Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has crafted the image of his far-fetched presidential bid as a Hail Mary to save the globe from climate change. Feet held to the fire, however, his answers, like those of most of his Democratic debate compatriots, seem to deal very little with the actual sources increasing greenhouse gas emissions.
When asked by MSNBC pundit whether Inslee’s climate plan saves Miami, he noted that he’s vitally “getting rid of the filibuster.” Sorry, but even the U.S. Senate doesn’t produce enough hot air to melt the polar ice caps. Inslee also noted that wind turbines can “cause jobs,” not cancer, as President Trump once said. Wind power also contributes 6.6% of the nation’s carbon neutral energy generation. It’s still beside the point.
Most Americans fear the ramifications of anthropogenic climate change. One would thus assume that the climate change candidate would be primarily interested in minimizing greenhouse gas emissions, that this would come first, ahead of amorphous concepts such as racial justice, partisan slams, and the oft-celebrated but equally obfuscated concept of “workers’ rights.”
Four presidential contenders, including failed senatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke, former Obama appointee Julián Castro, and Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker, cited climate change as at least one aspect of the greatest geopolitical threat to the United States. Inslee instead cited Trump. It was a sick burn, but it kind of exposed him.
Our greatest existential threat is climate change.
— Beto O’Rourke (@BetoORourke) June 27, 2019
Meanwhile, let’s talk about nuclear power, which the Left despises. This completely carbon-neutral source of electricity, which provides one-fifth of the country’s total energy, is the only answer if you’re serious about climate change.
No matter that supposedly woke heroes such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and her Green New Deal supporters vilify nuclear, but the scientific consensus is clear. Nuclear is what has made France the most climate-friendly developed nation on the planet, generating some three-quarters of its total energy. There’s also hydroelectric, which is carbon-free and a very big deal in Washington state, but also hated by environmentalists.
Inslee refused to use his first, and perhaps only, foray onto the national stage to discuss nuclear, the world’s greatest weapon against climate change, or dams. His supposedly expert climate change plans make no mention of nuclear. Dams are only mentioned in terms of infrastructure, not energy.
The senators who co-sponsored the Green New Deal avoided mention of it tonight, much like they voted “present” on the Senate floor when it came up. Climate change is an existential threat, sure, but one that doesn’t matter too much. Might as well muddy it up with a federal jobs guarantee and racial justice and transgender abortions. Or something.
The fact remains that Democratic politicians co-signed onto the Green New Deal without understanding the first thing about its risible cow-slaughtering, air-travel-killing contents. Warren, Amy Klobuchar, or Cory Booker could have all simply justified their performative support for the GND with replacement plans. Instead, they either deflected or ignored the question entirely.
Just one front-runner has added nuclear power to his presidential platform — the same candidate who has promised to use diplomacy to coerce China into reducing GHG emissions. That’s Joe Biden, and he will take center stage tonight.
