Which Democrat would actually reduce climate-harming economic activity?

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Biden mentioned at some point having less cars but then his eye started bleeding and he didn't mention anything further about transportation/infrastructure-oriented climate reform.

Bernie/AOC/Democratic-Socialism put forth a 'Green New Deal,' but it really just boiled down to paying people to have meetings among diverse representatives of different population groups, which would result in compromises that pay off needy people in exchange for giving business a pass to avoid serious climate reforms that require economic sacrifice.

Warren has no climate aspirations, as far as I know, besides maybe subsidizing renewable power. Basically Warren's solution for everything is more subsidies, loan forgiveness, and money.

Buttigieg, I think, might see a carbon tax as a solution. Actually, all Democrats probably think a carbon tax is the solution because it's a tax.

Am I missing anything that candidates have said or promised regarding climate reform?

Which of these candidates do you think is most likely to actually produce real climate reforms 'on the ground,' beyond more renewable energy investment and EV subsidies? I.e. which candidate could actually generate popular transportation and infrastructure reforms that transition more people to transit and reduce pavement and land development that removes trees and/or fails to add more trees to existing developments?

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None will succeed without the taking of the Senate.

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@livinglava,

Quote:

How Mike Will Get It Done:

Completely phase out carbon emissions in the electricity sector

Work with all levels of government to expedite clean energy projects

Invest first in communities that have suffered most or have been left behind

Hold corporations responsible for the damages they have created

Restore the effectiveness of the Environmental Protection Agency

Bloomberg is serious about climate.

Quote:

On climate change, Bloomberg has experience unmatched in the presidential field—in international diplomacy through the UN and the Financial Stability Board; in philanthropy through the Sierra Club and the state and local coalitions he helped to build; and in managing New York City through crisis and recovery. Many credit him with laying the groundwork for state approval in early 2019 of a plan to cut New York City traffic through congestion pricing—an effort that makes him the only presidential candidate with vital experience as a government executive negotiating with a recalcitrant legislature over climate issues.

But to many ardent climate activists, the idea of backing a billionaire is out of step with the youth-led, economic-justice-focused agenda of the Green New Deal era. Bloomberg has made a nod to these voters, with his ubiquitous TV ads stressing that he'll stand up to the coal lobby and raise taxes on the wealthy, while he clearly positions himself to capture more moderate voters. It's not clear that his late entry into the race will give Bloomberg enough time to build the support he would need across the wide range of the Democratic coalition to win the party's nomination.

insideclimatenews

(I'm not endorsing the guy but I'd vote for him.)

1 Reply

@Sturgis,

Quote:

None will succeed without the taking of the Senate.

A recession would probably help and take effect more quickly than legislation. Similarly, coronavirus is doing a pretty good job of slowing China's economy down.

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Which Democrat would actually reduce climate-harming economic activity?

1. Unless the democrats win the White House, win the Senate, and keep the House, no democrat would be successful in actually reducing climate-harming economic activity.

2. If the republicans have any power, the republicans will surely obstruct and prevent any reduction from ever seeing the light of day.

3. If we ever expect to have any chance of reducing climate-harming economic activity, we have to make sure that the democrats have all the power. Otherwise there is no chance of it ever seeing the light of day. Because the republicans will obstruct and make damn sure that it never sees the light of day.

1 Reply

@hightor,

hightor wrote:

Completely phase out carbon emissions in the electricity sector

Gas has been dominating markets anyway, and fracking is harmful despite gas causing less CO2. So killing coal power plants is just a superficial victory to claim he made a real difference, which will cause the public to think they have achieved more than they actually have and thus deem themselves 'done for a while,' with climate reform.

Quote:

Work with all levels of government to expedite clean energy projects

What will he do to reduce overall energy consumption instead of doing the typical economist/business greenwash of emphasizing more clean energy in order to avoid the harder question of how to reduce overall energy use by reducing per-capita energy use/consumption.

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Invest first in communities that have suffered most or have been left behind

In other words, exempt richer communities from reforms as long as their are poorer communities being left behind by them? Way to incentivize leaving poor communities behind so that richer communities can delay reforms longer.

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Hold corporations responsible for the damages they have created

Ok, so tax/fine/sue corporations in order to get more money from them and thus stimulate them to work harder to make more money, which will cause them to generate more waste in the process of getting more sales.

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Restore the effectiveness of the Environmental Protection Agency

Someone should look at how much revenue the EPA generates in fines and compare the effects on business activity. I would guess more waste is caused by a stricter EPA then one with less power, but of course that is only because business and consumers don't police themselves against waste that's not explicitly regulated as long as it is economically normal waste.

Quote:

On climate change, Bloomberg has experience unmatched in the presidential field—in international diplomacy through the UN and the Financial Stability Board; in philanthropy through the Sierra Club and the state and local coalitions he helped to build; and in managing New York City through crisis and recovery. Many credit him with laying the groundwork for state approval in early 2019 of a plan to cut New York City traffic through congestion pricing—an effort that makes him the only presidential candidate with vital experience as a government executive negotiating with a recalcitrant legislature over climate issues.

Pushing more people out of driving in NYC is very different than getting people in places with more sprawl to adopt transit-based lifestyles.

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@Real Music,

Real Music wrote:

Quote:
Which Democrat would actually reduce climate-harming economic activity?

1. Unless the democrats win the White House, win the Senate, and keep the House, no democrat would be successful in actually reducing climate-harming economic activity.

I don't think the government controls it, but rather the private sector and consumer choice.

Quote:

2. If the republicans have any power, the republicans will surely obstruct and prevent any reduction from ever seeing the light of day.

The more you tax carbon, fuel, etc. the more incentive there is for government and those who benefit from government to increase government revenues by triggering more taxes/fines/etc.

Quote:

3. If we ever expect to have any chance of reducing climate-harming economic activity, we have to make sure that the democrats have all the power. Otherwise there is no chance of it ever seeing the light of day. Because the republicans will obstruct and make damn sure that it never sees the light of day.

I think that is the big myth that blocks climate reform from happening, because everything the Democrats do to solve climate/environmental problems, or any other problems for that matter, involving upping stimulus spending, which invigorates the economy, which causes businesses and the public to fight harder against reforms because change is always less attractive when the economy is growing due to the stimulus.

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Which Democrat would actually reduce climate-harming economic activity?

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