First name:
Bennett
Last name:
Hall
Class Year:
2023
Advisor:
Robert Klee
Essay Abstract:
In this Senior Essay, I suggest that a National Green Bank system must be created in order to effectively distribute the funds provided to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through the creation of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund within the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. I argue that a National Green Bank must be created, but in a decentralized, “hub-and-spoke” style manner in order to maximize the efficiency and impact of the fund. Furthermore, I narrate a history of national climate policy and US greenhouse gas emissions to provide context to how the US is now in a position where immediate and aggressive climate action through a National Green Bank is necessary. I provide two templates, examples of government policy, that can serve as the model for my proposed National Green Bank system - the Federal Reserve System and the Clean Water State Revolving Fund.