to innovation and technology.”

"Meanwhile, China, the world’s biggest emitter, is building coal-fired power plants at home and abroad, and under the accord is allowed to increase emissions until 2030. The non-binding agreement seeks to limit the rise in global temperatures by lowering emissions of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide," Valerie Richardson noted in a Jan. 20 report for The Washington Times.

Al Gore offered his praise for the Biden team's move: “Thanks to American voters, we are back in the #ParisAgreement,” he tweeted. “America is once again poised to lead the world on climate action, working with our allies to build a better future for us all. Time to get back to work!”

Biden also signed and orders Wednesday mandating the wearing of face masks on all federal properties, and was expected to sign on order on Thursday mandating masks on “airplanes, trains, and certain other forms of public transportation.”

Hours after signing the order, video footage of Biden at the Lincoln Memorial showed the 78-year-old violating his own mandate by not wearing a mask "outside the context of a speech" he delivered, reports said.

The Federalist's Jordan Davidson noted that Biden essentially "destroyed women's sports" with an "anti-science" order which will allow male athletes who identify as female to compete on women’s teams, receive women’s scholarships, and be admitted in women’s locker rooms.

“Children should be able to learn without worrying about whether they will be denied access to the restroom, the locker room, or school sports,” the executive order reads, promising that the Biden is committed to “prevent and combat discrimination on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation.”

Under Trump, the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights found that a Connecticut policy that allowed biologically male student-athletes who identify as female to participate in female sports violated Title IX. Democrat Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii introduced legislation in the House in December that prevents biological men from participating in female sports.

The Biden team also briefly changed the Twitter page for the U.S. Ambassador to Israel to say "U.S. Ambassador to Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza", before changing it back after a torrent of criticism.

Free Press International