Biden's $2 Trillion Green Energy Plan Welcomed By Progressives
'More Work to Do' But 'Major Step Forward': Progressives Welcome Biden's $2 Trillion Green Energy Plan." By Jessica Corbett, staff writer, Common Dreams, July 14, 2020. - Edited:
U.S. environmental and climate activists on Tuesday welcomed presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden's "Plan to Build a Modern, Sustainable Infrastructure and an Equitable Clean Energy Future"—a proposal that is notably bolder than what he called for earlier in the primary. Biden will make a $2 trillion accelerated investment, with a plan to deploy those resources over his first term, setting us on an irreversible course to meet the ambitious climate progress that science demands," his campaign website says, detailing related polices on agriculture, the automobile industry, buildings, electricity, environmental justice, housing, infrastructure, public transportation.
The plan calls for creating a million new jobs in the American auto industry, shifting to a power sector free from carbon pollution by 2035, and upgrading four million buildings and weatherizing two million homes over four years. Those building upgrades would create more jobs, as would the construction of 1.5 million sustainable homes and initiatives in "climate-smart agriculture, resilience, and conservation."
The New York Times reported that "in a call with reporters on Tuesday morning, senior Biden campaign officials said the proposal was the product of discussions with scientists, climate and environmental justice leaders, union members and leaders, mayors and governors, and representatives from the small-business and manufacturing communities." In response to reporting on the proposal ahead of its official unveiling Tuesday, meteorologist and climate correspondent Eric Holthaus tweeted: "Wow. And wow in a good way." Julian Brave NoiseCat, vice president of policy and strategy at Data for Progress, acknowledged the plan's overlap with the Green New Deal.
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, a former challenger in the Democratic presidential primary race who ran with the climate crisis as his top priority and endorsed Biden in April, praised the proposal in a series of tweets Tuesday, saying that it "shows that he's serious about defeating climate change, and has a roadmap to become the climate president that America needs." Evergreen Action, which is led by some former Inslee staffers, also welcomed the plan. In a Tuesday Medium post, Sam Ricketts, the group's co-founder, highlighted that Biden's proposal calls for major investments in a clean power-led economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic; includes enforceable, sector-specific benchmarks for a rapid transition to 100% renewable energy; and aims to hold polluters accountable for environmental injustice.
- (2 mins) "Biden Announces Plan For 'Creating Jobs' And 'Protecting Our Climate'"| MSNBC, Tuesday, July 14, 2020. Campaign speech in Wilmington, Delaware. "Biden’s $2 trillion climate plan aims to reframe debate," Associated Press, July 14, 2020. https://apnews.com/7cdf40d9bd40c75861fc0053212d034a
In a speech about his proposal Tuesday, Biden drew clear contrasts between himself and President Donald Trump. Climate reporter Emily Atkin, who tweeted some of his remarks, observed that "Biden's strategy here is to frame Trump's climate denial as costing America tons of money and jobs. And, to frame his climate plan as an economically exciting, job-heavy solution." "When Donald Trump thinks of climate change, the only word he can think of is 'hoax,'" @JoeBiden says. "The word I think of is 'jobs.'"— Emily Atkin (@emorwee) July 14, 2020. Investments in clean energy "are a win win win for this country," Biden says. "Creating jobs. Cutting energy costs. Protecting our climate.” "Transforming the American power sector… will be the greatest spurring of job creating and economic competitiveness of the 21st century" — Emily Atkin (@emorwee) July 14, 2020
Varshini Prakash, executive director of the Sunrise Movement released its policy recommendations on climate and other key issues last week. She addressed Biden's new proposal in a statement Tuesday that noted her group's efforts to pressure every single candidate in this cycle to put out climate plans that matched the severity of the crisis. "It's no secret that we've been critical of Vice President Biden's plans and commitments in the past," Prakash said. "Today, he's responded to many of those criticisms: dramatically increasing the scale and urgency of investments, filling in details on how he'd achieve environmental justice and create good union jobs, and promising immediate action—on day 1, in his first 100 days, in his first term, in the next decade—not just some far off goals."
"Our movement made this possible, but there's more work to do, and the urgency of this crisis demands that we keep pushing," she continued. "Vice President Biden must build on these commitments and make these actions an immediate and urgent priority on day 1. Our movement, alongside environmental justice communities and frontline workers, has taught Joe Biden to talk the talk. Now let's defeat Trump and mobilize in mass after the election to get Biden to walk the walk."...
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/07/14/more-work-do-major-step-forward-progressives-welcome-bidens-2-trillion-green-energy
*Joe Biden for President, Website, https://joebiden.com/
~ Bravo to Biden's Brave New Deal ~
-"Biden Goes Up With His 1st Ad In Texas, Where Polls Show A Close Race," NPR, July 14, 2020.
https://www.npr.org/2020/07/14/890753387/with-polls-showing-a-close-race-joe-biden-goes-on-the-airwaves-in-texas
