Biden defends record on climate, says plan coming 'very shortly'

[webfact]

Biden defends record on climate, says plan coming 'very shortly'

By Valerie Volcovici

 

Democratic 2020 U.S. presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden speaks at a campaign stop in Manchester, New Hampshire, U.S., May 13, 2019. REUTERS/Brian Snyder/Files

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former Vice President Joe Biden on Tuesday defended his environmental record and said he would release the "totality" of his climate change plan "very shortly," after Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez accused him of not being aggressive enough on the issue.

 

"She'll find that nobody has been more consistent about taking on the environment and a green revolution than I am," Biden told reporters in New Hampshire, when asked about Ocasio-Cortez's remarks at a Washington rally Monday night in support of her Green New Deal platform.

 

The Monday event also featured Biden's Democratic rival and Green New Deal backer Bernie Sanders, a Vermont Senator, and Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey, who co-authored the congressional resolution with Ocasio-Cortez.

 

The Green New Deal calls for drastic measures to shift the United States to 100 percent renewable energy in 10 years, as well as government-funded programs for green job retraining and aiding communities that will lose jobs amid the fossil fuel transition.

 

Ocasio-Cortez did not mention Biden by name but criticized him after a Reuters report on Friday that said he was seeking to craft a climate change policy that can win the support of both environmentalists and blue collar workers concerned about a rapid shift away from fossil fuels.

 

The report said Biden may build his climate strategy by restoring some of the Obama-era climate policies that have been undone by President Donald Trump and could be open to the continued use of natural gas and nuclear power to achieve emissions reductions.

 

"If the same politicians who refused to act then are going to try to come back today and say we need to have a 'middle of the road approach' to save our lives, that is too much for me," Ocasio-Cortez said at the rally.

 

Biden, the front-runner in a crowded field of Democratic presidential contenders, retorted on Tuesday: "I've never been middle of the road on the environment."

 

He said he had introduced the first climate change legislation in Congress in the late-1980s and worked during the Obama administration to help put billions toward clean energy spending in the economic stimulus package.

 

Activist environmental groups such as the Sunrise Movement have been scrutinizing candidates' climate change agendas, threatening to call them out for failing to live up to some of the goals of the Green New Deal.

 

But labor unions have been wary of Democrats' embrace of the agenda, fearing job losses in the fossil fuel and manufacturing sectors and doubtful of promised programs to re-train workers.

 

(Reporting by Valerie Volcovici; Editing by Tom Brown)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-05-15

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[quandow]

Recently Biden had a "rally" at a coffee shop and he couldn't fill it with supporters. Remember the "rallies" Hillary held? Same same. Trump has this correct about the fake news regarding Sleepy Uncle Joe - The media is going full rabid frenzy showing false polls of Pervy Uncle Joe leading Dems by double digits. If the powers that be cram Biden down the throats of the Democratic party like they did Hillary in 2016, then Trump is guaranteed another four years.

[helpisgood]

One must ask if the Dem's women voters, the people of color, non-straight people and the younger generation will be excited about putting up an old, white guy (born in '42) who has been around with the party's establishment (was he just lucky to get that VP job?) with such a diversified field of candidates that the Dems now have, esp. since they likely will be up against another old, white guy in the general election.  Split the vote during the Dem primaries?

 

Oh yeah, the Me Too Movement may not encourage some ladies to go to the polls for Joe.    

 

Sure, Bernie's an old, white guy - not that I am making an endorsement here - but he excited large crowds by going energetically after the wealthy and the bankers.  

[thaibeachlovers]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

He said he had introduced the first climate change legislation in Congress in the late-1980s and worked during the Obama administration to help put billions toward clean energy spending in the economic stimulus package.

Is this what he is referring to?

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solyndra

 

Solyndra received a $535 million U.S. Energy Department loan guarantee, the first recipient of a loan guarantee under President Barack Obama's economic stimulus program, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.^[16] While the overall loan program was in the black in 2014, it took a $528 million loss from Solyndra.^[17]

[thaibeachlovers]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

The Green New Deal calls for drastic measures to shift the United States to 100 percent renewable energy in 10 years, as well as government-funded programs for green job retraining and aiding communities that will lose jobs amid the fossil fuel transition.

