Activists Are Alarmed as Biden Picks White House Official Who Took Fossil Fuel Money
18 November
Politics
President-elect Joe Biden is greeted by U.S. Congressman Cedric Richmond, D-LA, as he arrives in Columbus, Georgia, on October 27, 2020. Jim Watson / AFP / Getty Images
President-elect Joe Biden is starting to assemble his White House team, and one of his picks has already alarmed climate activists.
<p>Biden has chosen Louisiana Rep. Cedric Richmond as a senior advisor and director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/17/us/politics/cedric-richmond-biden.html" target="_blank">The New York Times reported Tuesday</a>. As part of his role, Richmond will reportedly serve as a liaison between climate activists and business interests, according to <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2020/11/16/louisiana-congressman-to-join-biden-administration-436903" target="_blank">POLITICO</a>. However, <a href="https://www.dailyposter.com/p/news-bidens-first-climate-appointment" target="_blank">The Daily Poster</a> noted that Richmond has received $341,000 in <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/fossil-fuels" target="_self">fossil fuel</a> money during his 10 years in Congress.</p><p>"[T]oday feels like a betrayal, because one of President-elect Biden's very first hires for his new administration has taken more donations from the fossil fuel industry during his congressional career than nearly any other Democrat, cozied up to Big Oil and Gas, and stayed silent and ignored meeting with organizations in his own community while they suffered from toxic pollution and sea-level rise," <a href="https://www.sunrisemovement.org/?ms=SunriseMovement" target="_blank">Sunrise Movement</a> Executive Director Varshini Prakash said in a statement reported by <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/11/17/today-feels-betrayal-sunrise-movement-blasts-biden-pick-big-oil-backed-cedric" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Common Dreams</a>. "That's a mistake, and it's an affront to young people who made President-elect Biden's victory possible."</p><p>The Sunrise Movement made contact with 3.5 million young voters in swing states, and now wants to leverage its get-out-the-vote efforts to hold Biden accountable to his promise to act on the climate crisis, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/nov/16/joe-biden-climate-crisis-ennvironment-energy" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Guardian reported Monday</a>. Biden has called climate an "existential threat" and promised a $2 trillion plan to create millions of jobs while transitioning to <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/renewable-energy/" target="_self">renewable energy</a>. Since winning the election, Biden has also made climate change a priority on his <a href="https://buildbackbetter.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">transition website</a>.</p>
<p>However, Richmond's appointment concerned activists who are worried it signals that fossil fuel interests will have an outsized say in Biden's administration.</p><p>"If Joe Biden continues making corporate-friendly appointments to his White House, he will risk quickly fracturing the hard-earned goodwill his team built with progressives to defeat Donald Trump," Justice Democrats executive director Alexandra Rojas said in a statement, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-11-16/cedric-richmond-to-leave-congress-join-biden-white-house?sref=PqmVp1JY" target="_blank">Bloomberg News</a> reported.</p><p>Richmond, who represents much of New Orleans, has received the fifth highest amount of money from the oil and gas industry of all House Democrats, according to The Daily Poster. That includes $40,000 from ExxonMobil and $10,000 each from Chevron, Phillips 66 and Valero Energy.</p>
<p>Richmond has also broken with the Democratic Party to support increased fossil fuel exports and oppose pollution restrictions on fracking. Further, he voted in favor of the controversial Keystone XL pipeline, <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/526405-progressive-group-slams-biden-white-house-pick-over-fossil-fuels" target="_blank">The Hill reported</a>.</p><p>Rep. A. <a href="https://thehill.com/people/aston-donale-mceachin" target="_blank">Donald McEachin</a> (D-Va.) defended Richmond's actions, arguing that he had been trying to preserve jobs for his constituents.</p><p>"That's the tragedy that Americans up to now have been faced with, that it's either fossil fuel jobs or bad-paying jobs. His district has been dependent on fossil fuels," McEachin told The Hill.</p><p>However, New Orleans and Louisiana have also disproportionately suffered from the impacts of the fossil fuel industry. Richmond represents seven of the 10 U.S. census tracts with the worst <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/air-pollution" target="_self">air pollution</a>, The Daily Poster reported. And <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/hurricanes" target="_self">hurricanes</a> like Katrina have <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change-hurricanes-wetter-2619851055.html" target="_self">become more extreme</a> because of climate change.</p><p>In response to activist criticism, the Biden-Harris transition team reaffirmed its commitment to climate action.</p><p>"The incoming White House staff members are committed to building an administration that will tackle the climate crisis and fight for environmental justice," an official told The Hill.</p>
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Biden Urged to Take 10 Game-Changing Steps in First 10 Days in Office to Address Climate Crisis
10 November
Climate
President-elect Joe Biden speaks at a White House summit on climate change on October 19, 2015 in Washington, DC. Win McNamee / Getty Images
By Julia Conley
With Democrats anxious about the probability that President-elect Joe Biden will be forced to grapple with a Republican-led Senate after taking office in January, a coalition of more than a dozen climate action groups are calling on Biden to take every possible step he can to help solve the planetary emergency without the approval of Congress.
<p>Even in the face of a Senate controlled by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and the Republican Party, Biden can and must still be a "Climate President," say the groups, which include the Center for Biological Diversity, Greenpeace, and Friends of the Earth.</p><p>The organizations <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/12/09/calling-climate-president-500-groups-demand-next-administration-take-immediate" target="_blank">originally released </a>the <a href="https://climatepresident.org/" target="_blank">Climate President plan</a> nearly a year ago during the Democratic primary, and are now calling on Biden to take "ten steps in [his] first ten days in office" to help "form the necessary foundation for the country's true transformation to a safer, healthier, and more equitable world for everyone."</p><p>"If the world is to have any reasonable chance of staying below 1.5°C and avoiding the worst impacts of climate change, the next president of the United States must demonstrate national and global leadership and take immediate and decisive action to launch a rapid and just transition off of fossil fuels economy-wide," reads the website set up by the coalition, <a href="https://climatepresident.org/" target="_blank">ClimatePresident.org.</a> "Recognizing the steps that the next president can take without any additional action from Congress is critical because these are the 'no excuses' actions that can be taken immediately to set the nation on a course to zero emissions."</p><p>Proponents of the Climate President action plan on social media emphasized that Biden is capable of taking major "game-changing" steps to begin mitigating the planetary emergency."</p><p>"Let him know you expect no less," tweeted author and activist Naomi Klein. </p>
<div id="a0146" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c0b66cf5a8a2e6fdbe3553dd5ca88f68"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1325847838807396352" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Don't let anyone tell you that Biden's hands are tied on climate action without the Senate. Here is a list of game-… https://t.co/LyOyaXD6vl</div> — Naomi Klein (@Naomi Klein)<a href="https://twitter.com/NaomiAKlein/statuses/1325847838807396352">1604941732.0</a></blockquote></div>
<div id="56016" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="fbc7661031fda24aad600f18abc6e600"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1325859979241222144" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">What can a new #ClimatePresident Biden do without Congress to tackle the climate emergency?
He can move progress… https://t.co/LOjvxRXqlp</div> — Jean Su (@Jean Su)<a href="https://twitter.com/ajeansu/statuses/1325859979241222144">1604944626.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>The organizations list 10 action items which would help the Biden White House single-handedly put the U.S. on the path to meaningfully fighting the climate crisis:</p><ul><li>Declare a national climate emergency under the National Emergencies Act, which would "unlock specific statutory powers to help accomplish the necessary response." Biden would be able to direct federal agencies to reverse all of President Donald Trump's regulatory rollbacks.</li><li>Keep fossil fuels in the ground, halting fossil fuel permits and lease sales, banning fracking on federal lands, and issuing stringent pollution rules for oil and gas companies.</li><li>Stop fossil fuel exports and infrastructure approvals through executive orders.</li><li>Shift financial flows from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources through an executive order that would promote new investments and phase out old ones.</li><li>Using the Clean Air Act, set a science-based national pollution cap.</li><li>Power the electricity sector with 100% clean and renewable energy by 2030. Pursuant to the National Emergencies Act, Biden could direct the secretary of defense to redirect a portion of military spending to carry out a rapid construction program of renewable energy projects to meet a significant portion of the nation's power needs. The president-elect could also provide loan guarantees to clean energy developers and utilities that use renewable energy.</li><li>Issue an executive order creating an inter-agency just transition task force to implement a national program guaranteeing support for communities and workers affected by the halting of fossil fuel extraction.</li><li>Direct federal agencies assess and mitigate environmental harms that disproportionately impact Indigenous, Black, brown, and low-income communities. </li><li>Investigate and prosecute fossil fuel polluters and commit to vetoing all legislation that grants legal immunity to big polluters. </li><li>Rejoin the Paris climate agreement and increase the United States' emissions reduction commitment to slash greenhouse gas emissions below 2005 levels by at least 70% by 2030 and reduce them to near zero by 2040.</li></ul>
<p>The president-elect has said he plans to <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/11/09/932190347/bidens-first-100-days-here-s-what-to-expect" target="_blank">immediately reenter </a>the Paris agreement upon taking office. After the Democratic presidential primary, his campaign team <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2020/07/09/lets-keep-organizing-inside-look-biden-sanders-task-force-climate" target="_blank">worked closely</a> with advisers from Washington Gov. Jay Inslee's and Sen. Bernie Sanders's (I-Vt.) campaigns to hammer out a plan which <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/how-joe-bidens-surprisingly-ambitious-climate-plan-came-together/2020/07/31/b73e78d0-cd11-11ea-91f1-28aca4d833a0_story.html" target="_blank">called for</a> the elimination of carbon emissions from the electricity sector by 2035 and pledged $2 trillion over four years to increase and incentivize the use of renewables to power cars, homes, and businesses. Biden's original climate plan during the primary had pledged $1.7 trillion and aimed to make the U.S. carbon neutral by 2050.</p><p>"The first steps that would put us clearly on a path to a regenerative and inclusive society can be launched immediately by the next president," said the Climate President coalition. "These ten actions form the necessary foundation for the country's true transformation to a safer, healthier, and more equitable world for everyone."</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/11/09/biden-urged-be-climatepresident-taking-these-10-game-changing-steps-first-10-days" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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Like many other plant-based foods and products, CBD oil is one dietary supplement where "organic" labels are very important to consumers. However, there are little to no regulations within the hemp industry when it comes to deeming a product as organic, which makes it increasingly difficult for shoppers to find the best CBD oil products available on the market.
