Bill Overview
Title: Real Emergencies Act
Description: This bill denies the President authority to declare a national emergency, an emergency or major disaster, or a public health emergency on the premise of climate change.
Sponsors: Sen. Capito, Shelley Moore [R-WV]
Target Audience
Population: Individuals globally who live in areas experiencing climate change impacts
Estimated Size: 200000000
- The bill affects how emergencies are declared by the President of the United States, particularly relating to climate change.
- This could impact any person living in areas susceptible to climate change effects, such as hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and droughts.
- Globally, billions of people live in regions that are experiencing climate change impacts.
- Ability to declare an emergency can provide funding and resources to those affected during such events.
- Without the authority to declare emergencies based on climate change, preparedness and response efforts might be hindered, affecting countless individuals dependent on government aid in crisis situations.
Reasoning
- The budget limits the ability of the federal government to respond to emergencies without additional budget allocations, which could delay recovery efforts in climate-affected areas.
- Given that climate emergencies disproportionately affect certain geographic locations, individuals in these regions may have varying perspectives based on their experiences and expectations of government assistance.
- Wellbeing impacts are varied, as those directly impacted by emergency declarations are more likely to experience a significant change compared to those in stable regions.
- Some people believe climate change should be addressed at local government levels and not require federal emergency declarations.
- The policy may cause varied opinions based on political affiliations and personal experiences with climate events.
Simulated Interviews
School Teacher (Miami, FL)
Age: 34 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm worried that without formal emergency declarations, we won't get the resources we need to recover from major hurricanes. This policy feels like it's putting political views over people's safety.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 4 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 4 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 3 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 3 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 3 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 3 | 6 |
Tech Entrepreneur (San Francisco, CA)
Age: 46 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Policy seems shortsighted since California could use federal support during wildfires and power grid failures exacerbated by climate change.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 7 |
Farmer (Tulsa, OK)
Age: 52 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm not directly affected by this policy since we rely on local weather management more, but it sets a concerning precedent for how we prioritize issues.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 6 |
Event Planner (New York, NY)
Age: 25 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- New York has good disaster management, but federal support still matters. Cutting back on emergency declarations could be risky.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 8 |
Retired Engineer (Houston, TX)
Age: 61 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I fear that this policy strips away crucial aid when we face hurricanes here. It might be more political than practical.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 3 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 3 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 2 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 2 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 3 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 4 | 7 |
Nurse (Chicago, IL)
Age: 39 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Our city might not feel immediate effects, but blocking emergency declarations is dangerous because climate issues don't stop at city limits.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 4 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 4 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 7 |
Research Scientist (Boulder, CO)
Age: 29 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy will likely slow the urgency around addressing climate impacts at a federal level, which is worrying.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 9 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 9 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 10 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 10 |
Real Estate Agent (Phoenix, AZ)
Age: 57 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- While I can't say we've suffered the way coastal regions have, this policy overlooks the interconnectedness of climate impacts.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 4 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 4 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 3 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 3 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 4 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 4 | 6 |
Construction Worker (Raleigh, NC)
Age: 32 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm not completely sure how this policy affects us directly, but I'd rather have more options than fewer when it comes to emergencies.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 4 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 4 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 7 |
Tourism Manager (Las Vegas, NV)
Age: 44 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 7.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Climate policies should be more flexible, and denying this power seems risky. We rely on climate awareness in tourism.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 4 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 6 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $50000000 (Low: $30000000, High: $100000000)
Year 2: $50000000 (Low: $30000000, High: $100000000)
Year 3: $50000000 (Low: $30000000, High: $100000000)
Year 5: $50000000 (Low: $30000000, High: $100000000)
Year 10: $50000000 (Low: $30000000, High: $100000000)
Year 100: $50000000 (Low: $30000000, High: $100000000)
Key Considerations
- Impact on federal and state emergency response capabilities due to changes in funding access.
- Potential for increased local and state government financial burdens in case of climate emergencies.
- Long-term economic impacts if climate events become more frequent and severe without adequate federal intervention.