Donald Takes A Sharpie to Dorian While Dems Discuss Climate Danger
The phrase “you can’t make this stuff up, folks” will be the way this era is remembered in history.
So far this week, the President used two fake maps to “prove” a false assertion made about the path of hurricane Dorian. He claimed Alabama was in danger. The national weather service corrected him, and then went silent, lest their funding be diverted to build The Wall.
Presidential aides said nothing as an early NOAA map was displayed with a sharpie drawn bulge “correction.” Then a photo-shopped map originally produced by a water district was released.
https://twitter.com/SethAbramson/status/1169397362059444224?s=20
https://twitter.com/DougMuise/status/1169396654715224064?s=20
Obviously these toadies in the White House can make this stuff up. The fundamental putrefaction of modern day capitalism is proven by the fact that these suits could be tomorrow’s business “leaders.”
https://twitter.com/kurtbardella/status/1169443429241241600?s=20
As the fourth category five hurricane during the president’s first term approached the US mainland, the administration announced plans to allow inefficient light bulbs to continue being sold.
A popular GOP talking point in the not-so-distant past blamed the Obama administration for requirements that most light bulbs sold in the United States must be either LEDs or fluorescent to meet new efficiency standards.
From the New York Times:
The rules being weakened, which dated from 2007 and the administration of President George W. Bush and slated to start in the new year, would have all but ended the era of the incandescent bulb invented more than a century ago. Eliminating inefficient bulbs nationwide would save electricity equivalent to the output of at least 25 large power plants, enough to power all homes in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, according to an estimate by the Natural Resources Defense Council.
As Elizabeth Warren pointed out in CNN’s marathon climate change forum for Democratic presidential candidates, this sort of petulant policy making goes beyond “owning the libs;” it’s meant to distract from the much bigger conversation we need to be having about keeping the planet habitable.
Once again, the Trump administration DOES make this stuff up. The Trump campaign released a video making it seem like Warren’s saying the opposite of what she actually said on CNN.
Exhibit A:
https://twitter.com/ParkerMolloy/status/1169561346796675072?s=20
CNN’s Climate Change forum was a significant event, even it was formatted in a manner making side by side comparisons of candidate’s plans impossible.
For those who did watch, differences (gasp!) between the candidates on their vision did emerge, as Alexander Kaufman noted at the Huffington Post:
On fracking, Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) called for total bans on the natural gas extraction process, while former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) made vague promises to review the safety of existing wells.
On nuclear power, businessman Andrew Yang and Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) envisioned a new age of reactors, while others lamented radioactive waste. Dividing lines over whether to end the filibuster, the Senate procedure some fear would obstruct the passage of climate legislation, also became clearer as Harris joined Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) in denouncing the practice and Sanders held up an obscure budgetary tool to get around the issue.
The back-to-back forums, which went until midnight, highlighted the complexity of overhauling the entire global economy and added heft to activists’ calls for a full-on debate on the climate crisis. Though audience questions served as useful proxies for the candidates’ differences, it’s difficult to imagine most voters watching the full slate of town halls and analyzing the distinctions.
Members of the Sunrise Movement, a youth-oriented group that has pushed hard for a standalone Democratic debate on climate change, were ready with questions going beyond the usual deferential bs heard at such events.
Young people asked some of the toughest, most pointed questions of the night, holding Democrats’ feet to the fire at every turn.
Sila Inanoglu, a high school student, asked Julián Castro, who supported fracking as mayor of San Antonio, “Why should we trust you as president to transition our economy to renewables?”
Ari Papahronis, a Columbia University student, asked Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota whether she would “take on the beef and dairy industries that have so much influence in our government” given the agriculture-rich state she represents.
And Isaac Larkin, a 27-year-old Ph.D. candidate at Northwestern, caused a stir when he asked former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., “How can we trust you to hold these corporations and executives accountable for their crimes against humanity when we know that tomorrow you are holding a high-dollar fund-raiser hosted by Andrew Goldman, a fossil fuel executive?”
Both the moderator, Anderson Cooper, and Mr. Biden pointed out that Mr. Goldman, a co-founder of a natural gas production company, has no current role with the firm. But the question forced Mr. Biden to use much of his 40-minute segment to explain how his link to Mr. Goldman did not violate his pledge to avoid donations from the fossil fuel industry.
The headlines (with links) at the New York Times give a glimpse into how the CNN forum was perceived.
Cory Booker Says Every Policy Should Be Informed by Climate Change
Beto O’Rourke Revives Cap-and-Trade Idea for Carbon Emissions
Elizabeth Warren, at Climate Town Hall, Says Action Must Focus on 3 Industries
Kamala Harris, Invoking Wildfires at Climate Town Hall, Says Polluters Should Be Taken to Court
Andrew Yang Says Economic Incentives Are Crucial for Climate Action
https://twitter.com/washingtonpost/status/1169622601112674309?s=20
Hey folks! Be sure to like/follow Words & Deeds on Facebook. If you’d like to have each post emailed to you check out the simple subscription form on the right side of the front page.
Email me at DougPorter@WordsAndDeedsBlog.com