CLAREMONT, New Hampshire — Joe Biden criticized Democratic primary rival Bernie Sanders’s climate plan, indicating to a voter that it was unrealistic.
After speaking to a crowd of about 200, Biden greeted voters, and woman who identified herself as Ann asked Biden about his plans to tackle climate change.
“Bernie’s plan is pretty impressive,” Ann said. “What they’re comparing their plan to — ”
“Not a single solitary scientist think it’d work,” Biden said, interrupting. “You can not get to zero emissions by 2030. It’s impossible.”
In the conversation, Biden, 77, said that he has the global leadership skills to bring the world together to combat climate change. He mentioned that rainforests in other countries are burning, which is not good since rainforests can “sink” carbon.
“It absorbs more carbon from the air than every single solitary bit of carbon that America puts in the air on a daily basis,” Biden said.
Biden also claimed credit for a $100 million initiative that he said reducing the cost of solar and wind to the price of coal. “I did that,” he said.
“What we can do is we can radically reduce the amount of — of fossil fuel,” Biden said.
[Related: Sanders undercuts Biden on climate change: The way we were is ‘not good enough’]
Joe Biden slams Bernie Sanders’ climate plan:
“There’s not a single solitary scientist that thinks it can work.”
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— Chris Martin (@chrisjdmartin) January 24, 2020
As Biden greeted voters, climate protesters from progressive group RAD-NH stood in a corner and chanted “2050 is too late,” barely audible over loud music.
Later, Biden confronted one of the protesters.
“Honestly, I don’t understand why you believe that waiting so long,” a young woman said.
Biden said something to her, inaudible to reporters and cameras.
“Find me any scientist that says 2050 is not too late,” the young protester yelled at him. Biden’s staff then ushered him out of the room.
Biden is often confronted by climate protesters on the campaign trail.
