By Jo Doumbia
“To see a World in a Grain of Sand
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour“
–Excerpt from Auguries of Innocence by William Blake
It is said that to create change, “one has to build a new model that makes the old model obsolete.” Well, it’s happening, as part of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which celebrated its second anniversary last month. There is no need to look hard to find successful outcomes. Results, so far, as reported by the White House include:
- The U.S. Department of Treasury (Treasury) completed the guidance for nearly all of the IRA’s clean energy tax provisions.
- Nearly two thirds of the IRA’s grant, loan, and rebate funding has been awarded.
- Clean energy projects are creating more than 330,000 jobs in nearly every state, according to outside groups.
- Companies have announced $265 billion in new clean energy investments in nearly every state and according to Treasure, 75% of private sector clean energy investments made have occurred in counties with lower than median household incomes.
- Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service recently released new data showing that, in 2023, more than 3.3 million American families saved $8.4 billion on home energy technologies through IRA’s consumer tax credits saving families up to 30% off heat pumps, insulation, rooftop solar, and other clean energy technologies.
- Since January 2024, more than 250,000 Americans have claimed the IRA’s electric vehicle tax credits—either $7,500 off a qualified new electric vehicle, or up to $4,000 off a qualified used electric vehicle. In total, these taxpayers have saved about $1.5 billion and nearly all buyers claimed the incentive at the point of sale.
Let’s not lose sight of the fact that the IRA is America’s biggest single step ever taken to secure a healthy and livable planet for all. This single piece of legislation has done more to address our climate goals and support the clean energy revolution already underway.
However, we also wrestle with the other crisis, the biodiversity crisis and with the need to remember that Nature is a source of infinite wonder. Thus, we also need to tap into nature-based solutions by unveiling and deploying the projects that work in harmony with the ecosystem’s natural forces to strengthen them and create positive ripple effects for people and the climate. While nature-based solutions can take many forms, they all share a core principle: by working with the Earth rather than against it, we can build a more resilient and sustainable world.
Projects that focus solely on minimizing human impact, like recycling or conserving water, are not considered nature-based. Instead, nature-based solutions encompass a more proactive, holistic approach to enhance a healthy ecosystem, like land conservation or wildlife habitat restoration. It is refreshing to see that nature-based solutions have gained momentum in both the public and private spheres. Nevertheless, there is still a strong need for incorporating nature-based solutions into local governments climate, biodiversity, and restoration goals.
It has been scientifically demonstrated that creating green spaces in cities moderates heat waves and improves air quality, which is critical for the health of an increasingly urbanized world; that wetlands provide many services such as flood protection and water filtration and that mangrove wetlands are also superstars for cheaply and effectively preventing storm surges and sequestering carbon. Furthermore, it may sound simple, but ambitious tree-planting programs are critical in ensuring that forested areas can continue to function as carbon sinks and combat soil erosion.
Therefore, we can’t hope to halt and eventually reverse global warming without embracing natural climate solutions. If used to their full potential, nature-based solutions will contribute to reducing carbon emissions. Nature can be forgiving. We’ve seen how when given the chance, rewilding can reverse the damage caused by pollution and human activity.
Delaying working with nature will only diminish its capacity to heal and recover over time. Think about what you can do to help speed up nature solutions to address the climate crisis!