The Biggest Climate Bill of Your Life - But What does it DO!?

The thing about this bill is that it's going to keep having a huge impact on the country for many many years and, mostly, we will not even notice. That's what happens with almost all good legislation. Of course, there will also be some bits of this that won't work as intended and they'll probably be big news stories. When you've got like 150 different pieces of a bill, not everything will be perfect! But it is quite a big deal for me to see America making these investments...even if I'm not gung-ho on all of them, and some of them legit piss me off...it's an amazing step that I did not think we would be making.
Interview with Jesse Jenkins - • Going Deep on the Clim...
Interview with Administrator Regan - • Talking Climate with A...
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[@vlogbrothers]

I can't believe this video was free. Really. Hank, you're really quite amazing. -John

[@untappedinkwell]

+++

[@ivytarablair]

+1000!

[@manthanpakhawala6365]

++++

[@turoni314]

+

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

What if this is Hank commenting and pretending it's John

[@genericytprofile852]

This video was 1000% more informative than anything on current news outlets. Thank you so much hank for the amazing breakdown of this bill. Your enthusiasm is really contagious.

[@hugoalvord2779]

I find this to be true about a lot of Hank’s stuff. Like, the man is here to teach and inform as best he can, not fill time between ad breaks!!!

[@piedpiper1172]

Comments like this always tell me one thing: Not enough people watch PBS, BBC, or Al Jazeera. CNN, MSNBC, FOX, and all the other privately owned news networks share various levels of suck. Stop watching them lol

[@piedpiper1172]

@redxpen lol this tired line. The net gain in agents will be about 20-30k, when you account for retirements in the next 5 years. Also, that +20-30k only restored the agency to full staffing prior to budget cuts. Finally, the very rich are the ones pushing this 87k narrative. Perhaps ask yourself why the ultra rich are trying to convince you to be afraid of your own government being well staffed

[@RainaRamsay]

Amen! I've been struggling to figure out what's going on here, and didn't have the time to do the level of work Hank did for this, which was apparently the only way to figure it out. Don't know how Hank found the time, but incredibly grateful!

[@smileyface702]

Don't get me started on corporate media. But, yeah, thanks, Hank!

[@metadoxy]

Hank I want you to know this video is extremely encouraging. I shared some of what the bill does with my environmentally-conscious teen and their instinctively cynical reaction gave way to genuine (albeit restrained) excitement. It’s vital that we see that while there is long, slow work to do, progress is possible! Every bit better is still better.

[@grimaffiliations3671]

Make sure you have a plan to vote this midterm and take as many people with you as you can. If democrats hold the house and senate that will be able to pass another reconciliation bill next year. This is important because we wont get a single republican vote

[@Ipherix]

Hank, I'm 28. Ever since I was a kid I've been hearing about climate change and it's always seemed like a problem that just got worse and worse and the people with the power to change things weren't. Thanks for the first good news about the climate I've ever heard.

[@trogdor20X6]

Make sure to VOTE this November for a democrat. Republicans have pledged to shut down the government to force the repeal of the IRA if they win in November. This is on all of us to keep the House and Senate.

[@Avner123]

Cleaner air means sun's heat isn't reflected as much which leads to warmer temperatures

[@redactedredacted2621]

@@Avner123 Thanks, Castro, leading climate scientist, famed by all, for your astounding input. /s

[@Avner123]

@@redactedredacted2621 lol it's literally a recent study around how the pandemic lockdowns effected the climate. I'm grateful for you platitudes though ❤️

[@Noah-lj2sg]

@@Avner123 where is that from? Does that have any real effect? There are other bad effects of pollution, so I seriously doubt whatever article you read said it was a net positive to pollute.

[@MarkThePage]

Hank: "Let's start at the beginning." Me: "Yes! Time to talk about how bills are actually negotiated!" Hank: "About four billion years ago..."

[@untappedinkwell]

It was a good transition, even if not the one we expected.

[@franfran160]

Lmfaaoo

[@SurrealExposure12]

HAHAHAHAH

[@ThiagoCRocha-fh6lg]

THE ACTUAL BEGINNING!! HOLY SHIT

[@iLL.b]

Lol. I'm just a bill , up here on Capitol hill

[@RichGwilliam]

You are 100% correct, they say "it's too expensive" and then they'll say "it's too late". And people on your own side, often not maliciously, will say "we can't change this, they're too greedy, they're too powerful, we just have to lose and be cynical". That cynicism is just as toxic. We have to take the ball and run with it.

[@winwinnie4905]

this! we have to do what we can while we still can do it, and if this is the best we have then we better go for it

[@dkhosh7380]

If there is one thing I've learned from life is that it's not over till it's over and you don't always know how it will end so keep trying

[@ascendingone]

@@winwinnie4905 No we don't. We can do nothing and we will be fine. The sort of climate change that will result from burning ALL fossil fuels is not an existential threat. All life will still prosper, probably even flourish as we unlock new continents and have warmer weather across the globe. The earth will be closer to the temperature it's been during the VAST majority of its existence.

[@Feedbackking13]

Meliorism is just better than optimism and pessimism.

[@condor237]

Ok, too bad your president is near death

[@metallicaman0258]

Hank, I must also say something from the bottom of my heart. I lived most of my life in the state of West Virginia, surrounded by the most hard working and poor people I have ever met. I worked as a coal miner for a few years and I have always enjoyed most of what Complexly has to offer. You and I have differed politically the entire time I have enjoyed your content. It took me moving out of WV to another locale to open my mind and eyes enough to realize how little we differ when it comes to reality and how much we can share as fellow humans. Thank you for this video as it has continued to sway me more towards the fact that climate change does exist (I have believed it does exist for about 10 years now) and it has also convinced me that with enough belief and talent and hard work, positive things can actually be accomplished in government for the betterment of our humanity.

[@TheDoomWizard]

You might like my content too 🤠

[@anerdyenby]

Steve - Thank you for being an open-minded human being.

[@maiafarinas7189]

+

[@melissasingleton58]

Steve, thank you for your open mind and your honesty! You’re awesome

[@sclair2854]

+

[@maryrohatgi]

I’m a sustainability analyst for a major agribusiness company, and the past couple years have been some of the biggest strides for carbon reduction. Companies are using sustainability as a key performance indicator and the reduction of carbon has become a priceable commodity. The fact that the USA has finally joined the EU and even China with carbon reduction efforts is so encouraging, and it is some of the most exciting climate news I’ve heard in my life time.

[@Holeydoughnuts]

Thank you for this comment, Mary! I just took a screenshot to refer back to when I’m feeling really depressed about climate change, ha!

[@stuffbenlikes]

Major agribusiness? So a big company that has destroyed many, many small family farms, and is probably doing things like planting patented seeds and suing neighbors, pushing for expensive regulations that smaller competitors cannot afford to comply with. There's probably little your company does that isn't truly evil.

[@Schmidtelpunkt]

@@stuffbenlikes You are missing the point: They are employing a sustainability analyst now.

[@stuffbenlikes]

@@Schmidtelpunkt Gotta sustain their ill gotten gains!

[@Schmidtelpunkt]

@@stuffbenlikes Ironically that is indeed one of the positive points: They see that they need to get proactive about things and make their own decisions before they are made for them. This is not about good or bad, it is about opportunism.

[@mattgron6913]

I gotta say i'm a little dissapointed that there's so much focus on electric cars instead of public transportation, but overall this is a big step forward and every step counts

[@K4mylle]

Yes!! I thought the same thing!! And then we could increase the price of gas to make it a better incentive to use public transport and finance it from the profits!

[@laureng2162]

Agreed, I wish we'd take a better look at more public transit infrastructure, but America really is car-centric (thanks Ford!) and that won't change likely in our lifetime.

[@anahand4137]

While I agree that public transportation would be more effective, one of the big aims for this bill is to make people feel that they are benefiting from it and I believe to, consequently, keep people from being caught up in change. For Americans who pride themselves in *owning* their own forms of transportation and are used to having it as a piece of property, it may be harder to convince them to use public transportation more frequently than to have an electric car. It may have also been harder to pass a bill that heavily focused on public transportation with "traditional values" focused individuals in power.

