Top White Houseclimate aides have shared a little more of their thinking about its massive climate spending proposal.
Why it matters: The White House is facing intense political pushback on the plan's size, so their success or failure at justifying its costs could matter in Congress and the ballot box.
Amtrak released a proposed map Wednesday of an expanded U.S. rail system that could be built with funding from President Biden's infrastructure plan.
Why it matters: The expanded rail system — funded with the $80 billion Biden's infrastructure plan allocates to rail specifically—would "create jobs, improve the quality of life, reduce carbon emissions and generate economic growth,” Amtrak said in a statement.
The White House faces a big challenge as it promotes sweeping plans to steeply cut U.S. emissions this decade — and works to convince other countries it'll happen.
The big picture: Electricity sector emissions have been on a general downward trend as natural gas and renewables have shoved aside coal.
HSBC Global Research analysts are taking an increasingly granular look at which nations are the most and least resilient to climate change.
The big picture: A report this week ranked 77 countries on their capacity to adapt, shift away from fossil fuels, and benefit from growing cleantech markets.
The White House decided to go big or go home in proposing a more than $2.2 trillion bill that, if enacted, would be the most far-reaching climate legislation ever adopted by the U.S.
Between the lines: This could be a long slog on Capitol Hill, given Republican opposition to another big spending package and divisions among Democrats over specific provisions.
