President Biden began a two-day global climate summit on Earth Day, April 22. He presented his most ambitious goal, to cut carbon emissions by 50% within the next decade.
Many have said that President Biden’s infrastructure plan–which includes a variety of goals for cutting carbon emissions and adding green new jobs–is key to the U.S. being able to achieve this goal at home, regardless of what the rest of the world may do.
The opening of the summit, the first of its kind to be held via remote conferencing, was able to draw much broader participation from political leaders around the globe than would typically be able to attend. It included Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, President Xi Jinping of China, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada.
President Xi Jinping reiterated a commitment to making China carbon neutral by 2060 and promised to “strictly limit” production of coal in the country within the next five years. China is the world’s largest coal producer and biggest producer of greenhouse gas emissions world-wide.
The participation of President Putin is controversial because of the Russian military build-up around Ukraine in recent days, and the treatment of opposition leader Alexei Navalny who is being held in a Russian prison. Rallies in support of Navalny have spread throughout Russia while Navalny himself is apparently in very poor health following both his poisoning last year and a current hunger strike.
Closer to home, as the groundbreaking for the new library is set for April 29, members of the Environmental Commission are encouraging the installation of electronic vehicle charging stations in the parking lot that will adjoin the new structure and at the new retail construction on Old Trenton Road.
Earth Day activities are being held near Cranbury, including in East Windsor, Lawrenceville, Princeton, and Montgomery. These include Earth Day festivals and volunteer service projects such as a clean-up effort at the D&R Canal towpath starting at Turning Basin parking area in Princeton.