<p>Here you can learn about the importance of organic hemp oil, why it's better for the environment, and which CBD companies actually make trustworthy products with sustainable farming processes. origins which weigh heavily on many consumers who want to buy a product that's produced in the best way possible for not only themselves to ingest, but for the environment as well through sustainable farming methods. </p><h2>What Is CBD Oil?</h2><p>First things first, CBD stands for cannabidiol, and it's a cannabinoid found within cannabis sativa plants. This plant compound is believed to have many potential benefits, and it is primarily derived from hemp plants via a CO2 extraction process. </p><p>Since CBD is extracted from industrial hemp, which contains only trace amounts of THC (the psychoactive component in cannabis plants), this means that CBD won't make you feel high like marijuana, which has much higher levels of THC that causes psychoactive effects. Instead, the effects of CBD are much more subtle and promote a general sense of calm and relaxation in most users.</p><h2>What Makes a CBD Oil Organic?</h2><p>In terms of organic labels, perhaps the most important (and prominent) certification comes from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This government organization has been labeling foods as "organic" for many years, but what exactly does this certification entail? Essentially, a label indicating that a product is "USDA Organic" or "Certified Organic" means that at least 95% of the ingredients are obtained from organic sources.</p><p>For a crop to be considered organic by the USDA, it must be grown without the use of industrial solvents, irradiation, genetic engineering (GMOs), synthetic pesticides, or chemical fertilizer. Instead, farmers rely on natural substances and <a href="https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2012/03/22/organic-101-what-usda-organic-label-means" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">mechanical, physical, or biologically based farming</a> techniques to cultivate healthy and organic crops.</p><p>Before the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, no hemp-derived products could be dubbed as "certified organic" since the hemp plant and its extracts were still categorized as a Schedule I Controlled Substance. However, it's still difficult for CBD companies to obtain a USDA certified organic label for their products due to the legal grey area that still surrounds CBD extracts. </p><p>Because of these challenges, and due to the fact that industrial hemp has only recently become an agricultural crop, very few CBD oils are USDA certified organic. Rather, many CBD products contain hemp extracts from plants that were grown in organic conditions but may not be federally certified.</p><h2>What are the Best Organic CBD Oil Brands?</h2><p><em>Each product featured here has been independently selected. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.</em></p>
<h2>Why Organic Hemp Oil Matters</h2><p>Hemp is a unique plant, not only for its rich cannabinoid content, but also for its ability to absorb a wide variety of components in soil. But this trait poses great risks when it comes to the creation of CBD products derived from hemp.</p><p>Because hemp has a high capacity for compound uptake, this means that the plants can retain <a href="https://www.remedyreview.com/industry/lab-test-results/" target="_blank">harmful chemicals like pesticides</a>, heavy metals, and other residual solvents. This is especially true when it comes to synthetic chemicals that are more toxic to humans, and difficult to remove once they have been absorbed by the hemp plant.</p><p>Organic farming practices help reduce the risk of hemp crops absorbing harsh chemicals that may later end up in CBD oil after extraction. When you're taking CBD as a wellness supplement to help alleviate your symptoms or improve your overall well-being, the last thing you want is to ingest compounds that might negatively outweigh the benefits of CBD. This is an important reason to look for third party lab test results when shopping for CBD products since these certificates of analysis can show the full cannabinoid and terpene profile of a hemp extract, as well as test results that search for the presence of any residual solvents.</p><p>In addition to creating a better end product, organic farming practices are also better for the environment. Sustainable and organic farming methods may <a href="https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-eating/organic-foods.htm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reduce pollution, conserve water, reduce soil erosion, increase soil fertility, and use less energy</a>. The use of natural pest deterrents as opposed to chemical pesticides is also better for nearby animal populations and ecosystems.</p><h3>Organic vs. Natural</h3><p>While there are only a select few companies offering certified organic ingredients in their products, almost every brand in the CBD market creates "natural" products. The term "all-natural" or "plant-based" does not mean that a product is organic, and since hemp oil is a natural derivative of hemp plants, these products are often referred to as all-natural. However, there are some synthetic CBD oils that should be avoided because they are chemically constructed and may produce unwanted side effects that are not caused by naturally derived CBD extracts.</p><h2>What are the Benefits of Organic CBD Oil?</h2><p>There's a long list of potential CBD oil health benefits, and some of the most common wellness advantages include:</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2503660/" target="_blank">Chronic pain relief</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4604171/" target="_blank">Anti-anxiety effects</a></li><li>Better sleep</li><li><a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/inner-source/201901/cbd-oil-mental-health-should-you-take-it-too" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Improvements in mood</a></li><li>Internal balance and regulation</li></ul><p>When dealing with pain, inflammation, sleep issues, and mental health struggles, it can be hard to find sufficient treatment options. The use of certain prescriptions can cause unwanted side effects, yet they are often the only solution for patients with these medical conditions. In search of other therapies, people have started to flock towards CBD oil as an alternative remedy for a variety of conditions. However, it should be noted that CBD products are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and you should seek your doctor's advice before using CBD if you have a serious medical condition.</p><h2>Look at the Labels Before You Buy CBD Oil</h2><p>When you go online to buy CBD oil, you'll quickly realize there is an overwhelming number of brands that are saturating the market. It can be difficult to determine which products are truly as good as they make themselves out to be. Always look for up-to-date third-party lab tests so you know you are getting a great product, and don't hesitate to contact the brand if you have any additional questions. And if you're intent on purchasing 100% organic CBD oil, it's best to look for certified products or brands that are held to strict regulatory standards.</p><p><strong>Melena Gurganus </strong>is the Reviews Editor at EcoWatch. She is passionate health and wellness and her writing aims to help others find products they can trust. Her work has been featured in publications such as Health, Shape, Huffington Post, Cannabis Business Times, and Bustle.<br></p>
Spruce
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjI3OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyOTM2NzgzOX0.axY0HjeqRctJsR_KmDLctzDpUBLBN-oNIdqaXDb4caQ/img.jpg?width=980" id="774be" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8379f35b1ca8a86d0e61b7d4bfc8b46e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="spruce organic cbd oil" /><p>As one of the best brands in the business, Spruce CBD is well-known for its potent CBD oils that feature many additional beneficial phytocannabinoids. This brand works with two family-owned, sustainably focused farms in the USA (one located in Kentucky and one in North Carolina) to create its organic, small product batches. The max potency Spruce CBD oil contains 2400mg of full-spectrum CBD extract, but the brand also offers a lower strength tincture with 750mg of CBD in total.</p>
$89
CBDistillery
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDcwMjkzNC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMTU4OTM4Nn0.ypRdeDSBcE87slYrFfVrRwtJ2qGIK6FD5jBB4pndTMo/img.jpg?width=980" id="b473b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9930b53c9d58cb49774640a61c3e3e75" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="cbdistillery cbd oil" /><p>All of the products from CBDistillery are <a href="https://ushempauthority.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">U.S. Hemp Authority Certified</a>, and for good reason. The company only uses non-GMO and pesticide-free industrial hemp that's grown organically on Colorado farms. Its hemp oils are some of the most affordable CBD products on the market, yet they still maintain a high standard of quality. CBDistillery has a wide variety of CBD potencies across its product line (ranging from 500mg to 5000mg per bottle) and offers both full-spectrum and broad-spectrum CBD oils to give customers a completely thc-free option.</p>
$35
FAB CBD
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjIyNS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2NDIwOTEyMn0.MlTjz096FJ0ev_-soK7_Z-FeQeJczWoeh9Qi9SSkHsY/img.jpg?width=980" id="04b26" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="76aa4862f44603242e318982acea6646" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="fab cbd oil" /><p>For an organic CBD oil that has it all, FAB CBD offers plenty of variety for any type of consumer. All of its products are made with zero pesticides and extracted from organically grown Colorado industrial hemp. FAB CBD oil comes in five all-natural flavors (mint, vanilla, berry, citrus, and natural) and is also available in four strengths (300, 600, 1200, and 2400mg per bottle).</p>
$39
NuLeaf Naturals
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjIxOS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NzExNTgyMX0.D6qMGYllKTsVhEkQ-L_GzpDHVu60a-tJKcio7M1Ssmc/img.jpg?width=980" id="94e4a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3609a52479675730893a45a82a03c71d" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="nuleaf naturals organic cbd oil" /><p>As an industry-leading brand, it comes as no surprise that NuLeaf Naturals sources its CBD extract from organic hemp plants grown on licensed farms in Colorado. The comany's CBD oils only contain two ingredients: USDA certified organic hemp seed oil and full spectrum hemp extract.</p><p>NuLeaf Naturals uses one proprietary CBD oil formula for all of its products, so you will get the same CBD potency in each tincture (60mg per mL), but can purchase different bottle sizes depending on how much you intend to use.</p>
$38.50
Charlotte's Web
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDcwMjk3NS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MzQ0NjM4N30.SaQ85SK10-MWjN3PwHo2RqpiUBdjhD0IRnHKTqKaU7Q/img.jpg?width=980" id="84700" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a2174067dcc0c4094be25b3472ce08c8" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="charlottes web cbd oil" /><p>Perhaps one of the most well-known brands in the CBD landscape, Charlotte's Web has been growing sustainable hemp plants for several years. The company is currently in the process of achieving official USDA Organic Certification, but it already practices organic and sustainable cultivation techniques to enhance the overall health of the soil and the hemp plants themselves, which creates some of the highest quality CBD extracts. Charlotte's Web offers CBD oils in a range of different concentration options, and some even come in a few flavor options such as chocolate mint, orange blossom, and lemon twist.</p>
$60
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Among the victories came one for wolves, too. steve felberg / Pixabay
By Tara Lohan
Election Day 2020 — the day before the United States officially left the Paris climate agreement — didn't deliver an immediate rebuke to President Trump or relief for environmentalists.
That would have to wait.
