As President Joe Biden gets ready to visit Hawaii this week, there has been much scrutiny both politically and personally of his response to the recent wildfires that have ravaged the state and its neighboring areas. While environmentalists have criticized Biden for not taking more decisive action to prevent the fires, supporters have questioned why he did not personally respond to the disaster sooner.
Biden has faced criticism that his administration waited until the fires had largely been extinguished before responding with federal aid and assistance. This has raised questions about why the US government waited to offer help in the face of a disaster that has been ravaging the nation’s western states since summer.
The president has defended his response, stressing that climate change has created an “unparalleled crisis” and that his administration is taking decisive action to help mitigate the danger. However, many have argued that the emergency declarations and aid packages are not enough in the face of devastating disasters such as the California wildfires and their devastating aftermath.
As he prepares to travel to Hawaii, Biden has faced renewed calls to do more to address the climate crisis and its related disasters. A number of state and environmental groups have urged the president to come to Hawaii with an agenda that includes greater investments in land management and local wildfire mitigation measures. Such actions, they argue, could not only help to stop the destruction but also help prepare the region for future disasters. Additionally, some believe that Biden should declare a national climate emergency and use his upcoming visit to Hawaii as an opportunity to draw national public attention to the need for climate action.