[@arkhamnights]

One of the issues with public transpotation in america is how local policies, topographies, and infrustructor make that a unwiedly and probably unrealstic task. Not to mention incredibly freakinng expensive and logictisal nightmare. Oh and it would super easy to derail if some ass has chooses to do so and there will be plenty. Electic cars and electric vehicles however are proven effective modes of transportation that should be seen as optional and thus more likely to be widely adopted. You can go from one end to the country to the other with an elctiric vehicle. Next step is to make them widely available and to put up more charging ports. What will you see happen is because it take longer to fill up you may even see small industires pop up around them as a result. Might as well watch a movie while your car is charging. Your more likely to choose a hotel with a charging station than one that doesn't have one. Alternative energy and electic cars need to be sold as alternatives and a smart way to diversfy our way of life. Microsoft isn't just windows for example- they are also a subcrption company, a cloud company, they make devices, they make games etc. Good investors don't invest in just one thing but have a wide ranging portfolio. America needs this mindset. Instead of being compatitve I think we should be encouraging. You don't want to buy an electric car cool whatever. But as you notice more and more electric cars out performing traditional cars you will eventually feel like a relic and make the choice yourself on your own terms.

[@mattgron6913]

Public transport is in almost every scenario cheaper than owning a car, while i don't think that all people will give up their cars, people tend to lean towards the cheaper option. Let me tell you from personal experience, with all the fuel price spikes in recent months, the cost of public transport in my country hasnt changed a dime. Rail and busses are better not only for the enviroment, but also the consumer. If america would just invest in it americans would come around to it.

[@AlexDings]

We need to thank everyone in Georgia who voted Warnock and Ossoff into office in 2020. Would not have happened without them!

[@HappyMathDad]

Also the Donald. Without him boycotting his own party, they would never have been elected.

[@pinklefoo]

Should have thanked them by following through on that promise for 2k stimulus. That failure is going to come back to bite dems in the ass. When Republicans win back those seats they'll just blame voters instead of taking any responsibility.

[@richardhall1667]

Seriously. That had a huge impact on our political reality today

[@iris461]

Stacie Abrams deserves a shout out here for registering so many people in GA to vote since 2018.

[@brodystringer1330]

Dominion Voting Systems Rock....

[@surewhatever8843]

I had plans for renovating two old houses (purchased November 2019) incorporating green energy systems - plans that were immediately derailed by the pandemic. Then, the Texas freeze left me without power and very nearly killed me, which not only angered me, but strengthened my resolve to capture/harness wind and solar energy that I can access when my useless state government declares (again) my neighborhood is not worthy of life sustaining utilities. It looks like the delay in renovations may be the best silver lining I’ve never expected! I’m struggling to find details on homeowner rebates and incentives - like what is exactly covered and when/how they’ll be accessible. I welcome any links for this info and I truly appreciate this explainer episode! Thank you!

[@_d2082]

That is fantastic, I really hope it all goes well for you! I am a high school student and see a huge future in green energy installation/production, and so, plan to go into the green energy workforce when I graduate from high school. This is the first time in a while I have been actually motivated and hopeful for the future.

[@bryanshoemaker6120]

Those wind and solar energy will do you absolutely no good during a situation like what Texas experienced. The windmills froze solid and the solar panels were covered by snow Plus there is no sunlight. So how exactly is when and solar going to save you from that? I love my solar panels but your statement is oxymoron.

[@_d2082]

@@bryanshoemaker6120 "plus there is no sunlight" This shows your absolute ignorance on the situation, you moron. Does the sun just go away during the winter? No. They absorb the light and convert it to energy just the same.

[@viviantompkins7925]

"So let's start at the beginning.......Around 4 billion years ago something started to be alive on Earth" I was thinking the beginning for this bill, not for life on Earth 😅

[@viviantompkins7925]

I mean the beginning of life on Earth is the beginning for this bill in a sense, but the sudden leap backwards caught me off guard lol

[@vlogbrothers]

It felt like the right place to start.

[@viviantompkins7925]

@@vlogbrothers In the words of Julie Andrews, "let's start at the very beginning, a very good place to start" 😊 Thank you for this video and all the work you do!

[@sion8]

@@vlogbrothers It was the right place.

[@wolfjeanne]

As a climate researcher and part-time activist, I often feel hopeless. Some things - coral reefs, ancient forests, countless species - they are already lost. It will never go back to how it was. Climate change is full of those hard facts, hard truths. But I too feel the window of transformational change that Hank describes. It has been pried open through decades of work. We can't forget that it was never the end goal: we still need to get through that window in a truly just transition. But we also must remember to celebrate our wins. Bask in the hard-won light. Because otherwise, all there is, is hopelessness. And I'm so tired of feeling like that. So thank you, Hank. And thank you to all those who have worked on this, even if it felt small or insignificant. It wasn't. The movement is moving still.

[@roadkillavenger1325]

Yeah it sucks that we caused the dinosaurs, and countless other forms of life ove the past billion years to go extinct. It was us. It was always us, and it will always be us. The great alien gods say so.

[@olivernell4283]

@@roadkillavenger1325 what are you talking about, they didn’t say anything about that? They’re talking about all the species which have become extinct in recent history due to climate change.

[@starsandsoot]

Nothing ever changes

[@roadkillavenger1325]

@@olivernell4283 The alien gods don't care that you THINK you have all the answers. They laugh at you!

[@giffica]

Coral is one of the most destructive lifeless systems on earth. Figures you beauty worshippers love coral when coral should be removed and wiped out. It’s terrible for the eco system but please you’re a genius obviously. You think all nature is pro nature when you don’t know anything about how coral is destroying fish life and creating toxic seas. But sure. You seem to love ignoring how coral reefs kill fish life. Go on clown.

[@LY43537]

As someone who has very recently decided to take drastic measures to prevent pregnancy because of a complete loss of hope-and that decision followed years of actively fighting against the impulse to unalive myself because of (again) a loss of hope, thank you for this summary. Thank you for building this community. I’m still very much in denial stages (denial that the tide is turning), and I still struggle a lot with thoughts of suicide because of *gesturing around* but it’s nice to at least scroll through the comments and see there are other people who are still fighting.

[@sierraalice8072]

@@DS-lk3tx wtf is wrong with you

[@stickynotes2040]

@@DS-lk3tx You are a horrible person.

[@stickynotes2040]

L Y, please do not listen to this person. There is hope and you are worthy and should not k1ll yourself. Whoever wrote this reply to you clearly is in deep pain and struggle and please do not let their outlook affect how you see life. I'm so sorry that as soon as you saw a glismpe of hope this disgusting person tried to downplay it, but please know there is another person who validates your hope and shares this feeling with you.

[@shoshanahelek]

I feel that, terrified to bring a child into a dying world. Let's all try to go recover our lost hopes about the future and make this a victorious battle to save our planet. what a time to be alive, when it feels like its up to us to do it, and we all get the chance to try to save planet Earth.

[@zloungeact]

Sorry you're having g suicidal thoughts. I know what that's like and if you're patient enough, I'm sure they will pass.

[@abhishuoza9992]

20:40 "Nothing gets done if you don't believe it can be done" Hank I'm crying. Huge thanks to everyone who worked hard for this to happen and people like you who educate us on this matter to keep us engaged. We've landed a big W!

[@Immakugleblitz]

Im also crying. Im so moved by this

[@NisalaKalupahana]

+

[@jasonrleeVideo]

I'm sure all of the content is great but at 1:52 that camo green 2003 Pontiac Vibe is my car! Not sure how it found its way into your video but thanks for solidifying it in youtube History! Not my TYPE of car but literally my car. The odds of me sitting here and seeing my one of a kind car captured on one of your videos ... I am genuinely amused. (The rest of the video was fine too.)