<p>"The election hasn't produced the outcome that the planet badly needed," Bill McKibben of 350.org <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/annals-of-a-warming-planet/the-election-outcome-will-make-sweeping-climate-action-harder" target="_blank">summed</a> up in <em>The</em> <em>New Yorker</em> the following day.</p><p>But as the votes continued to be counted in battleground states, the mood shifted from despair to hope, and finally, on Nov. 7, to celebration when Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were pronounced victors.</p><p>So much was riding on this election — and not just in the United States.</p><p>"There is no pathway to meaningful global climate action without our federal government playing a prominent part," <a href="https://newrepublic.com/article/159958/vote-election-2020-climate" target="_blank">wrote</a> Mary Annaïse Heglar in <em>The</em> <em>New Republic</em> just before the election.</p><p>A Biden-Harris victory doesn't undo all the environmental harm caused by the Trump administration and its <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/climate-environment/trump-climate-environment-protections/" target="_blank">125 rollbacks of environmental protections</a>, but it provides a much-needed opportunity to restore scientific integrity and take action on climate change, environmental justice, biodiversity and other pressing concerns.</p><p>That's good news. And looking down the ballot there were also other environmental victories — as well as some places where ground was lost. Here are the biggest takeaways:</p>
The Good Stuff
<p>Few big-ticket wins were clear early except for the fact that Democrats held onto the House of Representatives — an expected but not inconsequential victory. And although their majority slimmed, several new additions will be a boon for environmental issues.</p><p>One of those is progressive Cori Bush, who cruised to victory in Missouri's 1st congressional district. She's the first Black woman from the state to be elected to Congress. The nurse, pastor and Black Lives Matter activist is also a <a href="https://coribush.org/environmental-justice-and-the-green-new-deal" target="_blank">Green New Deal supporter</a>.</p><p>In gubernatorial fights, Washington's climate champion Jay Inslee won re-election. So did Democrat Roy Cooper in North Carolina, which <em><a href="https://www.eenews.net/energywire/2020/11/04/stories/1063717739" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">E&E News </a></em><a href="https://www.eenews.net/energywire/2020/11/04/stories/1063717739" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">called</a> a significant victory in the state's push for clean energy.</p><p>Mark Kelly flipped a Senate seat blue in Arizona, and so did John Hickenlooper in Colorado.</p><p>Hickenlooper, a <a href="https://coloradosun.com/2020/09/18/hickenlooper-fracking-oil-gas-colorado-us-senate-race/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">booster of the fracking industry</a> during his time as Colorado governor, is not exactly beloved by environmentalists in the state. But his defeat of Cory Gardner was hailed by the League of Conservation Voters, which called Gardner one of "<a href="https://www.lcv.org/article/lcv-congratulates-john-hickenlooper/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">worst anti-environmental candidates</a>" running this year. It was also the <a href="https://coloradosun.com/2020/11/04/colorado-history-democrats-election-sweep/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">first time in 84 years</a> that Democrats swept all statewide races in Colorado.</p><p>Along with those victories came one for wolves, too. Colorado voters passed <a href="https://therevelator.org/wolf-reintroduction-colorado/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Proposition 114</a>, which will require the state Parks and Wildlife department to develop a restoration and management plan for the reintroduction of gray wolves. It comes less than a week after the Trump administration <a href="https://therevelator.org/wolves-lose-protection/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">removed federal protection</a> from gray wolves across the country.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDc2MzExNS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYwNjYzMzg3Nn0.hk9gcg8Xtjee35qPaD-Wkl0ipwoU-9ALwFLWz3VbmIo/img.jpg?width=980" id="12393" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="49065da2be8de60c030fe9f13b0ad207" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Photo by Steve Felberg/Pixabay (CC)
<p>In other statewide races, <a href="https://therevelator.org/environment-2020-ballot/" target="_blank">Nevada's Question 6</a>, which would require electric utilities to get 50% of their electricity from renewables by 2030, was approved by voters. But how much that helps the state's clean energy future is a matter of debate. Nevada has already passed similar legislation. Enshrining this benchmark into the state constitution could help protect it from future rollbacks — or it could make efforts to raise the target even harder.</p><p>Much further down the ballot, <a href="https://legal-planet.org/2020/11/05/climate-candidates-notch-victories-in-major-city-council-races-across-western-u-s/" target="_blank">climate champions made gains</a> in city council positions in major cities such as Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco and Portland.</p><p>Denver also approved an increase in sales tax to help fund <a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2020/11/03/denver-election-results-2a-2b-taxes-homeless-environment/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">climate and clean energy initiatives</a>. And Columbus, Ohio passed a measure that would help the city secure <a href="https://www.yesforissue1.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">more locally sourced renewable energy</a>.</p><p>"City leadership is <a href="https://c40-production-images.s3.amazonaws.com/other_uploads/images/955_C40_Report_US_Cities_Get_Job_Done.original.pdf?1480607660" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">important</a> for advancing climate action but new research <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/research/pledges-and-progress-steps-toward-greenhouse-gas-emissions-reductions-in-the-100-largest-cities-across-the-united-states/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">finds</a> U.S. cities falling behind," Daniel Melling, communications manager for the UCLA Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, <a href="https://legal-planet.org/2020/11/05/climate-candidates-notch-victories-in-major-city-council-races-across-western-u-s/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">wrote</a> for Legal Planet.</p>The Bad Stuff
<p>An anticipated, decisive retaking of the Senate by Democrats never materialized, and whether it remains in Republican hands won't be decided for a bit. Two Georgia races are headed to a January runoff.</p><p>If Republicans do hang on to the Senate, that will mean any bold new climate legislation — or likely any meaningful environmental legislation at all — coming out of the House will be stymied, especially <a href="https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/politics/elections/kentucky/2020/11/03/mcconnell-wins-senate-seat-will-he-be-majority-leader/6057995002/" target="_blank">if Mitch McConnell retains his role as Senate leader</a>.</p><p>Meanwhile several Republican senators with dismal environmental records will be back, including Iowa's Joni Ernst, Mississippi's Cindy Hyde-Smith, Alabama's Tommy Tuberville and Roger Marshall from Kansas. Lindsay Graham, who has a <a href="https://www.thestate.com/news/local/environment/article245783790.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">mixed at best record when it comes to climate legislation</a>, also returns.</p><p>While Colorado may have seen a blue wave, <a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/montana-election-results/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Montana was awash in red</a>. A Republican sweep across the state included a victory by coal-industry ally Greg Gianforte, who took the governor's mansion out of control of Democrats for the first time in 16 years.</p><p>Gianforte previously said he "would advocate as governor for increased port capacity on the West Coast to get coal to market," <a href="https://www.eenews.net/energywire/2020/11/04/stories/1063717739" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reported</a><em> E&E News</em>. Montana coal production <a href="https://www.greatfallstribune.com/story/news/2020/09/21/coal-production-montana-saw-21-decline-last-year/5858642002/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">fell 21%</a> during the pandemic.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDc2MzExMC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NDg1NzA5Mn0.IIOGycSqTuKYCni7dzepLdEzP7O0GvGPmiqCJxo8s78/img.jpg?width=980" id="56a25" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a08cf410c208f598be1fb669c9d37c38" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Coal train loading at Spring Creek mine, Montana. Photo: WildEarth Guardians, (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0).
<p>"Montana didn't just go Republican on Tuesday," <a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/montana-election-results/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">wrote</a> Gwen Florio in <em>The Nation</em>. "It went deeply conservative Republican." The effect of that will be felt not just on energy policy, but the fate of public lands and wildlife, <a href="https://missoulian.com/news/local/elections-forecast-big-changes-for-landscape/article_95775cb0-df9c-539a-b666-a0c55c4c725d.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">including sage grouse and grizzlies</a>.</p><p>In a new low, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia became <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/Marjorie_Taylor_Greene#Campaign_themes" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the first QAnon conspiracy theory believer elected to Congress</a>. In addition to a record of racist statements, she ran on a platform that included blocking the Green New Deal.</p><p>Democrats had hoped to make a small gain in Texas. But even $2.5 million in backing from Michael Bloomberg couldn't get Democrat Chrysta Castañeda elected to the Texas Railroad Commission, which oversees issues related to oil and gas — a state race that has worldwide impact.</p><p>The race was won by Jim Wright, whom the <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/jim-wright-texas-railroad-commission_n_5fa04ce8c5b60e7e37d0da2c" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Huffington Post</a> describes as "a hardcore climate change denier and owner of an oil-field services company."</p><p>The oil industry may have also garnered a victory in Alaska. There Measure 1, which would raise taxes on some North Slope oil companies, is trailing by a wide margin.</p><p>But when you tally it all up at the end of the day — or week, really — even McKibben had to concede that overall things are looking up.</p><p>"It could have gone much better," he <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/trump-is-out-of-a-job-because-so-many-did-the-work" target="_blank">wrote</a> on Nov. 7. "(Specifically, a deadlocked Senate will make action on the dominant issue of our lifetimes, <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/annals-of-a-warming-planet/the-election-outcome-will-make-sweeping-climate-action-harder" target="_blank">climate change</a>, more difficult to address than it should be.) But <em>it went."</em></p>
<p><a href="https://therevelator.org/author/taralohan/" target="_blank"><em>Tara Lohan </em></a><em>is deputy editor of The Revelator and has worked for more than a decade as a digital editor and environmental journalist focused on the intersections of energy, water and climate. Her work has been published by The Nation, American Prospect, High Country News, Grist, Pacific Standard and others. She is the editor of two books on the global water crisis. </em><em><a href="http://twitter.com/TaraLohan" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>http://twitter.com/TaraLohan</em></a></em></p><p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://therevelator.org/election-2020-environment/" target="_blank">The Revelator</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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AOC Joins Jane Fonda for Fire Drill Friday on Importance of November Victory for Earth
23 October
Politics
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez joins actor and activist Jane Fonda to discuss early voting, "real climate leadership," and the Green New Deal. Fire Drill Fridays
By Andrea Germanos
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Friday will be the latest "fireside" chat guest to join actor and activist Jane Fonda, whose Fire Drill Fridays campaign—which has resulted in the arrests of fellow notable actors—has boosted demands for urgent action to rein in the climate emergency.
<p>The team behind Friday Drill Fridays sent an email to supporters on Thursday promoting the conversation, describing the New York Democrat as "clearly prepared to fight for and stand with working people no matter what" and saying she'd provide "insightful perspective" during the chat.</p><p>Fonda and Ocasio-Cortez's <a href="https://greenpeace.zoom.us/webinar/register/3016028606071/WN_OYvyfV5fQnSH4iSJFLFr8Q" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">talk</a> is slated to cover a range of topics including early voting, "real climate leadership," and the Green New Deal—the resolution Ocasio-Cortez <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/02/07/major-party-backing-ocasio-cortez-and-markey-unveil-green-new-deal-outlining-wwii" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">introduced</a> last year with Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.).</p><p>"This is one of our most important calls in the lead-up to Election Day, and we want to come out on the other side of November 3 celebrating—and with no regrets," the email, signed by Fonda and the Fire Drill Fridays team at Greenpeace, said. "We know this election is absolutely critical for the political fight ahead for a Green New Deal and just recovery from Covid-19, and we're ready to fight for this win."</p>
<div id="7bafb" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="1669c4d28a3e920d9e21791ea6f8a469"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1318584259825848321" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">🔥FRIDAY🔥 @JaneFonda, @GreenpeaceUSA, and @FireDrillFriday are thrilled to be joined by Rep. @AOC for a critical con… https://t.co/omILPXRe9W</div> — Fire Drill Fridays (@Fire Drill Fridays)<a href="https://twitter.com/FireDrillFriday/statuses/1318584259825848321">1603209960.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>The conversation is scheduled to take place Friday, October 23 at 2 pm ET.</p><p>Eighty-two year old Fonda, a longtime environmentalist and veteran activist, kicked off Fire Drill Fridays in October last year with a focus on three demands: a Green New Deal, an end to fossil fuels, and a just transition to a renewable energy-based economy.</p><p>The weekly campaign featured Thursday night teach-ins—each with a different climate focus and speaker or speakers—ahead of Friday rallies and protests on the steps of the Capitol building in Washington, D.C.—a place organizers <a href="https://firedrillfridays.com/about/%20" target="_blank">framed</a> as "the epicenter of the fight for our climate." The acts of civil disobedience resulted in multiple arrests, including of Fonda herself and her "Frankie and Grace" co-star Lily Tomlin.</p><p>Now forced to a largely digital format in light of the coronavirus pandemic, Fire Drill Fridays has kept up the momentum, with recent fireside Fire Drill guests including Juan Parras, founder and director of<a href="https://www.tejasbarrios.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> TEJAS</a>, and youth climate leader Jamie Margolin, also founder and co-executive director of <a href="http://thisiszerohour.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Zero Hour</a>.</p><p>Fonda is also out with a new memoir, <a href="https://www.marieclaire.com/politics/a33915820/jane-fonda-what-can-i-do-excerpt/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>What Can I Do?: My Path from Climate Despair to Action</em></a>.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/10/22/aoc-join-jane-fonda-fire-drill-friday-focused-planetary-imperative-november-victory" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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A Stop the Money Pipeline protester holds a banner outside JP Morgan headquarters in NYC on Feb. 25, 2020; JP Morgan is a top contributor to the fossil fuel industry. Erik McGregor / LightRocket / Getty Images
By Jessica Corbett
Green groups applauded Sen. Jeff Merkley on Wednesday for introducing a pioneering pair of bills that aim to "protect the long-term health and well-being of the American people and their economy from the catastrophic effects of climate chaos" by preventing banks and international financial institutions from financing fossil fuels.
