At these rates, spending $72 billion on Medicare rather than fossil fuels could have provided health insurance for over 6.7 million additional US citizens. In 2019, the US federal government spent $644 billion on Medicare, which provided health insurance to 59.9 million US citizens. So let’s think about what those funds could achieve if spent elsewhere. A few billion here and there seems miniscule considering the size of the US government or companies such as Exxon, Chevron or Peabody Energy. Sometimes it’s easy to get lost in these numbers. The US provided more support to fossil fuels than any other country, guaranteeing that its economic recovery would be powered by oil and gas. Over $72 billion flowed to fossil fuels, the vast majority of which went to airline companies. Around $2.5 billion of this public support went to support exploration, production and transportation, while a staggering $4.8 billion went to subsidising consumption of coal, oil and gas across the country.Īs part of its fiscal stimulus package, the US allocated nearly $100 billion to support different energy types. Trump’s legacy: propping up polluters during a pandemicīetween 20, the US government provided an average of $7.6 billion to fossil fuels every year. Let’s look back at the environmental choices the Trump administration made, and then consider the environmental priorities for President-elect Joe Biden, who takes office next month. Its departure marked the end of four years of Donald Trump’s presidency, which has had catastrophic impacts for the climate. The US formally withdrew from the Paris Agreement on climate change on 4 November.
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