By Akemi Sabatier & Kayane El-Ayache, Y12
This past week, the United States had been keeping the world in suspense. The 2020 electoral votes were tallied up across the nation’s states as we anxiously watched the map shift from red to blue. On November 8th–four days after the closure of polls–media outlets declared the 46th President of the United States, Joe Biden, and the Vice-President, Kamala Harris.
After 36 years as a United States Senator representing Delaware and serving as vice-president under Barack Obama during both his terms, Biden has become president at the age of 77. The Vice-President, Kamala Harris, marks American history by becoming the first black and Asian American VP, as well as the first woman in office. Born to two immigrant parents, her biracial origins and upbringing make her an inspiration for ethnic minorities and women everywhere.
As this quadrennial event comes to an end, it makes us wonder why the US elections captivate the entire globe. This transnational phenomenon only occurs, at least to this extent, during the North American elections, due to the nation’s significance on the world at large. As an international school, we must be informed of what is going on around the world. Many of us watched the development of this election, but now that it has ended, it seems that investment has died out. Although the election is an essential step to a relevant and international understanding, it is also crucial that we understand its implications on the future, which will likely extend beyond the four or eight years of Biden’s presidency. The most imminent issue for our generation and the ones to come is global warming. In regards to climate change, this year holds a lot at stake, as 2020 represents a climate turning point if we wish to keep global temperature rise between 1.5 and 2 degrees–a goal deemed necessary by the Paris Climate Agreement–to avoid incalculable risks to humanity.
Former President Trump’s decision to remove the United States–responsible for 15% of greenhouse gas emissions–from the Paris Climate Agreement was a major setback for the world and its efforts to create a steady gas-emission decline. By rejoining the agreement and promoting 2 trillion dollars to plans that aim to cut emissions, Biden hopes to undo the damage inflicted on the planet and the US’s relations with other nations. Indeed, American alliances have weakened during these past four years. Biden plans to reestablish them, especially in NATO, a military alliance between 30 North American and European countries. Another international organization his administration intends to rejoin is the WHO, to develop a better response to the novel coronavirus. With over 11.1 million cases, the United States is the country that has recorded the greatest number of cases so far. Its economy has taken the biggest blow since the Great Depression, and unemployment is on the rise. Most importantly, it has resulted in the deaths of over 245,000 people. For the world to combat this pandemic with the least casualties, the coming years will be decisive ones for the US.