Does any sane person think that is a realistic goal or if it is even possible in 10 years?

Have they even spelled out what they mean by 100% renewable or the ominous "drastic measures"?

[BritManToo]

Any country that seriously believed in anthropomorphic climate change would immediately ban all recreational air travel and private vehicle ownership.

That they don't makes me believe it isn't real, but only a control and tax gathering exercise.

Edited May 15, 2019 by BritManToo

[DoctorG]

AOC is now walking back her "12 years" comment, saying it was a joke. Yeh, right!

[Boon Mee]

3 hours ago, quandow said:

Recently Biden had a "rally" at a coffee shop and he couldn't fill it with supporters. Remember the "rallies" Hillary held? Same same. Trump has this correct about the fake news regarding Sleepy Uncle Joe - The media is going full rabid frenzy showing false polls of Pervy Uncle Joe leading Dems by double digTrits. If the powers that be cram Biden down the throats of the Democratic party like they did Hillary in 2016, then Trump is guaranteed another four years.

Trump is guaranteed another 4 years no matter if the Dems draft Mother Theresa. 

Seen the US economy lately? 

[thaibeachlovers]

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

Any country that seriously believed in anthropomorphic climate change would immediately ban all recreational air travel and private vehicle ownership.

That they don't makes me believe it isn't real, but only a control and tax gathering exercise.

As I've been saying for ages now.

IMO either governments know it's a hoax and want to use it to tax things, or they know there is nothing they can do about it. I've also been saying the latter for ages too.

Meanwhile, I'm still waiting for someone to come up with realistic solutions that are affordable, effective and acceptable. I'm not holding my breath though.

[Krataiboy]

Biden his time.

[Krataiboy]

2 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Does any sane person think that is a realistic goal or if it is even possible in 10 years?

 

Ocasio-Cortez does, which tells us (and hopefully the US electorate) all we need to know about her state of mental health.

Edited May 15, 2019 by Krataiboy

[user46546545]

 Biden was the one and only thing that made Obama look good.

Biden has no trouble stretching and manufacturing the truth  and even lying just like Obama and Trump. America it seems believes that you just can’t have too many of these guys around.

[thaibeachlovers]

8 minutes ago, IHTE said:

 Biden was the one and only thing that made Obama look good.

Biden has no trouble stretching and manufacturing the truth  and even lying just like Obama and Trump. America it seems believes that you just can’t have too many of these guys around.

The Washington bubble is self perpetuating, and has even managed, IMO, to make rank outsider Trump into one of the club.

Short of making a constitutional amendment to limit ALL congress people to 2 terms, and banning lobbying, I can't see anything changing.

[Tug]

4 hours ago, Boon Mee said:

Trump is guaranteed another 4 years no matter if the Dems draft Mother Theresa. 

Seen the US economy lately? 

Why yes I have!it will now cost me 25%more to build anything not getting anything for the extra 25% just an extra tax!ive watched the stock market very unstable I’ve watched the deficit ballooning yup I’ve seen the economy it’s stressed big time!hopefull the majority of Americans aren’t marks and vote that fraud another 4 years

[quandow]

6 hours ago, Boon Mee said:

Trump is guaranteed another 4 years no matter if the Dems draft Mother Theresa. 

Seen the US economy lately? 

Yeah. The Dow just took a nosedive.

[metisdead]

A troll post has been removed. 

[Jingthing]

Recently Biden had a "rally" at a coffee shop and he couldn't fill it with supporters. Remember the "rallies" Hillary held? Same same. Trump has this correct about the fake news regarding Sleepy Uncle Joe - The media is going full rabid frenzy showing false polls of Pervy Uncle Joe leading Dems by double digits. If the powers that be cram Biden down the throats of the Democratic party like they did Hillary in 2016, then Trump is guaranteed another four years.

Pervy applied to the wrong candidate in this instance.

