Biden visits DC emergency operations center, warns about climate change - NBC Washington
Biden visits DC emergency operations center, warns about climate change - NBC4 Washington
President Joe Biden toured an emergency operations center in Southwest D.C. Tuesday and met with Mayor Muriel Bowser and emergency management officials to raise awareness about heat emergencies.
Biden reminded that extreme heat is the No. 1 weather-related killer.
“Summer has just started,” he said. “Already, already tens of millions of Americans are under heat warnings from record-shattering temperatures. Last month here in D.C. temperatures his 100 degrees.”
Biden used the meeting with Bowser to announce new actions his administration is taking to fight extreme weather and heat-related injuries and death, including a proposal for the first ever federal standards for excessive heat in the workplace, which would require, among other things, work breaks and access to shade and water.
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“Ignoring climate change is deadly and dangerous and irresponsible,” Biden said.
Related Knowledge Center: Climate diplomacy
Talks are well underway in preparation for the next major international meeting on climate change, 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28), scheduled to begin Nov. 30 in the United Arab Emirates.
Much like last year’s COP27, finances — specifically, aid to developing nations — will be at the center of conference deliberations.
The conference faces an even greater sense of urgency brought on by the Sept. 8, 2023, release of the first global stocktake, which calls for accelerated action to meet the goals set in the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement (COP21).
Climate diplomacy: COP 27 | Climate diplomacy: COP 28 | Climate diplomacy: COP 29