[@charlotteb6450]

I almost cried watching this, HUGE hugs and thanks to the people who've been working to get this bill realised, and those working everyday to enact the initiatives detailed in it. Time to get my own country to do something similar!

[@rukbat3]

+

[@RhianKristen]

Dude, I'm gonna tear up. This is such a win for your country and the whole world!

[@tuckerbugeater]

More tax breaks for the rich. The poor will pay the inflation.

[@thomasmalacky7864]

😂😂😂😂😂👍👍👍👍😑😊😑😊😑😑😊😑🤣😑😑😑😂

[@condor237]

Lmao it’s going to be struck down by the Supreme Court

[@johnp7739]

What an incredibly inane comment.

[@RhianKristen]

@@johnp7739 likewise

[@robertofontiglia4148]

I've always believed that optimism is a far greater motivator than fear, in the long run. It's been true in my personal life, but also in politics. Because once the status quo settles and people stop being afraid, they stop acting. Optimism, though... that doesn't go away. It's just reinforced at every step we take. So thank you for your optimism. This is what gets people pumped up to do more. Let's do this shit!

[@katherine4679]

I used this exact argument in class once!! Everyone else in the class stood on the side of 'our actions are most motivated by fear' and I was the only one who agreed with 'our actions are most motivated by hope.' Said pretty much the same thing that you said, when the teacher asked me to explain my opinion: that fear only pushes us away from things, but hope is the only thing that makes you go forwards towards a goal. We can say we fear climate change, but it is hope that we can do something about it that pushes us to work against it. Got a couple of classmates to change their position :) I think it's pretty sad that the almost entire class decided to stand on the other side though.

[@WizardIllustrator]

You can choose to add more good into this world or add more bad as I always say. It's a choice.

[@alalalala57]

_Grounded_ optimism. If its based on lies and deception, that's just pointless.

[@alalalala57]

@@NormandyFoxtrot That has not happened anywhere. Far from it. The opposite it true. We are not afraid enough, people are still talking about how the scientists are lying or how it isn't as bad as we're saying. This bill isn't amazing because hope or optimism or some shit, its good because its practical. Its good because it works. Fear or hope means nothing, folks have survived and thrived on both.

[@coreykeays7249]

Thank you guys for putting so much effort in making these and finding accurate information to put into these videos. Sometimes trying to find information on these topics really overwhelms me, and this really helps me at least find a place to start when I research.

[@luisoviedo8948]

+

[@EliasGitterman]

Hank, you’re the greatest science communicator. It makes me genuinely excited to hear you talking about this new infrastructure. Way to go.

[@nenmaster5218]

Power-Grids and the massive problems with it got just covered by KZbinr 'Some More News':

[@Jakobknits]

God, this is... really good. I'm genuinely crying. There are things missing. Carbon tax, reducing car-dependent infrastructure, and increases in public transit and active transport are conspicuously absent. But my god this is so good and so much better than I ever expected and this is the first time I've felt hope in a very long time.

[@polyanima]

+

[@AlRoderick]

The thing about reducing car dependent infrastructure is that it's a decision that has to be made at the local level. There's really only one bit of city planning that Congress can do directly and DC already has a metro (and an extra private subway just for Congress). There's also a lot of stuff related to that that isn't really a thing that's done by the legislature, it's administrative. Secretary Buttigieg and the department of transportation can review a lot of freeway construction projects right now without asking Congress for anything. Walkability and active transit are really questions of land use. Converting a traffic lane into a bike path doesn't actually cost very much money it just takes the will to do so, and no bill passed by Congress is going to make city councilman Ford F. Treefitty (R-Trucksburg) suddenly decide that reducing parking minimums and adding protected cycling infrastructure is a good idea even though it's going to end up improving the city's finances and make it easier for him to drive. (And don't get me wrong, cities run by councils full of rich suburbanite Democrats pull the same crap, ignorance about good city planning and its consequences is a shining example of bipartisanship.)

[@adrianthoroughgood1191]

A key change will be zoning rules. Medium density residential is basically banned in most of the US. There needs to be less suburban and more urban. As you say these are local decisions, but at the moment there are federal subsidies for new suburban development. At the very least this needs to stop. Maybe a federal law could require a certain percentage of residential zoning to medium density or something like that?

[@ciaomamabella]

Realistically, I don’t think expecting people to take the bus or ride a bike over driving is very important to this bill. Maybe you missed the part where he said they’re making buses and garbage trucks run clean energy too. Those are more local things. People will always drive cars here. While I love Northern Europes bike and public transit stuff, that will never happen here nor should we expect it to. What it looks like they ARE doing though, is funding for electric vehicles and that’s wayyy more important given how America works. Yeah, asking Americans to take the bus, ride a bike or carpool is like ancient problem solving compared to what this bill is offering, plus like I said, that stuff is done locally through the towns or states and they usually include it in their budget anyways.

[@adikumar6536]

@@ciaomamabella I recommend the channel Not Just Bikes to show you that America NEEDS to reduce car dependency to fight climate change

[@marenkendall7413]

Been watching VlogBrothers since I was a kid and now that I've gotten more interested in news and current events, I am SO THANKFUL for the no-nonsense, here's how it is like it is, no agenda way you talk about these things happening now. Thank you, thank you.

[@ChalfantMT]

Did they ignore “single-use-plastics!?” When is anyone (politicians) going to care about all the plastic waste?

[@WilliamDornbach]

I did not expect this video, but I'm so happy you made it, Hank. This breaks down the bill into very digestible chunks. As an Environmental Studies student graduating this year, I take major inspiration from your model of communication for work and studies in my field. I appreciate everyone's hard work around this bill, and I appreciate you for presenting it here in a way that allows Americans to understand what this Congress and President accomplished here. Thank you.

[@starkravingmad31]

"No one in congress would keep their jobs if they made fuel costs go up." Every single Republican in Congress voted against lowering gas prices to protect the profits of their oil company masters. Let's make sure Hank's statement comes true in November.

[@winwinnie4905]

this!

[@1DwtEaUn]

instead of taxing fossil fuels, why don't we just stop all the subsidies ... ?

[@HH-le1vi]

​@@1DwtEaUn everything would go up in price if that happened. the fossil fuel industry is and always will be vital. almost nothing is made without fossil fuels in some manner.

[@HH-le1vi]

also what bill are you talking about that's going to lower gas prices that's come up? cause they weren't a huge problem until the new year then when Russia shot at Ukraine it spiralled out of control.

[@Arclite02]

They're also protecting the entire nation from skyrocketing costs for literally EVERYTHING. Absolutely EVERYTHING relies on Fossil Fuels, and basically NONE of it has any sort of electric alternative.

[@mijea]

Well done USA. I work for the energy efficiency and conservation authority in Aotearoa, New Zealand and we are doing many of these things, but we are a small country. It's an intense relief to see such progress in the states.

[@aidanwilson8222]

I work in a contract research organization and I shared the link to this video and the interviews with Administrator Regan and Dr. Jenkins on a recommended reading/watching list with my division at work. I also sent our communications manager the links so that he can post them on our organization intranet for everyone to see. He said, "This is a really good video" and is now creating a summary and posting it to our news page. Thank you, Green brothers for all of the work that you do to learn, share, and teach so much. (I'm sure that there are pelicans watching this somewhere thanking you for explaining the new climate bill too)

[@chrislauber]

Wow Hank you got it down to 22 minutes! I’m impressed

[@philipcarpenter1347]

I love how Hank can compare our intelligence to Cyanobacteria, find it only slightly higher, and yet it doesn't sound like an insult... DFTBA

[@vlogbrothers]

i think we're doing just fine.

[@polyanima]

I went back to watch that part again and laugh at it, and Hank actually says "we are smarter than them" without qualifiers. It's "passing broad-based industrial policy with a focus on clean energy" where we're only **barely** better than cyanobacteria. (2:18) Which. Yeah. That significant increase in intelligence is only weakly correlated to effective long-term decision making in our governments. (but there **is** a positive correllation! we are intelligent and we can use that to make the world more awesome. it's just a matter of putting in the work)

[@Tim3.14]

@@polyanima Given that the cyanobacteria never passed a bill like this, and we just barely managed to do so, yeah, I'd say that holds up. But to any Congress-people thinking of running on a slogan of "more effective at legislating than a bacterium", well, you might want to workshop that a bit more.

