How The Debate On The Climate Crisis Ricocheted From Planet Earth To Planet Trump
“We’re running out of time so we gotta get on to climate change,” moderator Kristen Welker said as the final presidential debate of 2020 came to a close. Unintentionally, it was the truest and most tragic statement of the night. And it brought plans from two different planets. The United Nations climate panel suggests that the planet must cut emissions in half in just 10 years and hitting Biden’s net zero goals by 2035 will require seismic, head-spinning changes in every sector of the world’s largest economy as fossil fuel giants strand trillions in known reserves. “Our health and our jobs are at stake,” says Biden. “They want to knock down buildings and build new buildings with little, tiny small windows,” says Trump. And two planets collide.
By Bill Weir. CNN. October 23, 2020.
A Debate Pledge To ‘Transition’ From Oil Puts Climate At Center Of Campaign Finale
Joseph R. Biden’s pledge Thursday night to “transition away from the oil industry” to address global warming put the topic of climate change on center stage for the final stretch of a campaign year in which the issue has played a larger role than ever. Mr. Biden’s statement in the closing moments of Thursday’s debate gave President Trump what his campaign saw as an enormous opportunity to blunt his opponent’s appeal to working-class voters. Mr. Biden’s campaign tried to downplay it, saying he was merely stating that he would phase out longstanding tax subsidies for the oil industry. But transitioning away from fossil fuels is the inevitable end game of Mr. Biden’s promise to end net carbon pollution by 2050. That policy has energized some young voters and helped unite the Democrats’ left and moderate wings, but has always carried risks for Mr. Biden.
By Lisa Friedman. New York Times. October 23, 2020.