<p>"How we invest our money reflects our values today and will drive our future tomorrow," the Oregon Democrat <a href="https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-introduces-pair-of-bills-to-protect-american-lives-and-livelihoods-from-climate-chaos-2020" target="_blank">said</a> in a statement about his new legislative proposals, citing a September report from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/09/09/while-trump-commission-warns-climate-risk-financial-system-recommendations-fall" target="_blank">warning</a> that the human-caused climate crisis endangers the U.S. financial system.</p><p>"Fossil fuel investments play a key role in accelerating climate chaos, which continues to spiral further and further out of control and claim lives and livelihoods in the process," Merkley added. "It's time to prioritize the interests of the American people and the planet above the wishes of fossil fuel CEOs who want to hold our economy hostage."</p><p>The <a href="https://www.merkley.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/20.10.21%20Protecting%20America's%20Economy%20from%20the%20Carbon%20Bubble%20Act%20of%202020.pdf" target="_blank">Protecting America's Economy from the Carbon Bubble Act of 2020 </a> "would help safeguard the economy by prohibiting financial companies from making new investments in fossil fuels," according to his office. The <a href="https://www.merkley.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/20.10.21%20Sustainable%20International%20Financial%20Institutions%20Act%20of%202020.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sustainable International Financial Institutions Act of 2020</a> "would elevate that priority to the international stage by ensuring that the United States uses its voice and vote in international financial institutions to divest from fossil fuel investments."</p>
<div id="815e9" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="eb5133bc08c84a247e6c577bb4c4ba59"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1318967338482364416" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Yes! @SenJeffMerkley just introduced new legislation that would stop banks and other financial institutions from fu… https://t.co/Bk15N9Sewk</div> — Stop the Money Pipeline (@Stop the Money Pipeline)<a href="https://twitter.com/StopMoneyPipe/statuses/1318967338482364416">1603301293.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>The legislation was enthusiastically endorsed by members of Stop the Money Pipeline, a coalition of over 130 advocacy organizations that <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/01/09/climate-movement-takes-aim-wall-street-because-money-only-language-fossil-fuel" target="_blank">launched</a> in January to pressure asset managers, banks, and insurance companies to "stop financing fossil fuels and deforestation and start respecting human rights and Indigenous sovereignty."</p><p>"Sen. Merkley is showing real leadership by introducing the first-ever bills to cut the money pipeline fueling the climate crisis," declared David Arkush, director of Public Citizen's Climate Program, in a coalition statement Wednesday.</p><p>Kelly Martin, director of the Sierra Club's Beyond Dirty Fuels campaign, similarly said that "we applaud Sen. Merkley for his leadership in working to cut off the flow of money to dirty and destructive fossil fuels."</p><p>"Investments from major financial institutions are driving the climate crisis and environmental injustice worldwide," Martin added. "In order to tackle this crisis, we need to put a stop to business as usual and reinvest in a clean energy economy that works for all of us."</p>
<div id="f84b7" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f6742078b73d4f72ad0cdb0b28c45bf8"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1318975843717287936" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">"When there’s an out of control fire, the worst thing you can do is pour more gas on it. It’s time for Congress ste… https://t.co/YfjbtiWeRY</div> — 350 dot org (@350 dot org)<a href="https://twitter.com/350/statuses/1318975843717287936">1603303321.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>Sue Stafford and Toby Woll of Mothers Out Front Corporate Responsibility Team called Merkley's legislation "important and necessary" while Nikki Reisch of the Center for International Environmental Law said that "ending financing for fossil fuels should be a no-brainer."</p><p>"As this year has made abundantly clear, fossil fuels are not just terrible for people and the planet, they are terrible investments, too," Reisch continued. "Sen. Merkley's bills would finally require financial institutions to do what they should have long since done on their own: stop bankrolling climate catastrophe."</p><p>While welcoming the senator's bills, campaigners also slammed financial institutions for "driving the destruction of the climate, deforestation, and furthering harms to public health and communities" by "pouring billions into the dying fossil fuel industry," in the words of Osprey Orielle Lake, executive director of the Women's Earth and Climate Action Network.</p><p>Lake urged Congress to urgently enact the measures—a call that was echoed by Lukas Ross from Friends of the Earth U.S., who warned that "whether it is Wall Street behemoths or public institutions like the Export-Import Bank, financial institutions are lending the climate over a cliff."</p>
<div id="f35ca" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f0306ad9e315c3763299c349c4056f90"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1318969691767930880" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">BREAKING: @SenJeffMerkley just introduced new legislation that would help end the financing of fossil fuels! 👏👏👏 W… https://t.co/831xi0UPfo</div> — Moira Birss (@Moira Birss)<a href="https://twitter.com/moira_kb/statuses/1318969691767930880">1603301854.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>"Public and private banks are squandering over $4 trillion annually subsidizing the destabilization of our global climate by the fossil fuel industry," noted Daphne Wysham at the Center for Sustainable Economy. "Finally, in Sen. Merkley, we have a climate champion willing to stand up to this madness and call for banks to invest in a liveable future."</p><p><a href="https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2020/03/18/banking-climate-change-report-reveals-banks-funded-climate-chaos-trillions-paris" target="_blank">According to</a> a report released in March by climate advocacy groups, 35 global banks have collectively poured more than $2.7 trillion into the fossil fuel industry since the Paris climate agreement was finalized in late 2015. The four top spots were all held by U.S. institutions: JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citi, and Bank of America.</p><p>"Sen. Merkley's new divestment bills are exactly the sort of real climate leadership we need from our elected officials and regulators," said David Turnbull of Oil Change International (OCI). "If banks won't stop funding climate devastation, our government must force their hand, and Sen. Merkley's bills would force the action we need."</p><p>In addition to helping to ensure a habitable planet in the years to come, 350.org co-founder Bill McKibben pointed out that there could be some added benefits for lawmakers. As he put it: "Fighting the climate crisis and saving big money at the same time—a few more laws like this and people may start liking Congress!"</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/10/21/merkley-unveils-pioneering-bills-make-financial-institutions-stop-bankrolling?cd-origin=rss" target="_blank"> Common Dreams</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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Landmark legislation aims to address the ocean impacts of human-caused global heating and reform federal ocean management. ToryYu1989 / PxHere / CC0
By Jessica Corbett
Leaders of climate and conservation groups on Tuesday welcomed House Democrats' introduction of landmark legislation that aims to address the ocean impacts of human-caused global heating and reform federal ocean management—recognizing that, as Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva put it, "a healthy ocean is key to fighting the climate crisis."
