In speech focused on climate change, Biden makes his case as a president who 'respects science'
by Alex Hider
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden will address the devastating wildfires that are currently ravaging the West Coast in scheduled remarks on Monday afternoon.
During a prepared speech that he delivered at the Natural History Museum in his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware, Biden appealed to voters by attempting to position himself as a champion of environmentalism and a candidate who "respects science."
Conversely, Biden painted Trump as a climate change denier, claiming that Trump has ignored the ever-increasing threat brought by climate change.
"Dangers of climate change are already here," Biden said.
In pointed phrasing, Biden later adding that Americans "aren't safe" from natural disasters wrought by climate change in "Donald Trump's America." In recent months, the Trump campaign has pushed the idea that America would not be safe from violent crime in "Joe Biden's America."
Biden did not take questions from the media following his address.
Biden's address came as millions of acres of forest have been lost to wildfires in recent weeks in more than a dozen states in the western U.S. Among the states hardest hit by the blazes are northern California, Oregon and Washington, which have seen a combined 35 deaths due to wildfire in recent weeks.
Though cooler weather helped firefighters calm the fires over the weekend, officials worry that high wind gusts in the region could cause problems in the days to come.
Wildfires have become an increasingly dangerous and destructive problem in recent years due to increased temperatures and drought in the region. Some experts believe the crisis will only worsen in years to come.
President Donald Trump was scheduled to receive a briefing on the fires during a visit to the Sacramento area on Monday.
Biden's speech also came amid a flurry of tropical storm activity in the Atlantic Ocean. As of Monday afternoon, there are five named storms churning in the ocean. One of those storms, Hurricane Sally, is expected to make landfall in Louisiana on Tuesday.