[@KingBobXVI]

@@Tim3.14 - "Given that the cyanobacteria never passed a bill like this" Counterpoint - the cyanobacteria didn't _need_ to pass a bill like this, and still managed to make it through just fine. If we _are_ past the tipping point and this is too-little-too-late, we may still actually fail because we're dumber than cyanobacteria. Would we truly be "smarter" just because we've developed the mental capacity to realize we're screwing ourselves over, but then do it anyway?

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

I think it's a compliment to cyanobacteria!

[@jackson6436]

As a undergrad in climate science, I enjoyed this video so much. You really moved me to tears near the end… this is amazing and what you’ve done is amazing. Thank you

[@mrfriendlolo4971]

I think it’s great that the bill helps electric vehicles, but what it should do is change the infrastructure to be less car-reliant and to emphasize public transportation such as commuter-rails, subways, and electric trolleys/ buses.

[@Milano606]

Sad part is it helps hybrids just as much. And that will probably slow down true electric vehicle development and sales, because old manufacturers can still just put small and cheap batteries in their combustion engine cars and get the full reward.

[@chashahjohnson]

THIS. I used to say I really wanted a self-driving car, but what I really want (and most everyone I've spoken to about it) is a clean, safe, reliable, and accessible public transit system. What little public transit this country has is usually under-funded and overcapacity, which means it isn't particularly clean or safe, who knows how much longer it will work, and it tends to be either inconvenient to use or straight up inaccessible to disabled people. Cheonggyecheon in Seoul turned a major highway into a public park and overhauled their transit system, and it's resulted in a cooler city with cleaner air, fewer cars and so LESS traffic, and brought it millions in tourism dollars. We need to rethink everything about our country.

[@whitneyschmitney]

And not just commuter rail, but deprivitize rail so that it can run at all hours not just peaks.

[@littlegreenclementine]

I can't stop thinking about this, and about how Musk's Hyperloop ploy (which is stalling and going nowhere) was designed to halt California's highspeed rail development. It's no mistake that efficient (and therefore more ecologically and energy friendly) public transportation is seen as threat to the auto industry, both traditional petrol and electronic, a very much private for-profit system integrated with our decaying road infrastructure (all the new and good roads are tolled). This country is overrun by corporate interest and the climate bill isn't escaping that.

[@chashahjohnson]

@@littlegreenclementine +

[@kaypgirl]

Excited about this bill, but as someone who isn't able to buy an electric car, I'm disappointed there was no e-bike subsidy in this.

[@vlogbrothers]

They're trying to get the ebike subsidy into some future legislation because of how it iS A TINY AMOUNT OF MONEY IN THE SCHEME OF THINGS!!

[@BraxtonMeyer]

That is very unfortunate, but a lot of our woes with transit can be solved by making our society less car-dependent. Electric cars are better yes, but they are not the best. There are much more articulate videos on this but.

[@AlRoderick]

I'd say the expensive part of ebike adoption is just making cycling infrastructure safe enough to actually use.

[@flowerheit4512]

@@AlRoderick +

[@fwizzybee42]

@@AlRoderick Seriously this. In my state parking protected bike lanes are illegal, the city wants them but the state gov says no. Just one of the ways going green is made hard. We desperately need more focus on non-car infrastructure.

[@bernadmanny]

This entire video is a smarter person than me thinking, feeling and expressing all the things I've felt and thought about and so much more than me and so much more eloquently than I ever will.

[@CollinSimon413]

When this channel started I was a teen hopeless about even my own future. I watched this video today, as a father, and now I can tell my children with faith that this world is changing for the better. Thank you Hank Green, you may not know it, but you are the role model I, and I'm sure most of us needed but didn't have. I legitimately love what you do for me and the world Hank!

[@hasuleeinduwara6529]

“Nothing will get done if you don’t believe it can be done” Thank you to all those who believed it can be done because I sure didn’t, I gotta stop giving up so quickly. And thank you Hank for doing what our incompetent media wouldn’t

[@spidgeb3292]

Believing isn't going to cut it without big strides in cost-efficient energy technology. Get that first, then even I'll believe. "Believing" got us the education morass we're in, the failed War on Poverty, and countless other massive government programs riddled with unintended consequences and unfathomable inefficiency and corruption. You all are "believing" in our elected officials' competency and ethics. Think about that for a moment.

[@Chrishelmuth1978]

@@spidgeb3292 run for office then. Be the change, be the ethical official

[@spidgeb3292]

@@Chrishelmuth1978 Thanks for your support! I might do that.

[@mermaidismyname]

@@spidgeb3292 But if you don't believe that the problem is solvable, why even try? Belief is not the only step, but it is the first step. Because only people who believe it can be done and don't take no for an answer actually get things done. People who don't believe it can be done just get depressed and nothing changes. At a minimum, believing that it's not all hopeless and that something can be done is miles better for your mental health than giving into the fatalism.

[@mermaidismyname]

@@spidgeb3292 and it's not about believing in elected officials necessarily. It's just about believing that there are good people in the world, period. That there are people out there fighting the good fight - that there's something you can do to be a part of that fight, and not giving up your own power. That's all.

[@amandak8689]

Thank you 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 I was VERY happy to see that this video was much longer than 5 minutes today! Thanks for doing the work to educate more people

[@thedayb4tomorrow]

Now that I have a child more so than ever before I have been feeling a growing sense of helplessness and despair about climate change. The fact that something meaningful and effective has finally come out of a country that not only is the worst polluter per capita in the world but also has one of the most dysfunctional democracies in the world is giving me some much needed hope. Thank you so much, Hank, for this detailed explanation.

[@starsandsoot]

Nothing ever changes

[@rinleez]

It won't really matter, unless the rest of the world starts to care.

[@iananderson5972]

@@rinleez That's depressingly real. Luckily the world won't end if it's a little warmer, it will just be different. It's easy to forget that.

[@giffica]

Haha you are raising a weak loser. Have fun having late night convos about bullies and his sexuality. HahahahahHahahahah man you people are the problem.

[@Dragrath1]

@@iananderson5972 The world will be different but its those differences which really matter for human habitability. In particular the changes in ambient humidity are quite concerning as that will continue to push the wet bulb temperatures further into the danger zone for longer period of time rendering parts of the world unsurvivable to humans. As humans our thermoregulatory solution of sweating is a pretty rare innovation and that appears to be partly because in a hot house Earth climate it doesn't work as hot air often contains to much water vapor for evaporative cooling to work as a scalable solution for an organism with our high metabolic rates. Another really concerning aspect has to do with the consequences of increased availability of carbon dioxide on plants as while this can lead to "increased plant growth" in a naive sense research has shown that vital mineral nutrients don't respond in the same way meaning the plants ability to structurally support themselves and produce essential vitamins and sequestered minerals remains more or less the same. Ultimately the alarming observation is that this results in plants becoming increasingly less nutrient dense and thus less able to sustain us and other complex life without proportionally scaling the amount of food we need to be able to consume. Its also been warned by scientists that much of the hoped reduction of greenhouse gas emissions depend son technology that doesn't yet exist and which there are no guarantees said technologies will ever be able to work as advertised on scale. Its because of these and other impacts that we can't afford to settle for just dealing with the changes we will need to take action to dismantle the systems which stifle our ability to respond and adapt due to the short term financial interests of the top less than 1%. Research does seem to show that most people are at least somewhat concerned the problem stifling our ability to respond is institutional as the political economic systems we have today are built around the fossil fuel industry.