<p><br/></p>
<p>The Arizona Democrat, who chairs the House Natural Resources Committee, unveiled the <a href="https://naturalresources.house.gov/imo/media/doc/OCSA20_001_xml.pdf" target="_blank">Ocean-Based Climate Solutions Act</a> during a <a href="https://naturalresources.house.gov/media/media-advisories/chair-grijalva-chair-castor-group-of-endorsers-will-unveil-ocean-based-climate-solutions-act-at-oct-20-press-conference" target="_blank">virtual press conference</a>. He was joined at the event by co-sponsors—including Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.), chair of the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis—and various backers of the legislation.</p><p>"This is the bill we have been waiting for," declared Oregon State University professor Jane Lubchenco, a supporter of the measure with a background in federal government. "It draws on the latest science to tap the treasure-trove of ocean solutions to accelerate progress on climate change. The outcome? People win, the economy wins, nature wins."</p><p>"The ocean feeds and sustains, it connects us. The ocean is our past and our future. The ocean has indeed been a victim of climate change, but it also holds powerful solutions," added Lubchenco, former administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and U.S. Science Envoy for the Ocean at the State Department. "This bill will tap those solutions, and everyone benefits."</p>
<div id="a858f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="99d487bc34e6e570edd2a3089e616347"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1318606309256798208" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">🎥 We're live! @NRDems, @RepRaulGrijalva, and @USRepKCastor are unveiling #OceanClimateAction legislation. W… https://t.co/pPdylA6cKQ</div> — Select Committee on the Climate Crisis (@Select Committee on the Climate Crisis)<a href="https://twitter.com/ClimateCrisis/statuses/1318606309256798208">1603215217.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>"This bill provides a roadmap for ocean and coastal climate resilience, and responsibly uses them to curb the pollution that is intensifying the climate crisis," Grijalva explained. "We must stop the ongoing damage to our oceans to protect the food, jobs, and coastlines that millions of Americans depend on. A healthy ocean is an environmental justice issue and we made sure to put protections for low income and communities of color at the front and center."</p><p>Specifically, as a statement from Grijalva's office outlined, the bill aims to:</p><ul><li>Reduce greenhouse gas emissions;</li><li>Increase carbon storage in blue carbon ecosystems;</li><li>Promote coastal resiliency and adaptation;</li><li>Improve ocean protection;</li><li>Support climate-ready fisheries</li><li>Tackle ocean health challenges; and</li><li>Restore U.S. leadership in international ocean governance.</li></ul>
<p>"By presenting smart, focused solutions to the climate crisis, this pioneering legislation propels the oceans into the heart of the climate debate in Congress," said Jacqueline Savitz, Oceana's chief policy officer for North America. "The oceans are bearing the brunt of global warming: rising ocean temperatures will decrease fish catch, endangering livelihoods and undermining food security. This bill shows us our oceans can be part of the answer."</p><p>Castor on Tuesday emphasized that "the ocean is a powerful ally in the climate fight, and unleashing its potential will help us reach our goal of net-zero emissions by 2050 or earlier." She noted the new bill incorporates recommendations from the Climate Crisis Action Plan that her committee <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/06/30/genocidal-negligence-new-democratic-climate-action-plan-criticized-woefully" target="_blank">released</a> in June, which she said "gives Congress a roadmap for creating a healthier, more resilient, and more just America."</p><p>Climate action advocacy groups said when the plan from Castor's committee came out that it "is more ambitious than what we've seen from Democratic leadership to date" but also <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/06/30/genocidal-negligence-new-democratic-climate-action-plan-criticized-woefully" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">criticized</a> lawmakers' proposed goals as "genocidal negligence" and "wholly inadequate to prevent the risk of catastrophic climate disruption," vowing to maintain pressure on Democrats to pursue bolder policies.</p><p>Amid that ongoing pressure from advocates comes the Ocean-Based Climate Solutions Act, which Castor said "will unleash the incredible power of the ocean and address the threat that offshore drilling poses to America's coastal communities, including my own community in the Tampa Bay."</p><p>Miyoko Sakashita, oceans program director at the Center for Biological Diversity, <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2020/10/20/ocean-based-climate-solutions-act-would-end-offshore-oil-leasing-protect-marine" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">called</a> the bill "important" and praised particular elements of it. "As sea-level rises we have to end offshore oil drilling and help our coastal communities transition to the resilient, clean energy economy we all need," Sakashita said. "This bill also aims to protect marine mammals from ship strikes, noise pollution, and climate change."</p>
<div id="17f05" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="28d7040a5dd41c4d26fed8e93a225655"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1318614724842524674" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">.@RepRaulGrijalva’s climate bill will ignite #OceanClimateAction to help fight inequality by prioritizing funding f… https://t.co/oeH1W214em</div> — NRDC 🌎🏡 (@NRDC 🌎🏡)<a href="https://twitter.com/NRDC/statuses/1318614724842524674">1603217223.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>The bill, which is co-sponsored by leaders of multiple relevant House committees, was also applauded by other advocacy organizations, including the Center for American Progress, Earthjustice, Environment America, Greenpeace USA, League of Conservation Voters, National Ocean Protection Coalition, National Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Ocean Conservancy, Surfrider Foundation, and Urban Ocean Lab.</p><p>"Resilient communities need resilient oceans, and the Ocean Climate Solutions Act pursues both," said Steve Mashuda, oceans managing attorney at Earthjustice. "Restoring and protecting our ocean ecosystems will protect the frontline communities who are most at risk from climate change, while increasing our capacity to secure a just, stable, and biodiverse future.</p><p>"Earthjustice thanks the House Natural Resources Committee for continuing to serve the American people by strengthening and stewarding our environment," added Mashuda, "and we look forward to turning these concepts into reality."</p><p>Greenpeace USA senior oceans campaigner Arlo Hemphill warned that "protecting 30% of our oceans by 2030 is critical if we hope to restore America's rich ocean ecosystems and mitigate the worst impacts of climate change."</p><p>"The Ocean-Based Climate Solutions Act outlines an innovative and ambitious plan to couple this ocean protection with a new generation of Blue Economy jobs and a renewed, climate-ready vision for our nation's fisheries," he said. "This is an inspiring piece of legislation, and exactly what America needs right now."</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/10/20/advocates-welcome-inspiring-ocean-based-climate-solutions-act-exactly-what-america" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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The 1.35 million-acre Bears Ears National Monument in southeastern Utah protects one of most significant cultural landscapes in the U.S. Bob Wick, BLM / Flickr / CC by 2.0
By James R. Skillen
Presidential elections are anxious times for federal land agencies and the people they serve. The Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Forest Service manage more than a quarter of the nation's land, which means that a new president can literally reshape the American landscape.
<p>Federal influence is particularly significant in the Western U.S. Across the 11 states from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Coast, the federal government owns <a href="https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R42346.pdf" target="_blank">more than 45% of all land</a>. In Alaska it owns over 60%.</p><p>Voters have a striking choice this year. President Donald Trump entered office committed to the "<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/24/us/politics/stephen-bannon-cpac-speech.html" target="_blank">deconstruction of the administrative state</a>." His administration raced to reduce environmental planning and regulations and expand private development in pursuit of "<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/president-donald-j-trump-unleashing-american-energy-dominance/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">energy dominance</a>."</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDUyNDIzMS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2NzQ0MTE4NX0.dR8Tg2goh78BY9pTe6gq3OmQaTp5NSBLZNdIZaDQ-Y4/img.jpg?width=980" id="580b8" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="33ba444b7b09dc7d9a504d3ac02ac018" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
The U.S. government controls many types of protected land and subsurface minerals such as oil and gas, mainly in Western states. BLM/Wikipedia
<p>In contrast, Vice President Biden's campaign proposals for public lands remain fairly broad, but are largely consistent with the Obama administration's priorities. The most significant difference is Biden's pledge to <a href="https://joebiden.com/9-key-elements-of-joe-bidens-plan-for-a-clean-energy-revolution/#" target="_blank">end new fossil fuel leasing on public lands</a>.</p><p>How would each candidate fulfill these promises? As I explain in my new book, "<a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/this-land-is-my-land-9780197500699?cc=us&lang=en&" target="_blank">This Land Is My Land: Rebellion in the West</a>," public lands are a microcosm of today's polarized American politics.</p><p>On the right, mainstream conservatives and industrial corporations want <a href="https://theconversation.com/interior-secretary-zinke-invokes-teddy-roosevelt-as-model-but-his-public-land-policies-dont-84546" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reduced regulation and increased resource development</a>, while a more militantly anti-federal element of the Republican Party demands an <a href="https://theconversation.com/history-points-to-more-dangerous-malheur-style-standoffs-68134" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">end to public land ownership</a> altogether. On the left, mainstream Democrats want carefully regulated land management with <a href="https://www.outsideonline.com/2363781/what-election-meant-public-lands" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">increased margins of environmental protection</a>, but a vocal progressive wing is demanding that the federal government <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/beyond-green-new-deal-another-climate-cause-dividing-democrats-n996541" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">keep its fossil fuels in the ground</a>. These tensions raise questions about how far each candidate would go.</p>
<div id="b633c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6f5e4020e8a30cc88689ef4f8762e4f2"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1309336838549712896" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">The Trump administration is expected on Friday to finalize its plan to open about 9 million acres of Alaska’s Tonga… https://t.co/dxx4Yf2KeV</div> — The New York Times (@The New York Times)<a href="https://twitter.com/nytimes/statuses/1309336838549712896">1601005203.0</a></blockquote></div>
Republicans: Less Regulation, More Development
<p>Since Ronald Reagan ran 40 years ago as a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/01/04/even-sagebrush-rebel-ronald-reagan-couldnt-change-federal-land-use-in-the-west/" target="_blank">self-proclaimed</a> "<a href="https://www.hcn.org/articles/a-look-back-at-the-first-sagebrush-rebellion" target="_blank">sagebrush rebel</a>" who supported turning control of public lands back to Western states, Republicans have coalesced around a set of <a href="https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/open-business" target="_blank">common public land priorities</a>. They include reducing federal regulation, limiting the scope of environmental reviews and increasing natural resource development.</p><p>This approach has drawn support from natural resource industries, resource-dependent communities and a growing body of <a href="https://mslegal.org/" target="_blank">public interest law firms</a>, <a href="https://www.perc.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">think tanks</a>, <a href="https://www.alec.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">advocacy groups</a>, <a href="https://www.charleskochfoundation.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">foundations</a> and <a href="https://www.freedomworks.org/about/about-freedomworks" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">political action committees</a>. Their core libertarian conviction is that reducing government leads to prosperity.</p><p>The Trump administration has championed these priorities through actions that include shrinking several national monuments to <a href="https://theconversation.com/trumps-plan-to-dismantle-national-monuments-comes-with-steep-cultural-and-ecological-costs-77075" target="_blank">expand oil leasing</a>; preparing to <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/08/17/903239366/trump-administration-sets-plan-for-oil-drilling-in-arctic-refuge" target="_blank">open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil production</a>; and <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/ceq/nepa-modernization/" target="_blank">narrowing environmental reviews of major federal actions</a>. The full impact of these actions is hard to assess, since many face challenges in court, where the administration has <a href="https://policyintegrity.org/trump-court-roundup" target="_blank">fared poorly</a>. But their theme is clear: Public lands are <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-03-06/zinke-says-interior-should-be-a-partner-with-oil-companies" target="_blank">open for business</a>.</p><p>As part of this effort, the Trump administration <a href="https://theconversation.com/moving-bureau-of-land-management-headquarters-to-colorado-wont-be-good-for-public-lands-126990" target="_blank">moved the Bureau of Land Management's headquarters</a> from Washington, D.C., to Grand Junction, Colorado. The agency has <a href="https://www.eenews.net/stories/1062289841" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">struggled to staff the new building</a>, which it shares with several oil and gas companies.</p><p>A vocal element of the Republican Party challenges the federal government's authority to own and manage public lands at all. Some advocates have engaged in <a href="https://www.hcn.org/articles/malheur-occupation-oregon-ammon-bundy-public-lands-essay" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">armed confrontations</a> with federal authorities. Several Western states have <a href="http://vjel.vermontlaw.edu/files/2014/10/Lawton.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">enacted legislation</a> over the past decade demanding that the federal government transfer ownership of public lands and mineral rights to them.</p><p>President Trump has catered to this extreme wing while stopping short of meeting its explicit demands. He signaled support by appointing conservative activist William Perry Pendley as the Bureau of Land Management's functional acting director in July 2019 – a step that a federal court in Montana recently <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/518376-court-removes-pendley-from-role-as-public-lands-chief" target="_blank">ruled was illegal</a> because it bypassed a confirmation hearing. Pendley was known for <a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/author/william-perry-pendley/" target="_blank">staunch opposition to public land ownership</a> and years of litigation over public land management.</p><p>The president also has pardoned controversial figures who are embraced by opponents of public land authority, including <a href="https://theconversation.com/arpaio-pardon-could-encourage-more-civil-rights-violations-82813" target="_blank">former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio</a> and two <a href="https://www.npr.org/2018/07/10/627653866/president-trump-pardons-ranchers-dwight-and-steven-hammond-over-arson" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Oregon ranchers</a> convicted of arson on federal property.</p><p>Despite his administration's losses in court, I expect that if President Trump is reelected he will continue down this path of deregulation, resource development and deference to conservative Western interests, with occasional gestures of support to more radical conservatives.</p>