Sent from my Lenovo A7020a48 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Jingthing]

One must ask if the Dem's women voters, the people of color, non-straight people and the younger generation will be excited about putting up an old, white guy (born in '42) who has been around with the party's establishment (was he just lucky to get that VP job?) with such a diversified field of candidates that the Dems now have, esp. since they likely will be up against another old, white guy in the general election.  Split the vote during the Dem primaries?
 
Oh yeah, the Me Too Movement may not encourage some ladies to go to the polls for Joe.    
 
Sure, Bernie's an old, white guy - not that I am making an endorsement here - but he excited large crowds by going energetically after the wealthy and the bankers.  

Bernie has faded.
Democrats will be excited by beating 45 with whoever.

Sent from my Lenovo A7020a48 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[quandow]

4 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Bernie has faded.

Not at all. He still draws the largest crowds, has more individual donors than any other candidate to date, was the first to unionize his campaign staff, and would be the best candidate to energize Independent voters. And it's THEY who will determine who wins 2020, either by voting for someone they can get behind or ignoring a bleached flour Wall St sycophant like Pervy Uncle Joe.

[Tug]

25 minutes ago, quandow said:

Not at all. He still draws the largest crowds, has more individual donors than any other candidate to date, was the first to unionize his campaign staff, and would be the best candidate to energize Independent voters. And it's THEY who will determine who wins 2020, either by voting for someone they can get behind or ignoring a bleached flour Wall St sycophant like Pervy Uncle Joe.

Wall Street sycophant lol and Donald isent lol you are funney!!!

[Stargeezr]

The GREEN people, like Canadas, PM, should google, just how many products are made from oil.

  Most plastics, most of the stuff in cell phones, or in TVs and computor moniters, the guts of all computors as well. Everything in any vehicle that isvnot metal, or the bit of leather on the seats, and steering wheels of fancy cars. Sports sneakers, and clothing, that have lycra, or spandex, etc.

 I thank the petro chemical industry that has helped us all in so many ways. Go Biden go!, same for anyone who is running against Trump in the next election.

Geezer

[Tug]

3 minutes ago, Stargrazer9889 said:

The GREEN people, like Canadas, PM, should google, just how many products are made from oil.

  Most plastics, most of the stuff in cell phones, or in TVs and computor moniters, the guts of all computors as well. Everything in any vehicle that isvnot metal, or the bit of leather on the seats, and steering wheels of fancy cars. Sports sneakers, and clothing, that have lycra, or spandex, etc.

 I thank the petro chemical industry that has helped us all in so many ways. Go Biden go!, same for anyone who is running against Trump in the next election.

Geezer

I’m in agreement with you but we do need to use much more renewables as we wean ourselves off fossil fuels save that stuff for products not for transportation or electricity this will take time and we need to be mindful of the people who earn their living in this industry 

[thaibeachlovers]

On ‎5‎/‎16‎/‎2019 at 1:23 AM, quandow said:

Yeah. The Dow just took a nosedive.

Most people won't give a rat's bottom if the Dow disappeared yesterday. 

 

BTW

the Wall Street Journal of 17 May ( I googled ) notes that the Dow has gone back up again.

What falls, rises again.

Edited May 17, 2019 by thaibeachlovers

[bristolboy]

On 5/16/2019 at 7:24 AM, Stargrazer9889 said:

The GREEN people, like Canadas, PM, should google, just how many products are made from oil.

  Most plastics, most of the stuff in cell phones, or in TVs and computor moniters, the guts of all computors as well. Everything in any vehicle that isvnot metal, or the bit of leather on the seats, and steering wheels of fancy cars. Sports sneakers, and clothing, that have lycra, or spandex, etc.

 I thank the petro chemical industry that has helped us all in so many ways. Go Biden go!, same for anyone who is running against Trump in the next election.

Geezer

All the more reason not to burn oil but save it for more productive uses.

[thaibeachlovers]

On ‎5‎/‎17‎/‎2019 at 10:23 PM, bristolboy said:

All the more reason not to burn oil but save it for more productive uses.

Even better to set up a proper recycling system and re use all the plastic presently wasted. Of course that would require governments to actually do something useful, so I'm not holding my breath on that. Most plastic will continue to end up in landfills or the ocean.