[@Crazy_Diamond_75]

Hank, there's one large hangup that has been keeping me skeptical about this bill that I was hoping you could address. I am aware that a good chunk of the carbon reduction we've seen in this country has been due to outsourcing some of our manufacturing to other countries. These countries are often still using fossil fuels to power those manufacturing industries, and the goods they produce are made for us US-based consumers. So I guess my concerns around this hangup come down to a) are we really as far as we think we are in combatting this; b) if we're over-attributing our success to alternative energy, can we be sure this bill will get us as far as we are hoping it will; c) are we doing anything to ensure that we are not simply outsourcing a majority of our carbon emissions to meet our 2050 goals; d) are we implementing any other measures that encourage us to consume products that are carbon-friendly upstream, especially when they're imported; and e) are there any efforts at reducing our consumption overall, considering we are driving so much of the carbon produced overseas. If you see this, thank you so much for all your efforts in fighting this crisis and for taking the time to read my comment.

[@cja4793]

These are such good questions, commenting to bump this

[@thedapperdolphin1590]

Yes, the bill will actually drive down US emissions by a good amount. It’s not only going to produce a lot of cheaper green energy, but it involves investments in clean manufacturing. It’s also about making electric vehicles, solar panels, and heat pumps more affordable.

[@micah1848]

commenting to boost this bc it's a very good point

[@andrewlm5677]

You are raining on the self congratulatory parade - I think you won’t get an answer because there isn’t one. Nothing we are going to do is going to stop China and India from developing and polluting further.

[@TheNaFun]

There's what's called the learning curve, where the cost of producing something goes down at a steady rate as you double production of it. With solar power it's like 21%. It's why Germany requiring (then expensive) solar power in 2009 caused a lot of solar to get built and deployed, which made new solar now cheaper, for everyone globally. And this bill is going to just push that trend even further, by A LOT. So solar will be more cost competitive in India, and Indonesia, and China, and Vietnam, and Mexico, etc. And the same, at different learning curves, goes for wind and batteries. Which means those places will also speed up decarbonization of their power sectors because it'll just make economic sense for them whether they make their own policies or not.

[@timothytickal6958]

The passion that you have for the environment, Hank, is contagious. Thank you.

[@MewChocolateLuvHeart]

Viewer from Canada here. I love the city I live in (famously been ranked one of if not the most beautiful city to live in many years over), but my heart breaks at how the climate has changed here. Every year now, our summers are incredibly hot relatively for locals (most of our homes, like those in London, England, have been equipped to trap heat _in_ and not keep it out, thus many of us don't even own AC units), and we face a number of weeks where our sun turns bloodred from the smog of wildfires elsewhere in our province. I love this city so much - this is my home, the place I want to teach in, grow old in, raise kids in - but every year I worry for myself and future generations here. I know that this is a video about an American climate bill, but sharing a border with you all we affect each other in ways that we sometimes don't even realize; a few days ago I visited Seattle and the same smog covered their skies too. I hope that this bill and following laws in the US and elsewhere will improve things not only for Americans but for the rest of us on planet Earth.

[@zigzagintrusion]

I visit my family in Detroit, Michigan (I’ve actually crossed the bridge into Canada before!) and the amount of pollution, smog, and and heat is so disheartening to see, so I’m extremely happy with this bill being passed. Luckily, this bill could have huge effects globally and maybe encourage other countries to do the same! I don’t think this is a video “for Americans”; I think we all have a lot to learn. Love from Texas ❤

[@ERYN__]

"Wind turban" makes me imagine a turban made from windbreaker material.

[@tiffylew]

Was not expecting to cry at 7:00 am over a hank green video, but here we are. Thanks for your work, hank!

[@sonbulan1425]

Big strides like this always feel great. They remind us that we shouldn’t overlook what we’ve achieved, and that we shouldn’t relent in pushing for what still needs to be done.

[@mayareter3791]

Hank, I've been super despondent about the climate crisis for a while, trying to do what I can and bring attention to things when I can, but not really thinking there was any real possibility of avoiding a complete climate catastrophe at some point in my lifetime, but this has filled me with such hope, both in our future with the planet and in a system that I was convinced was broken beyond repair. It's so easy to fall into cynicism when dealing with the US government and it's many many faults, but this is a fantastic reminder that while the system is deeply flawed, there are good people working as hard aa they can to do good work within it. thank you for helping me find that hope.

[@Dr.Gehrig]

This was beautiful. You got me to tear up, twice. I too have been in this fight for over a decade and a half, and now we finally have a MAJOR victory. We need to celebrate, spread the good new, and push on to the next victories. It was your video on calling Joe Manchin that inspired me to do so and start calling over a dozen congresspeople, and then to try to get the climate club I founded at my medical school to do the same. I did my part, and now we have a great victory.

[@megamangos7408]

It's easy to shit on Joe. He deserves it. But we still need to talk about the elephant in the room because none of them voted for it. None of those people who constantly fight against this should ever hold office ever again.

[@Still_Nope]

I hope you mean Joe Manchin

[@Perenbarn]

No matter what legislation. We need to massively reduce our animal product consumption. The only way to be sustainable is by being vegan. It's the minimum we gotta do. The base line. Ethically and ecologically. It's free, everybody can do it, it makes a huge difference. For the animal its his or her life, for you it is surviving on this planet.

[@kuchuyobenai9461]

Actually, the main thing animals eat is scraps and stuff like corn husk that humans can’t use or eat. Also they don’t take a lot of water to raise. Some people have misinterpreted studies that say one cow takes like 20 tons of water to raise, when about 91% of that water is water they get from eating grass and rain. So really animals aren’t that costly to produce and they eat a lot of waste that would’ve otherwise gone to landfills or waste that could’ve potentially been littered. So the only downside really, or the argument you can make is that the conditions are cruel.

[@abrahambickle7202]

@@kuchuyobenai9461 80% of all plants are produced solely for animal feed. the water consumption in intensive farming is off the charts. The direct environmental pollution of livestock farms is massive. I assume you might mean grass fed cows. We need to look at animal agriculture with all it's periphery as a whole. It basically is the biggest polluter. Bigger than transportation if one takes into account all it's impacts. But yes the cruelty to animals alone is reason enough to end that industry. Sadly it actually is a huge climate killer. And no we can not feed a population on these products sustainably. It's completely backwards. We are feeding animals, to feed those animals to other animals (us). We need to cut that middleman. Besides that animal products are not healthy as they are associated with increased mortality rate and contribute to the number one killer which is heart disease and stroke. There is no way around it. A sane world is a vegan world.

[@kuchuyobenai9461]

@@abrahambickle7202 you probably got this info from kurzgesagt’s video called “Is meat really that bad” and many videos have come out debunking the facts in that video and misinterpretations of studies used in the video. Even if you aren’t getting your facts from that vid directly, the facts you are stating are disproved by the videos debunking kurzgesagt. One of those videos debunking is called “eating less meat won’t save the planet. Here’s why.” The other video is called “kurzgesagt and the art of greenwashing” it’s a video debunking multiple of their videos and how they are supported by big corporations to peddle out videos giving people poor solutions that don’t change much, like saying eating less meat will help, which it doesn’t really.

[@kuchuyobenai9461]

@@abrahambickle7202 like I’ve stated before, an overwhelming percentage of the food animals are eating comes from things we cannot use or consume, like corn husks, almond hulls, and soybean skins and beet pulp and oat straws and wholes that come from producing oatmeal, etc. Every 100 pounds of food we make from farming, we make 37 pounds of human inedible byproducts. Livestock take 43.2 billion kilograms of stuff that we cannot eat, that would’ve been put in landfills, if not for the livestock eating it. Honestly I’m too tired to right out all the points from the video “eating less meat won’t save the planet. Here’s why” The video addresses every single point you have made.

