From Washington, D.C. to Pacific Palisades

The Palisadian-Post has teamed up with locally founded environmental organization Resilient Palisades to deliver a weekly “green tip” to readers.

By the time this prints, Joseph R. Biden will be the 46th president of the United States. If his administration is successful, we all succeed.

This is as true when it comes to the environment as any other important area, and as we survey our local environment, success could mean a better environment for all Palisadians.

President Biden’s environmental platform focuses on clean energy and the ambitious goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. Here’s what it could mean for the Palisades:

More incentives to switch from oil and gas to electric and renewables in our homes and cars. Expect a new push on solar energy and requiring utilities like LADWP to allow community microgrids to boost sustainability and resilience.

500,000 new public charging outlets in the next decade to further fuel the growth of electric cars.

New appliance and building standards that save money while reducing emissions.

Lower property insurance premiums for homeowners and communities who invest in resilience.

Helping local communities develop cleaner transportation options, including dedicated thoroughfares for bikes and pedestrians. (Imagine being able to bike safely on Sunset!)

More incentives for breakthrough innovations in clean energy technology—including energy storage and better batteries (investments that could create new green jobs).

The U.S. government itself will lead the way for its own facilities and vehicles, and California is unlikely to fall behind.

The risks of failing to take these steps—unprecedented heat and drought—should be clear to Palisadians. So while Resilient Palisades usually goes by the credo Think Globally, Act Locally, as we begin 2021, we’re also thinking about Washington, D.C., and looking to impacts on our local environment.

For more information about Resilient Palisades, visit resilientpalisades.org.