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Democrats: Scientific Management With Limited Development
<p>Recent Democratic presidents, from Jimmy Carter to Barack Obama, have <a href="https://kansaspress.ku.edu/978-0-7006-2127-9.html" target="_blank">championed federal environmental laws</a> that guide public land management, such as the National Environmental Policy Act and the Endangered Species Act. Democratic administrations have emphasized scientific monitoring and regulatory oversight while still supporting energy development and other commercial resource uses of public lands.</p><p>Vice President Biden's long <a href="https://scorecard.lcv.org/moc/joe-biden" target="_blank">environmental record</a> and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/13/us/politics/joe-biden-trump.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">campaign pledges</a> suggest that he will continue this approach. Biden has promised to <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-biden-square-off-over-environmental-regulations-11594917709" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reverse the Trump administration's deregulatory efforts</a>, <a href="https://www.backpacker.com/news-and-events/heres-how-the-presidential-candidates-public-lands-plans-stack-up" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">restore national monument boundaries</a> and manage energy development on public lands in ways that <a href="https://www.eenews.net/stories/1060477457" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">promote wind and solar energy</a> and gradually <a href="https://joebiden.com/9-key-elements-of-joe-bidens-plan-for-a-clean-energy-revolution/#" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">phase out fossil fuel development</a>.</p><p>But a Biden administration would face tensions within the Democratic Party as well. Progressives are calling for <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/21/climate/green-new-deal-questions-answers.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">more dramatic action to slow climate change</a>, including <a href="https://soto.house.gov/media/press-releases/soto-ocasio-cortez-sanders-merkley-unveil-bill-ban-fracking-nationwide" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">bans on hydraulic fracturing</a> for oil and gas production and on new oil, gas and coal leases on public lands. Biden has signaled <a href="https://joebiden.com/climate-plan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">strong support</a> for this agenda, but insists that hydraulic fracturing and fossil fuel development <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-biden-fracking/u-s-presidential-hopeful-biden-says-he-would-not-ban-fracking-idUSKBN25R2NI" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">will continue on existing leases</a>.</p><p>A Biden administration, then, would likely seek to <a href="https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/docs/clean_energy_record.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">restore President Obama's public lands legacy</a> and push beyond it with tighter limits on fossil fuel production.</p><span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="2ffd5396eda23b233575b6b9b1926bb2"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cCoxP79QYxM?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
Everybody Loves the Outdoors
<p>These sharply different visions can obscure the fact that there is substantial commitment to public lands, especially as places for hunting, fishing, camping and other recreational uses. This consensus was evident when Congress passed the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_American_Outdoors_Act" target="_blank">Great American Outdoors Act of 2020</a> in July with strong bipartisan support. With an eye on election polls, President Trump bragged that signing the bill made him the <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-environmental-accomplishments-people-florida-jupiter-fl/" target="_blank">greatest environmental president since George Washington</a>.</p><p>As I see it, this bill was popular because it did not address controversial questions like regulation or energy development. Instead it provided billions of dollars for maintaining roads, trails, visitor centers and other public land infrastructure. It also guaranteed permanent funding for the <a href="https://www.lwcfcoalition.com/about-lwcf" target="_blank">Land and Water Conservation Fund</a>, which uses money from federal fossil fuel royalties to protect valuable lands and waters from development.</p><p>That pairing suggests that public land ownership and fossil fuel development will both be part of the next administration. But the election will determine how these resources will be managed, and who will have the most influence over this process.</p>From Your Site Articles
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Golf cart remains burned by the Glass Fire sit next to a vineyard at Calistoga Ranch in Napa Valley, California on September 30, 2020. Samuel Corum / AFP / Getty Images
The Trump administration rejected California's federal relief request to help recover from six recent wildfires, The Los Angeles Times reported.
<p>California Governor Gavin Newsom's office requested a presidential disaster declaration for federal relief funds to help with cleanup efforts, including the Creek Fire, the largest in the state's history, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/15/politics/trump-california-fire-disaster-assistance/index.html" target="_blank">CNN</a> reported. The relief would have also assisted recovery efforts from the Bobcat Fire in Los Angeles County and the El Dorado Fire, which resulted from a <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/california-wildfire-gender-reveal-partyty-2647518193.html" target="_self">gender-reveal party mishap</a>.</p><p>"The request for a Major Presidential Disaster Declaration for early September fires has been denied by the federal administration," Brian Ferguson, a spokesperson for the Governor's Office of Emergency Services told CNN. </p><p>Ferguson told the The Los Angeles Times that he could not provide a reason for the denial.</p>
<p><br>Newsom wrote a letter to President Trump on September 28 asking for federal assistance, during which time the August Complex Fire continued to grow; it has since <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/california-gigafire-august-complex-2648125953.html" target="_self">burned more than one million acres</a>. </p><p>"The severity and magnitude of these fires continue to cause significant impacts to the State and to the affected local jurisdictions, such that the recovery efforts remain beyond the State's capabilities," <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/trump-administration-rejects-californias-request-wildfire-disaster-assistance/story?id=73650086" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ABC News</a> reported Newsom wrote in September. "Many of the counties impacted by these wildfires are still recovering from previous devastating wildfires, storms, and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic."</p><p>The state plans to appeal the decision. In the meantime, "officials are looking for other avenues for federal assistance" to help wildfire victims, a spokesperson for the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services told ABC News.</p>
<p>The state did not request a specific dollar amount, though Newsom did ballpark the figure around $346 million, ABC News reported. Ferguson, however, said the figure could easily pass that number.</p><p>"The true cost won't be known for months or years afterward," Ferguson told The Los Angeles Times. "What the state is looking for is the highest level of federal support, which requires the highest bars be cleared. But we feel our case for those requirements has been met."</p><p>In his letter, Newsom emphasized the state's dire need. "Federal assistance is critical to support physical and economic recovery of California and its communities," ABC News reported. "The longer it takes for California and its communities to recover, the more severe, devastating, and irreversible the economic impacts will be."</p>
<p>The rejected request is not entirely surprising. In a pattern of disdain toward Democratic states, Trump said in 2019 that he would deny federal assistance requests unless state officials "get their act together, which is unlikely," The Los Angeles Times reported. Trump has also blamed Newsom for the fires, ABC News reported, claiming that Newsom has done a terrible job managing forests — even though a majority of California forests are on federal land.</p><p>So far in 2020, more than 8,500 wildfires have burned over 4.1 million acres. The fires have also killed 31 people and damaged more than 9,200 structures, CNN reported.</p>
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Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden pauses as he speaks during The Des Moines Register Iowa Presidential Candidate Forum at Drake University on July 15, 2019 in Des Moines, Iowa. Justin Sullivan / Getty Images
By Jo Harper
The Democratic Party candidate Joe Biden proposes net-zero CO2 emissions in the United States by 2050. It's an ambitious target, but 30 years is a long time in politics and there is a key tension between the party's moderate nominee with links to corporate funders, such as the asset manager BlackRock, and progressives whose votes he needs to win. This is nowhere better seen perhaps than on environmental issues, where campaigns to green corporate America have tended to fizzle out.
<p>Examples of good intentions abound. Nonprofit organization Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) this week, for example, launched a campaign with a $20 trillion-strong group of investors to encourage companies to commit to stronger action on climate change. In the campaign, 137 institutions asked<strong> </strong>1,800 companies to set science-based targets for reducing CO2 emissions. The group of 1,800 represent 25% of total global emissions and represent 40% of the MSCI ACWI Index, which is MSCI's global equity index.</p><p>"The importance of investor engagement to drive sustainable corporate action cannot be overstated," Emily Kreps, global director of Capital Markets at CDP, said in a press release.</p><p>But words and actions have often been out of sync in environmental policy in the U.S. This is well illustrated by the ambitious-sounding plans of <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/blackrock-the-secret-world-power/a-18653761" target="_blank">the world's largest asset manager, BlackRock</a>.</p><p><a href="https://www.dw.com/en/blackrock-makes-climate-change-central-to-investment-decisions/a-52001370" target="_blank">BlackRock CEO Larry Fink said earlier this year</a> that by the end of 2020 the financial corporation would stop its actively managed funds from investing in companies that get 25% or more of their revenue from coal operations. Furthermore, it would enhance transparency over how it votes in shareholder meetings of firms in its portfolio, create investment products that screen for fossil fuels, and ask companies how they plan to navigate the climate crisis.</p><p>BlackRock is close to Biden and some, though not that many, believe a partnership of the two could herald real change in the U.S.'s environmental strategy.</p>
<p>But, says Friends of the Earth, BlackRock conspicuously failed to include a promise to stop investing in companies that cause deforestation, while others worry that a voluntary solution by a passive investment vehicle is not the best way forward.</p><p>Friends of the Earth criticized BlackRock this week and other asset management firms in a report for not doing enough to curb global deforestation, which has increased by 40% since 2014 and is a major contributor to climate change. Supply chains for commodities like beef and soy are a key driver of those fires, the group said. Its report accused the "Big Three" asset managers, BlackRock, Vanguard and State Street, of enabling companies in their investment portfolios to avoid promises they made to prevent their supply chains from contributing to destruction of rainforests. </p><p>AmazonWatch, part of a coalition of green groups and campaigners called "BlackRock's Big Problem," wrote in a 2019 report that BlackRock was one of the biggest investors in the agribusiness firms responsible for deforestation in the Amazon, with over $2.5 billion worth of shares of such companies. The report found that BlackRock and Vanguard — the largest shareholders in 18 of the 28 carbon-intensive energy and utility companies analyzed — voted 99% of the time for the directors those companies proposed in 2019. And their votes helped kill 16 climate-related shareholder resolutions that year.</p>
At the Heart of Things
<p>"This [CDP campaign] doesn't appear to directly impact BlackRock as it's voluntary," Moira Birss, climate & finance director at Amazon Watch, told DW. "But BlackRock should certainly be asking for 1.5-degree transition plans of all the high emitting companies it invests in."</p><p>Birss also says that BlackRock is "again absent from this leading initiative" despite claims by its CEO that no company had done more for climate in 2020.</p><p>"Fink claims that BlackRock had 950 'engagements' with companies on climate this year but doesn't provide any transparency on what that means. That's not climate leadership. I would think that if BlackRock leadership could show the impact it is having on climate through these 'engagements,' it would. Instead Fink is making claims about climate action that he can't, or won't, back up," she adds.</p>Passive Funds Active
<p>BlackRock reported healthy third-quarter profits, the recovery in global financial markets helping it end the quarter with a record $7.81 trillion in assets under management. The New York-based company's net income rose 27% to $1.42 billion, while its shares are up 22% this year.</p><p>Supported by an index-fund collection called iShares, it is the world's largest asset manager, with $7.81 trillion of other people's money under its control, a third of it in Europe. This is roughly equal to the world's top 20 pension funds combined. The fund employs 13,900 people spread across 30 countries.</p><p>BlackRock's Aladdin risk-management system — a software tool that can track and analyze trading — is used by the U.S. Federal Reserve and European Central Bank (ECB). Today, $21.6 trillion sits on the platform from just a third of its 240 clients, according to public documents verified with the companies and first-hand accounts. That figure alone is equivalent to 10% of global stocks and bonds.</p><p>But BlackRock has expanded its power well beyond asset management, including also auditing of banks for regulatory authorities and advising governments on privatization.</p><p>"BlackRock is in effect a branch of government, a public utility," Harald Schumann, founder of Investigate-Europe in Berlin, told DW. "It could exert great influence for good but given that two-thirds of its business is index-linked, they have no real power to push for greening of the companies they are invested in," he says.</p><p>"Fink personally may well be committed, and it is after all more powerful than many states, a unique phenomenon. But it has an inherent conflict of interest, as an advisor, auditor and investor. The Chinese Wall exists, but how well it actually works is another issue," says Schumann, referring to the strict separation of the firm's services required under financial laws.</p>
Massive Political Influence
<p>Created in 1988, BlackRock has close ties to the Biden campaign, although the company's investments to influence Washington, mean that Fink has also advised the Trump administration on infrastructure privatization and the COVID-19 pandemic. Fink is reportedly hoping for a position in a Biden administration.</p><p>BlackRock has avoided being designated a Systemically Important Financial Institution (or SIFI) by the U.S. Treasury's Financial Stability and Oversight Council (FSOC), set up by Dodd-Frank financial regulations, which would require it to be regulated by the American central bank. </p><p>The company has spent the last decade lobbying lawmakers, US Treasury officials, and FSOC members with donations. In its Transparency Project report, BlackRock says that it has hired at least 84 former government officials, regulators, and central bankers worldwide since 2004. The world's largest asset manager has also been tapped by the Federal Reserve to oversee three government debt-buying programs designed to fend off economic catastrophe.</p>
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Founder of Fridays For Future Greta Thunberg in Washington to discuss the climate crisis with lawmakers on September 18, 2019 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Alex Wong / Getty Images
Climate emergency activist Greta Thunberg on Saturday endorsed Democrat Joe Biden, urging climate voters to make their voices heard in the U.S. presidential election.