[@Perenbarn]

@@kuchuyobenai9461 kzbin.info/www/bejne/l4iokHyQZbxqrtk Those videos you stated have been debunked. they are using animal industry funded BS. Watch that. kzbin.info/www/bejne/fWWXdHd4mahreaM Response to the What I Learned Video kzbin.info/www/bejne/epywgIRvjZxpi7c This one is good too. Even if they just eat "waste products". we still need to produce those waste products for them. That's the whole point. You are being played by a big lobby my friend. Most of the crops are for animals not for humans. We can free up those fields and let nature have space again mitigating a lot of climate change. This is not an opinion this is a measured fact. Only a vegan world is sustainable there is enough research collaborating that. Meat is a huge problem. For your health and for the planet. And so is dairy. An Animals lives are also worth more that your right to enjoy a meal that is unhealthy for you.

[@kylennpetersen4407]

You covered 4 billion years in under 3 minutes. Impressive! Thanks Hank and All ❤️❤️❤️

[@randomz5890]

Hank you've been an absolute beast with this high quality content you've been posting. Not just here but also on Scishow (all of the SciShows). Heck even tweeting requires a good amount of effort and you tweet super often. I am stunned that after 10 years you are still doing humanity a service with your expertise and enthusiasm. Thanks on behalf of us all.

[@clawruh28]

after years of fearing for my future as a young person, i finally feel like i have a glimpse of hope and gotta say it’s making me super emotional

[@attemptedwholesomeness3360]

I tend to keep as far from politics and the news as I can these days because every time I find myself near them they make me incredibly sad and discouraged. This, though, is news I am so happy to hear. Thank you for telling me about this, and I am so, SO thankful that something is finally being done. DFTBA

[@TheDoomWizard]

This is not good news. We are still building oil pipelines. There is no plan to suck out Co2.

[@Mowzey]

Whenever I see comments like this it makes me sad. Because it shows me that political apathy is acceptable even among very smart individuals, and that's why these big fixes are so hard to get passed. Get involved, politics doesn't have to be toxic just because that's what you regularly see on the news. local politics is more important anyway.

[@technophobian2962]

@@TheDoomWizard It's somewhat good news. This bill still benefits big oil to a certain degree but at least the US has some sort of plan to reduce emissions instead of just ignoring the problem altogether. Edit: Also, just to clarify I'm aware that this action is 20 years too late but in a system rigged against the people this is a positive outcome.

[@cloud_appreciation_society]

I get really overwhelmed and sad/angry trying to research climate action, even if it's seemingly 'good news'. I've been putting off doing proper research into this bill since it passed. Thank you for the approachable video, this helps a lot.

[@TheDoomWizard]

Yeah just accept it's over.

[@Nightstick24]

It's definitely getting hard to sit there and say climate change doesn't exist. The last couple years have had the most unpredictable and unusual weather in recorded history for the majority of the world. We've finally hit that tipping point where we're really SEEING the effects all compounding at once, flooding everywhere, hurricanes and tornadoes raging, earthquakes up, volcanic activity suddenly after decades of quiet, fires everywhere, colder and harsher winters, hotter and harsher summers, drought, wild weather changes, you name it and it's been happening very visibly lately. I think, like you said, that's gotten a few more people to care. They're starting to see that it is, in fact, real, and that it's going to severely effect them personally in an almost entirely negative way.

[@megardyn]

Hank, I have avoided all thought of starting a family for many reasons but a big one is that I have not believed there is much of a future for the planet and it would be cruel to bring a family into their doom. Watching your enthusiasm for this bill, and your hope for your son's future, gives me hope that the world, and particularly America, has a chance of not becoming a barren wasteland. It is so beautiful to see the pure emotion on your face in this video. And, thank you for explaining in such a short amount of time something that feels so complicated to understand.

[@LikeAF0x]

Beautiful comment. Well said!

[@ethanwmonster9075]

The nuclear investment has me shocked and happy. I think that Nuclear has a critical role to play in the decarbonization of our civillization and seeing so much invested into it from this bill is just so encouraging.

[@KingBobXVI]

Yeah, at that part where he was describing stable power generation I was mockingly saying "nuclear" at the screen because as an advocate for it, I've gotten jaded by all the ignorant opposition and attempts to kill nuclear programs (and inevitably replace their _massive_ contributions to the grid with coal) - and then he actually said nuclear. What a pleasant surprise, I hope they push against further decommissioning and go for upgrades instead, as well as building new plants. They've been saying "nuclear is too slow, it takes like 10 years to build a plant" for some 30 years now, we'd be in a much better position if we'd ignored them, so we might as well start now.

[@Micg51]

When it said wind and solar, I was saying “yeah but what about nuclear, what about nuclear” glad that was in there. Nuclear should be primary, wind and solar secondary.

[@adammontgomery7980]

I read an article where they point out that changing our agricultural system could sequester between 2 and 5 billion tons of CO2 per year. Nobody ever talks about how soil mismanagement causes carbon loss at massive scale, or how modern farming techniques line up with the hockey stick graph

[@MasterGunnerOO1]

Wow, I love the effort to explain what's in this bill. Read a ton of articles trying to learn more about it and your "colored blocks" diagrams and explanations of the long-tail smaller investments really explained it more effectively than everything else I've found. Thanks for brightening my day, Hank, I'm glad there's some signs of hope for our future and that we haven't given up.

[@Silas_MN]

I have spent most of my life with my head in the sand when it comes to climate change. over the course of my life I have felt continuously confused and frustrated by the conversation and have mostly just wanted to ignore it all. but the voices of people I recognize as being overall good, compassionate, and educated have seeped into my thinking over time even though sometimes I just wanted them to shut up about the topic. between those voices and the constant news of heat waves, and fires, and droughts all over the world, I've come to change my way of thinking: even if the prevailing science on climate change is wrong and what we're seeing is somehow all a natural shift of temperatures and such over time, *making the world cleaner is still worth it* . so, I guess what I'm getting at is to say thank you, Hank. thank you for your persistence, for your focus on education, and for your compassion even in the face of people like me. the work you do makes a difference.

[@adrianthoroughgood1191]

What made you doubt climate science?

[@Raylen_Fa-ield]

That's crazy big of you to grow like that. It can be a real struggle to challenge our beliefs and preconceptions. Good on you mate for rising up and becoming a better you. And ty hank for helping us all be informed

[@philipmcniel4908]

I can't speak for Silas, but I can think of a few reasons why people do: 1) Science is subject to change. It has been wrong for extended periods of time before, especially when it came to theories that explain _why_ things are happening rather than just _what_ is happening, and when it came to future predictions (two things that really are closely linked). Just because the current scientific consensus is the same as it was 20 or 30 years ago doesn't mean it'll be the same in another 200 years. In the area of nutritional science, "the science" has changed its tune multiple times even over the last few decades (e.g. about whether eggs and vegetable oil are good, neutral, or bad for you). Now, this is not really a bad thing; scientific knowledge is supposed to grow and improve over time, but people don't really want to change their whole lives or give up opportunities for economic improvement because of a scientific consensus that may just change in another few decades. Remember, many Baby Boomers grew up in school being taught that there was a coming ice age, not global warming. If the narrative changed once, it is thought by some, it could just change again. 2) Funding. We wouldn't trust a study from Marlboro saying that cigarettes don't cause cancer, since they stand to benefit from that finding. Governments likewise stand to benefit from climate-change research that finds the earth is warming due to human activity, because it gives them justification for two things they're always looking for ways to do: Increase the scope of their authority (including over people's personal property and lives), and increase taxes. Much climate-change research is government-funded (even the I in IPCC stands for intergovernmental), and many people believe that governments have great power to selectively fund research that supports the side that justifies their reaching for more power and tax money. 3) Regional knowledge. I live in the West, where we've had some pretty bad fire seasons over the last few years, and I can tell you from personal experience that it's not due to changing climate: These forests have been getting this dry every year for decades--in many cases for all of recorded history--and even 30 years ago a spark in summer would've had the potential to be just as devastating as we're seeing right now. The difference is that fewer of those sparks happened in the first place, partly due to aging rural power grids that can be more vulnerable to falling down and starting fires than they used to be (though our worst fire seasons have invariably also been exacerbated by arson as well; the fire that devastated the Oregon cities of Phoenix and Talent was the result of arson, and a few arsonists have been caught in the act and arrested just in this area over the last few years). I suppose that a resident of Tornado Alley would look at the use of tornadoes as an example of global warming and say, "What? We've been having tornadoes this bad for centuries--we've barely even beaten the 1925 tornado as of right now!" Of course it doesn't help that bad blizzard seasons are "just weather, not climate" but bad fire or tornado seasons are seen as "signs of climate, not just weather"; it does feel like there's a double standard in play. Here's something I've seen few people (other than the OP) realizing, which I think is the tack that environmentalists should take on this issue: Even if people continue to disagree about whether the current scientific consensus on global warming will not be refuted by future events, they tend to already agree about the health effects of substances like carbon monoxide and mercury that are released when fossil fuels are burned. And people on both sides of this issue will appreciate "free" energy when the equipment to harness it is much more environmentally friendly, cheap, and available on demand as an equal amount of fossil-fuel energy.

