'We're back, baby': New bill boosts US climate credibility

President Joe Biden shows a wind turbine size comparison chart during a meeting in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, June 23, 2022. The U.S. has renewed legitimacy on global climate issues and will be able to inspire other nations in their own emissions-reducing efforts, experts said, after the Democrats pushed their big economic bill through the Senate on Sunday, Aug. 7. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

After a moment when hopes dimmed that the United States could become an international leader on climate change, legislation that Congress is poised to approve could rejuvenate the country’s reputation and bolster its efforts to push other nations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions more quickly.

The head-snapping turn of events, which has generated a joyful case of whiplash among Democrats and environmentalists, is a reminder of how domestic politics is intertwined with worldwide diplomacy.

Advocates feared that last month’s breakdown in negotiations in Congress had undermined efforts to limit the catastrophic effects of global warming. Now they’re energized by the opportunity to tout an unprecedented U.S. success.