<p>"Fridays For Future and the youth climate movement are striking again around the world, in a safe way and following Covid-19 guidelines, to demand those in power treat this like the urgent crisis it is," <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2020/09/25/new-wave-gobal-climate-strikes-takes-place-150-countries" target="_blank">said</a> Greta Thunberg, the 17-year-old Swede whose solitary school strikes launched a global movement.</p><p>Thunberg said in a tweet that she "never engages in party politics. But the upcoming U.S. elections is above and beyond all that."</p><p>"From a climate perspective it's very far from enough and many of you of course supported other candidates. But, I mean... you know... damn! Just get organized and get everyone to vote #Biden," she tweeted.</p><p>Thunberg, whose Fridays For Future strikes sparked a global climate protest movement after striking outside the Swedish parliament in 2018, could encourage participation among younger voters who are typically less likely to vote than older Americans.</p>
<div id="61f98" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="0ba6c990dea24959356d2cc93869298b"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1314900271332458496" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">I never engage in party politics. But the upcoming US elections is above and beyond all that. From a climate perspe… https://t.co/eoXSbUVDGY</div> — Greta Thunberg (@Greta Thunberg)<a href="https://twitter.com/GretaThunberg/statuses/1314900271332458496">1602331629.0</a></blockquote></div><p>After Thunberg was named Time Magazine's Person of the Year in 2019, Donald Trump tweeted: 'So ridiculous. Greta must work on her Anger Management problem, then go to a good old fashioned movie with a friend! Chill Greta, Chill!"</p>
<div id="2b028" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="969b0b5498916117fbd031b77b3bb0a9"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1205154117867462662" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">President Trump called Time Magazine's choice to name Greta Thunberg its person of the year "ridiculous" and said t… https://t.co/ZcQuKbkEC3</div> — The New York Times (@The New York Times)<a href="https://twitter.com/nytimes/statuses/1205154117867462662">1576166107.0</a></blockquote></div>
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This month's bookshelf highlights 12 titles that uncover the roots and explain the dynamics of this critical moment in American politics.
By Michael Svoboda, Ph.D
Like the amplifying effects of climate change, which is already delivering once-in-a-century storms every four or five years, America's increasingly divided politics have created three once-in-a-lifetime elections in just the past 20 years. But the stakes in 2020 seem another order larger than in 2000, 2008, or 2016. And who Americans choose in November will dramatically affect what the world does – or doesn't do – on climate in the critical decade that follows.
This month's bookshelf highlights 12 titles that uncover the roots and explain the dynamics of this critical moment in American politics.
<p>The first three titles focus on President Trump – appropriately, given that the election is widely seen as a referendum on his administration. How did he gain power? Why does he appeal so strongly to so many Americans? And what norms can be restored in the wake of his disruptions?</p><p>The next three titles profile three distinct subsets of the American electorate: Trump's most dedicated supporters, the Black and allied protestors who created the Black Lives Matter movement now aligned against Trump, and the diverse groups of women who together organized the first and still the largest protest against the Trump presidency – the day after he was sworn into office.</p><p>The last six titles step back to place these groups and their concerns in broader social and historical contexts.</p>
<p>A new Gallup/Knight Foundation report details the deepening divide in Americans' assessments of the news media. Then an economist explains why national debts and deficits don't mean what we think they do, a reassuring message for a country that has just spent $3 trillion on the coronavirus pandemic and has yet to get serious about climate change.</p><p>The last four titles reach back into history to explore previous times when Americans faced, and surmounted, crises. Two of these historic "moments" – the New Deal and World War II – have figured prominently in calls for action on climate change; they reappeared again this year when cities and states pressed for more aggressive federal action on the coronavirus crisis. Americans did rise to the occasion in the Great Depression and World War II, but, as the last two titles detail, the nation is still struggling to fulfill the promise it showed then.</p><p>The next chance to make good on those promissory notes comes over the next month. These 12 titles can prepare readers to make their choices on November 3rd – and then help them understand the consequences of the nation's choice afterwards.</p><p><span></span>As always, the descriptions of the titles in this list are drawn from copy provided by the publishers. If two dates of publication are offered, the second is for the paperback edition of the title.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/What-Were-We-Thinking/Carlos-Lozada/9781982145620" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">What Were We Thinking? A Brief Intellectual History of the Trump Era</a>, by Carlos Lozada (Simon & Schuster 2020, 272 pages, $28.00)</p><p><em>Washington Post book critic Carlos Lozada has read some 150 volumes that explain why Trump was elected and what his presidency reveals about our nation. Many of these, he's found, are more righteous than right. In What Were We Thinking, Lozada uses these books to tell the story of how we understand ourselves in the Trump era. Lozada's argument is provocative: many of these books – whether written by Trump's true believers or his harshest critics – are vulnerable to the same blind spots, resentments, and failures that gave us his presidency. But Lozada also highlights books that illuminate how America is changing. What Were We Thinking helps us transcend the battles of the moment and see ourselves for who we really are.</em></p><p><a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/trump-and-us/512B965B35BF73FEFF7DCD936C0E3C12" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Trump and Us: What He Says and Why We Listen</a>, by Roderick P. Hart (Cambridge University Press 2020, 280 pages, $24.95 paperback)</p><p><em></em><em>Why did 62 million Americans vote for Donald Trump? An expert in political language, Roderick P. Hart turns to Trump's words, voters' remarks, and media commentary for insight. The book offers the first systematic rhetorical analysis of Trump's 2016 campaign and early presidency, using text analysis and archives of earlier presidential campaigns to uncover deep emotional undercurrents in the country and to provide historical comparison. Hart pays close attention to the emotional dimensions of politics, above and beyond cognition and ideology. He argues it was not partisanship, policy, or economic factors that landed Trump in the Oval Office but rather how Trump made people feel.</em></p><p><em></em>See also <a href="https://www.tamupress.com/book/9781623499068/demagogue-for-president/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Demagogue for President: The Rhetorical Genius of Donald Trump</a> by Jennifer Mercieca (Texas A&M University Press 2020, 320 pages, $28.00)</p><p><a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-strange-case-of-donald-j-trump-9780197507445" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Strange Case of Donald J. Trump: A Psychological Reckoning</a>, by Dan P. McAdams (Oxford University Press 2020, 305 pages, $35.00)</p><p><em>The Strange Case of Donald J. Trump provides a coherent and nuanced psychological portrait of Donald Trump, drawing upon biographical events in the subject's life and contemporary scientific research and theory in personality, developmental, and social psychology. The book's central thesis is that Donald Trump is the episodic man. The chapters, written as stand-alone essays, build on each other to present a portrait of a person who compulsively lives in the moment. McAdams shows that Trump's utter lack of an inner life story is truly exceptional. This book is a remarkable case study, which should aid readers trying to reckon with the often confounding behavior and temperament of the 45th President of the United States.</em></p>
<p><a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-securitarian-personality-9780190096489" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Securitarian Personality: What Really Motivates Trump's Base and Why It Matters for the Post-Trump Era</a>, by John R. Hibbing (Oxford University Press 2020, 304 pages, $29.95)</p><p><em>In The Securitarian Personality, John R. Hibbing argues that an intense desire for authority is not central to those constituting Trump's base. Drawing from participant observation, focus groups, and a nationwide survey, Hibbing demonstrates that what Trump's base really craves is actually a specific form of security: threats they perceive to be emanating from human outsiders, defined broadly to include welfare cheats, unpatriotic athletes, norm violators, non-English speakers, religious and racial minorities, and certainly people from other countries. The central objective of these "securitarians" is to strive for protection for themselves, their families, and their dominant cultural group from these embodied outsider threats. In The Securitarian Personality, Hibbing radically reinterprets a political movement that will continue to influence American politics.</em></p><p><em></em><a href="https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520292710/making-all-black-lives-matter" target="_blank">Making All Black Lives Matter: Reimagining Freedom in the 21st Century</a>, by Barbara Ransby (University of California Press 2018, 240 pages, $18.95 paperback)</p><p><em>The breadth and impact of Black Lives Matter in the United States has been extraordinary. What began as outrage over the 2012 murder of Trayvon Martin and the exoneration of his killer, and accelerated during the Ferguson uprising of 2014, has evolved into a resurgent Black Freedom Movement, which includes a network of more than fifty organizations. In Making All Black Lives Matter, award-winning historian and longtime activist Barbara Ransby outlines the scope and genealogy of this movement, documenting its roots in Black feminist politics and situating it squarely in a Black radical tradition. Ransby maps the movement, profiles many of its lesser-known leaders, measures its impact, outlines its challenges, and looks toward its future.</em></p><p><em></em><a href="https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520301528/how-to-read-a-protest" target="_blank">How to Read a Protest: The Art of Organizing and Resistance</a>, by L.A. Kauffman (University of California Press 2018, 152 pages, $22.95)</p><p><em>When millions of people took to the streets for the 2017 Women's Marches, there was an unmistakable air of uprising. But what exactly do protests do, and how do they help movements win? In this original and richly illustrated account, organizer and journalist L.A. Kauffman delves into the history of America's major demonstrations, beginning with the legendary 1963 March on Washington, to reveal the ways protests work and how their character has shifted over time. Using the signs that demonstrators carry as clues to how protests are organized, Kauffman sheds new light on the catalytic power of collective action and the decentralized, bottom-up, women-led model that has transformed what movements look like and what they can accomplish.</em></p>