[@lauramoore8823]

I'm SO excited about help electrifying my house, but also one thing that actually made me really excited was realizing that apparently my electric co-op is one of the cleaner places in the US, almost all of our power comes from solar and wind and the rest is hydro. I had NO idea! I mean I knew there were wind turbines and solar farms, but I didn't realize that we basically don't have anything else. Highly recommend looking up where your electricity actually comes from.

[@meisteryoda6552]

This video makes me feel weirdly proud, even though I didnt accomplish anything. Proud of humanity for really trying and proud of those people putting in all the work, proud of society for functioning, proud of hank for being enthusiastic about a good thing he doesnt fully agree with and proud of this community for valuing all of it.

[@nzbozza]

That's great, you should be proud because speaking for myself I am totally ashamed of things that become law when they're massive steps backwards, even when they happen in a different country. Some things transcend national boundaries and its OK I think to celebrate success and be ashamed of bad things that one didn't do contribute to.

[@gaudaddy]

Good for y'all. I wish we had a non destructive government here in India that also cared about the environment. I hope countries like India soon get our act straight. It's definitely difficult for me to watch all this and feel optimistic because I see zero action, even negative action, happening around me with rampant deforestation and excessive mining. Can't wait for legislative action in India but things look lowkey bleak ngl

[@purpleghost106]

Here, add my hopes to yours. I really feel like India is in such a good position to actually go sustainable if only people could be convinced it is possible and matters-- and I really hope that they see it. Maybe you can join/support one of the groups working to create artificial water resivoirs and restore natrual ones which had existed there, I wish I remembered the name of an organization but I read the article about one last year.

[@gaudaddy]

@@purpleghost106 interesting. I have a very different pov on this from yours. I don't think it's the people who need to be convinced, I think people are actually pretty on board with pro environment policies in India and it's these giant corporations and politicians that have vested interests in passing legislation that is not pro-people. I also think it is wrong to put the onus of change on individuals when most of the problem comes from systemic institutions and corporations.

[@wyattnoise]

Our government doesn’t care lol this is a massive corporate handout disguised as a climate bill. Period.

[@justyourlocalrat_]

Hank, THANK YOU for all this information, and thank you to every single member of the web of care that helped make this happen

[@cdglynn1276]

This is legitimately hopeful news! Thank you for every politician, every worker, and every person who helped make this a reality!

[@conman667]

“Hope is the thing with feathers, that perches in the soul and sings the tune without the words and never stops at all.” - Emily Dickinson

[@RustyCyler]

Every single Republican Senator voted NO on this bill and so did the vast majority of Republicans in the House.

[@s.o.3753]

Thank you once again Hank (and John) for the incredible work you do not just in educating people on such complex and important issues, vulgarizing them and making them intelligible, but also for giving us hope in a world that too often seems hopeless to the well-informed mind. My love for the both of you remains infinite, maybe even stronger than ever, more than 10 years into watching your videos.

[@Xeni_lives]

My eyes are watering at this news. This bill may be the best and most important bill in Americans recent history. I cannot express in words how happy I am to see this bill go through..

[@ananyaravikumar5069]

Yes. Yes! Yes!! I’m crying a little. Every one of those little squares was like a little person saying - Hi! I’m here, working to fix this specific part of the problem. It’s complex - but it can broken down!

[@damien899]

im 16, and this is the first time in a long time that i feel its possible for me to raise kids someday. thank you for sharing this, hank, and for helping us understand.

[@DallasMay]

This is a message I've been trying to make happen for a while now. The truth is that America and Europe peaked in our emission nearly 20 years ago. We can do this. We are doing this. The doomers are just wrong. We are doing good. We need to do more good faster.

[@yourfavoritebubbe7444]

Thank you Hank. I have been trying to do research on this bill. I am about to start my graduate degree in Sustainable development and I too am hopeful as I start the next step of my career.

[@AustinNebbia]

Thank you, Hank. I just yesterday found out that I'm going to be an uncle next year, and hopefully all the work from all the people on all the things will mean my niece or nephew might share Orin's love of clean-powered fair rides. I'm often optimistic on life, and now I'm hopeful about this too.

[@colonelb]

Hank - since a lot of these are projections for green energy increase and co2 decrease, did you happen to come across anything in the bill talking about how we're going to be measuring if the bill is working as intended, with any sort of provision for how to pivot as needed? It would suck if 5 years from now we're not where we thought we'd be with this bill and then be at the mercy of legislators to reallocate or adjust as we go. Thoughts?

[@EMNstar]

i like these questions

[@riareanne]

+

[@jas7256]

I think that work is already being done by other institutions other than the federal government, but the federal government uses the analysis and expertise from those bills to make policy decisions (see Hank's interview with Jesse Jenkins)

[@TeeTwoLee]

Last Week Tonight has put fear in me with his pieces on government programs like PACE (kzbin.info/www/bejne/sKebi4N8hN19e8U) where environmentally-friendly home renovations are pushed onto people who can't afford the renovations. Additionally, I anecdotally feel that are many fluff green tech companies that have no technical improvements, but still get huge investments; I hope these fluff companies don't receive money due from this bill. I still share the general optimism, but the work to control unintentional side effects and avoid people intentionally looking to exploit the bill has just begun.

[@ciaomamabella]

@@jas7256 also adding to this-if there is a pivot and or more funding is needed for such projects, I really don’t think America would put in billions and billions of dollars into this infrastructure and not see it through. Like in theory, in a way, if this whole thing was a building, I just can’t imagine America only half completing it and abandoning the rest without any support. Sure, I imagine there will be many many stops and pivots, but the good news that the engine is already built-the train is moving. Millions of ppl concerned with this are the ones building it, they just need the funding to keep it going and finish it, even if (god forbid) we have republicans making the funding choices. So, I feel that even if there is pivots, the foundations are there. Also, I’m kind of thinking that once these oil and gas companies get on board, they may even figure out eventually that they CAN slowly move toward it and figure out to modify their current systems. It seems like Manchins whole discrepancy w this bill was just that-that O&G guys need more time to figure out their monster of a machine and not go bankrupt in the process. (Although admittedly I think they’re just greedy). Just my thoughts anyway.

[@jaredt.murphy8257]

Thank you, thank you, thank you. I feel like it is because there are people like you that this thing even got passed, and I wish and hope that more people like you are able to continue to push back.

[@dragonflies6793]

Thank you so much for making this video. I wouldn't have been able to know or understand this information otherwise, as someone who just doesn't have the energy to do as much research, especially when there are so many other things I also care about. I really needed this optimism. The reality of climate change has been hitting me like a truck these past couple years, and I'm having to rethink my own priorities in determining how to move forward. I'm so glad I have something to hope for.

[@robinhahnsopran]

I simply can't thank you enough for laying it all out like this. Thank you for your dedication to clear, concise, correct explainers and education.💚

[@thehumaknity]

I would be eager to watch a "how it's going" companion to this video now, a couple years later.

[@mjdelicate]

This gives me a feeling of hope I haven’t felt in a very long time. And I cannot begin to tell you how grateful I am for such a thorough and engaging summary of the bill. Thank you for all that you do 💚

[@okramando]

You’ve made me hopeful for my children’s future. A new CCC would have been amazing for them. Makes me wish to be young again. Thanks for making the video!

