6m ago
04:06
Analysis: Trump v Biden on climate change
Emily
Holden
In the
final minutes of the debate, when the candidates were finally asked what they
would do to address the climate crisis, Trump offered an alternate reality. In
his world, fossil fuels are clean and renewable power is problematic, his
administration has cleaned up the air and water despite rolling back
protections, and we can fix climate change just by planting trees.
Biden
presented a climate plan and a sober assessment of where we stand, and calling
climate change an existential threat that we will pass a point of no return for
within eight years.
Trump
argued Biden’s plan would cost $100 trillion, was written by “AOC plus three,”
and would tear down buildings just to rebuild them again with smaller windows,
or no windows at all--none of which is true. He insisted he wants the US to
have the cleanest air and water, despite his administration slashing dozens of
rules meant to protect public health and the environment and consistently
making decisions in favor of the fossil fuels industry.
Trump
praised natural gas as “very clean,” and complained that wind power kills birds
and solar power isn’t ready yet. “We’re going to have the greatest economy in
the world but if you want to kill the economy, get rid of your oil industry,”
he said, while accusing Biden of wanting to ban fracking – a way of extracting
oil and gas that has vastly increased US production.
Trump said
Biden flip-flopped when he realized he would need to win Pennsylvania – a swing
state with extensive fracking. And Biden dared Trump to publish his evidence
that he did. Biden plans to try to slash US climate pollution to essentially
zero by 2050, but he has often steered clear of statements about the end of
fossil fuels – until tonight.
“I would
transition from the oil industry, yes…because the oil industry pollutes,” Biden
said. Biden said he would not ban fracking but over time would work to capture
emissions from fracked gas – a technology that is not currently available at
scale. Biden also said he would hold countries like China to their climate
promises, while Trump argued the Paris international climate agreement would’ve
tanked business.
Asked about
people who live near polluting facilities like refineries and chemical plants –
who are far more likely to be people of color – Trump dodged the question and
said that racial minorities have seen economic gains under his administration
and that “everybody has very inexpensive gasoline.
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