<p><a href="https://knightfoundation.org/reports/american-views-2020-trust-media-and-democracy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">American Views 2020: Trust, Media, and Democracy: A Deepening Divide</a>, a Gallup/Knight Foundation Survey (Gallup/Knight Foundation 2020, 63 pages, free download available <a href="https://knightfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/American-Views-2020-Trust-Media-and-Democracy.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>)</p><p><em>There is a widening gulf between American aspirations for and assessments of the news media. With each study, the American people render increasingly polarized judgments. For the 2020 American Views survey, Gallup and Knight polled more than 20,000 U.S. adults and found further partisan entrenchment about how the news media delivers on its democratic mandate for factual, trustworthy information. Republicans express more negative sentiments on every aspect of media performance compared to Democrats and independents. This report is based on data collected just before the coronavirus became a global pandemic and the movement for racial justice swept the nation. This update offers new insights into how the public is responding to these challenges in their own media consumption and their thoughts about how to address them.</em></p><p><em></em><a href="https://www.publicaffairsbooks.com/titles/stephanie-kelton/the-deficit-myth/9781541736184/" target="_blank">The Deficit Myth: Modern Monetary Theory and the Birth of the People's Economy</a>, by Stephanie Kelton (Public Affairs Books 2020, 336 pages, $30.00)</p><p><em>Any ambitious proposal to deal with crucial issues – poverty, inequality, health care, infrastructure, climate change – inevitably runs into the buzz saw of how to find the money to pay for it, rooted in myths about how deficits are hobbling us as a country. Economist Stephanie Kelton busts those myths: that the federal government should budget like a household, that deficits will harm the next generation, crowd out private investment, and undermine long-term growth, and that entitlements are propelling us toward a grave fiscal crisis. With its important new ways of understanding money, taxes, and the critical role of deficit spending, Modern Monetary Theory redefines how to responsibly use our resources so that we can maximize our potential as a society. MMT gives us the power to imagine a new politics and to move from a narrative of scarcity to one of opportunity.</em></p><p><em></em><a href="https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250244420" target="_blank">Four Threats: The Recurring Crises of American Democracy</a>, by Suzanne Mettler and Robert C. Lieberman (St. Martin's Press 2020, 304 pages, $28.99)</p><p><em>In Four Threats, Suzanne Mettler and Robert C. Lieberman explore five moments in history when democracy in the U.S. was under siege: the 1790s, the Civil War, the Gilded Age, the Depression, and Watergate. These episodes risked profound – even fatal – damage to the American democratic experiment. From this history, four distinct characteristics of disruption emerge. Political polarization, racism and nativism, economic inequality, and excessive executive power – alone or in combination – have threatened the survival of the republic. What is alarming about the present moment is that all four conditions exists at once. But by revisiting how earlier generations of Americans faced threats to the principles enshrined in the Constitution, we can chart a path toward repairing our civic fabric and renewing democracy.</em></p>
<p><a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Upswing/Robert-D-Putnam/9781982129149" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Upswing: How America Came Together a Century Ago and How We Can Do It Again</a>, by Robert Putnam (Simon & Schuster 2020, 480 pages, $32.50)</p><p><em>Deep and accelerating inequality; unprecedented political polarization; vitriolic public discourse; a fraying social fabric; public and private narcissism – Americans today seem to agree on only one thing: This is the worst of times. But we've been here before. During the Gilded Age of the late 1800s, America was highly individualistic, starkly unequal, fiercely polarized, and deeply fragmented. In a sweeping overview, drawing on his inimitable combination of statistical analysis and storytelling, Robert Putnam (author of the groundbreaking Bowling Alone) analyzes the confluence of trends that brought us from an "I" society to a "We" society and then back again. Drawing inspiring lessons from an earlier era, when a dedicated group of reformers righted the ship, Putnam charts a path to becoming a society once again based on community.</em></p><p><a href="https://groveatlantic.com/book/the-black-cabinet/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Black Cabinet: The Untold Story of African Americans and Politics During the Age of Roosevelt</a>, by Jill Watts (Grove Press 2020, 560 pages, $30)</p><p><em></em><em>In 1932 in the midst of the Great Depression, Franklin Delano Roosevelt won the presidency with the help of key African American defectors from the Republican Party. At the time, most African Americans lived in poverty, were denied citizenship rights, and were terrorized by white violence. As the New Deal began, a "black Brain Trust" joined the administration and began documenting and addressing the economic hardship and systemic inequalities African Americans faced, even in FDR's own administration. They became known as the Black Cabinet. Masterfully researched and dramatically told, The Black Cabinet brings to life a forgotten generation of leaders who fought post-Reconstruction racial apartheid and whose work served as a bridge that Civil Rights activists crossed to achieve the victories of the 1950s and '60s.</em></p><p><a href="https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300233780/year-peril" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Year of Peril: America in 1942</a>, by Tracy Campbell (Yale University Press 2020, 408 pages, $30)</p><p><em>The Second World War exists in the American historical imagination as a time of unity and optimism. In 1942, however, America seemed to be on the brink of defeat and was beginning to splinter from within. Historian Tracy Campbell portrays the social, economic, and political fault lines that pitted factions of citizens against each other after Pearl Harbor was attacked, even as the nation mobilized, government-aided industrial infrastructure blossomed, and parents sent their sons off to war. This captivating look at how American society responded to the greatest stress experienced since the Civil War reveals the various ways, both good and bad, that the trauma of 1942 forced Americans to redefine their relationship with democracy.</em></p><p><em></em>See also <a href="https://www.hbgacademic.com/titles/martha-s-jones/vanguard/9781549190155/" target="_blank">Vanguard: How Black Women Broke Barriers, Won the Vote, and Insisted on Equality for All</a>, by Martha S. Jones (Basic Books 2020, 352 pages, $30).</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2020/10/12-books-to-help-voters-think-climate-change-through-elections-prisms/" target="_blank">Yale Climate Connections</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) is seen speaking at SXSW in 2019. nrkbeta / Wikimedia Commons / CC by 2.0
By Jon Queally
Even as Vice President Mike Pence was busy "polluting the atmosphere with lies" about the climate crisis during Wednesday night's vice presidential debate, Democratic nominee Sen. Kamala Harris came under considerable criticism of her own after repeatedly highlighting Joe Biden's commitment to "not ban fracking" and an overall lackluster defense of the Green New Deal—the signature framework put forth by progressives and the scientific community to combat the threat of a rapidly warming world.
<p>"Fracking is bad, actually," <a href="https://twitter.com/AOC/status/1314018453192409102" target="_blank">tweeted</a> Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) after Harris repeatedly proclaimed, in response to Pence's charge that Democrats want to "abolish fossil fuels," that a Biden administration would not ban hydraulic fracturing.</p><p>Watch:</p>
<div id="c6c03" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4df2df029885ac2e1787b12e595872b5"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1314020385113944065" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Sen. Kamala Harris: "Joe Biden will not ban fracking. That is a fact. That is a fact." #VPDebate https://t.co/xVlwfapwUO</div> — The Hill (@The Hill)<a href="https://twitter.com/thehill/statuses/1314020385113944065">1602121847.0</a></blockquote></div><p>While Pence attacked Harris' support for the Green New Deal, which she co-sponsored in the U.S. Senate, backers of the proposal—a plan that would combat the existential planetary emergency by making major investments in renewable energy infrastructure projects that would create millions of jobs—pointed out that ending destructive fossil fuel extraction, including fracking, is a policy to embrace not run away from.</p>
<div id="41ed8" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b487ad0d2f2e66ca9343d06d593e203b"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1314036806233583616" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">So what IS the Green New Deal, anyway? https://t.co/hqjMSpgxDg</div> — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez)<a href="https://twitter.com/AOC/statuses/1314036806233583616">1602125762.0</a></blockquote></div><p>Outside observers also offered advice to the Biden campaign to step up its game if the Trump-Pence ticket is going to make attacking the Green New Deal part of its re-election strategy.</p>
<div id="bb369" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="67e28dde200063168ff78e7d2e198723"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1314018966302584832" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">THE GREEN NEW DEAL IS A JOBS PROGRAM. IT WOULD CREATE 20 MILLION JOBS. IT IS A GOOD THING. #Debates2020</div> — 💀🎃Briahna Joy Co-pay 🕸👻 (@💀🎃Briahna Joy Co-pay 🕸👻)<a href="https://twitter.com/briebriejoy/statuses/1314018966302584832">1602121509.0</a></blockquote></div><p>And as Ocasio-Cortez subsequently tweeted, the Green New Deal remains not only popular, but essential:</p>
<div id="74e28" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c17c18328bf659cbff10a638f3f67ad8"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1314019700549001218" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">The Green New Deal is and has been lied about nonstop, and yet is STILL popular. It’s a massive job-creation and i… https://t.co/8ICC1ukQZA</div> — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez)<a href="https://twitter.com/AOC/statuses/1314019700549001218">1602121684.0</a></blockquote></div><p>"Kamala is doing well," said Jamie Henn, co-founder of 350.org and director of Fossil Free Media, "but she'd be on even stronger ground if Biden had *endorsed* the Green New Deal. Far better to play offense than having to do this in-between approach."</p>
<div id="0f851" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9d8adad02bbbeeada523afd1783c4a9d"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1314019134427062272" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Majority of Pennsylvanians oppose fracking. Biden-Harris are pandering to a minority of voters here https://t.co/EmlNtRAmgv</div> — Mike Elk (@Mike Elk)<a href="https://twitter.com/MikeElk/statuses/1314019134427062272">1602121549.0</a></blockquote></div>
<div id="a99fa" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="eed4ac10228c61c8cecc2907603f1a46"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1314019183437455360" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Fracking sucks. It poisons people. It generates earthquakes. It destroys the land. #BanFracking #VPDebate2020</div> — Peter Daou (@Peter Daou)<a href="https://twitter.com/peterdaou/statuses/1314019183437455360">1602121561.0</a></blockquote></div><p><a href="https://twitter.com/_waleedshahid/status/1314024215566311424" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">According</a> to Waleed Shahid of the Justice Democrats, "I feel like Kamala Harris over-corrected way too much after being being attacked as the 'liberal Senator of California' on her climate crisis responses."</p>
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