[@lifotheparty6195]

Shout out to the CCC and the WPA, BRING EM BACK!

[@carolederent7638]

Unfortunately that got shot down because of one guy from West Virginia that we all know who

[@forrestw978]

Hey Hank, just want to thank you for helping me realize there still is some hope. I'm a wildlife biologist/ecologist and the challenges of climate change often seem too great to overcome. As someone who has desperately tried to maintain that hope throughout my career, the last few years have been difficult to say the least. This bill, despite the problems, seems like we may finally be turning a corner when it comes to preserving this planet for future generations. Here's hoping that an insane person doesn't find some way to become president and completely cripple what has been accomplished...that probably won't happen...right?

[@saksham379]

This Act doesn't tame fossil fuel production. It actually does more to increase fossil fuel use than anything

[@nenmaster5218]

@@saksham379 Energy and Power-Grids are Broken, as the KZbinr Some More News just recently covered in amazing Detail. Really, if this video here was epic to you, that entire Channel will be highly informative.

[@831Billy]

Trump Will unfortunately win again. Sorry

[@Fetecheney]

F yeah. I'm a conservative individual, and I'm so glad to see us conserving our home. Technology is the way out and all these beautiful people are working hard to counterbalance the established institutions that have no incentive to be responsible. Thank you for the way that you cover this!

[@ocean6462]

Its good to get conservatives on board. Do you support a carbon fee and dividend? Thats how we disincentivise ghg emissions while giving people back equal shares of the money raised to compensate for higher prices

[@Fetecheney]

@@ocean6462 I have only very basic knowledge of the idea of carbon credits (I've watched half a dozen or so videos discussing it) I'd love any sources you've got for me to look at! My initial impression is hopeful skepticism about the idea of carbon credits. To keep momentum and pressure on the biggest producers of carbon emissions seems promising, but I have a distrust in the enforcement of the actual system to keep loopholes and secondary carbon markets from popping up. If anyone could point me in the direction of a government program/legislation that had success in minimizing or eliminating those things from happening, I'd appreciate it. FYI, my skepticism is only a tool I use to ask the best questions I can. Skepticism on its own is lazy and counterproductive.

[@ocean6462]

@@Fetecheney yeah thats why i don't think they should do it in a way that companies can offset their emissions because carbon offsets aren't real or credible for accounting purposes. How do you know those trees would have been cut down if you didn't preserve the land. I think they should do it as cap and trade, and auction off carbon credits, the companies pay market rate for them based on the demand for carbon credits. Then the government can still do a dividend system where everyone gets an equal share of the revenues monthly. In california they use the revenue for greenhouse gas reduction fund, which in theory could mean more acurately offseting emissions because the governments are doing it. They use this money to finance low emissions projects, build public transit and subsidize electric cars and buses. ww2.arb.ca.gov/resources/documents/faq-cap-and-trade-program Also many other jurisdictions have cap and trade or carbon taxes. Canada has a carbon fee and dividend nationwide. Eu, south Korea and New Zealand all have cap and trade. Heres a list of the countries that have carbon taxes. earth.org/what-countries-have-a-carbon-tax/#:~:text=There%20are%20currently%2027%20countries,%2C%20the%20UK%2C%20and%20Ukraine.

[@Fetecheney]

@@ocean6462 MVP. I'll read up on these during lunch tomorrow. It's pretty dope you took the time. Thanks a million!

[@animewitchdayflower6672]

Came from the clock app, did not expect to cry after this video but here we are

[@jamesn3122]

I just don't have the ability to be convinced we can corporate capitalism our way out of this, but our country can do some stuff to make some folks a lot of money and have cleaner energy. sounds nice.

[@mitchellradspinner4491]

I choose not to despair in mankind’s ability to destroy itself but marvel it’s capacity to save itself. Thanks Hank.

[@SVent1981]

Thank god....its about time i heard some positive news about this paramount issue...i work outside. thank you this is looking good.

[@KevinRoddy]

Hank, thanks so much for this! About 12 years ago, we started changing out light bulbs from incandescent to LED, installed solar water, then 10 solar panels, adding a roof overhang to mitigate intense sun in the afternoon (we’re in Hawaii), have always been on a Mediterranean diet…we just added another 16 solar panels, and we plan to get an EV at the end of the year. I think every day about climate change, and what I can do about it… I am very optimistic and i’m glad you are too…we can do this, together!

[@2nd-place]

I’ve seen a lot of papers that say we’re past the point of no return so I’ve already given up all hope. That and you just look at how the other side is becoming dumber and dumber with time, and I fully expect the next republican president will take it up an order of magnitude dumber and advocate for petroleum-based swimming pools and removing solar farms to replace them with coal-fired power plants.

[@burnout10567]

been watching since 2009 keep it up

[@8happyperson]

I do believe in the good this bill will do while still acknowledging its imperfections. It's unfortunate so many people only want to focus on the Machin parts.

[@spencergeorge4077]

Oregon public broadcasting is doing an interview with Northwest youth corps on this, i have to speak on the matter. Thanks for the help

[@shelbifavre]

I could really feel the hope inside me increasing the longer I watched this video. Thanks for breaking this info down, Hank

[@slevinchannel7589]

Great Video but WHAT A MISSED OPPORTUNITY to make a Pinned Comment to direct curious People to more high-quality Climate-Coverage. I mean, its the natural Reaction to finish such a video and want more, so why doesnt he help his Fans by endorsing the Climate-Coverage of Hbomberguy, UpisNotJump, Some More News, Second Thought, Climate-Town and OCC?

[@taratravels6235]

I literally cried watching this. For the first time in a while there’s good news and it not just the performative distraction type of good news. We can have hope!

[@fitdrz7071]

Crying? That’s so creepy. I hope I never meet you. 😒

[@FUnzzies1]

It's so great the IRA doesn't do anything to reduce 8.5% inflation rate despite reducing inflation literally being in the name. So awesome. I literally cried.

[@XIIchiron78]

It really sucks how inadequate modern media is. I've been having the same issue trying to find anything of substance about the bill. I'm thankful we have people like you to fill those gaps! ❤️

[@RangerB66]

A small point of correction - those appliances, stove, etc that are gas powered don't put off CO2; they put off carbon monoxide (CO) which of course is toxic as heck to humans. What's worse is the CO enters the atmosphere and strips an O off an O2 molecule, then making CO2 but in the process lowering the Oxygen in the atmosphere, increasing nitrogen and other trace gases which are also greenhouse in effect. Finally, the one O, (left from stripping the O2 molecule) is available to bind to an O2 and become O3; the dreaded ozone. Not that I'm a chemist, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

[@jsalsman]

I'm holding my optimism until we see how well green hydrogen storage scales, and desalination coupled with direct ocean carbonate removal pans out. Those two are far more important than grid-scale batteries. SoCal Edison is doing the former, but the latter hasn't gotten past Google's Project Foghorn, which was cancelled back when oil was under $50/bbl, but hasn't been reinstated.

[@NoahFB96]

I've spent the last four years organizing as hard as possibel to pass a green new deal in this country. Usually it doesn't sit right with me when people say thank you. It feels dismissive and out of touch with the threat of annihilation. It's hard to celebrate when everything still seems so bad. This thank you hit different. Hearing it from someone who really feels the weight of it all really shook me. Thank you Hank. We stay the cause.

[@FUnzzies1]

The green new deal that blamed global warming on cow farts? That one?

[@NoahFB96]

@@FUnzzies1 yes, that bill you never read. That one

[@LolUGotBusted]

Wow. When Hank starts at the beginning, he doesn't mess around.

[@YuanLiuTheDoc]

I'm not John, but still appreciate the breakdown and explanation! Just one thing: Biofuel is a no-no, unless it's post-consumer production. Stop using land (and ocean) to produce/harvest biomass only to be turned into heat directly.