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I wrote a new story for @theintercept on factions within the Democratic climate coalition, and what we're likely see in the months ahead. Going to lay out some of the reporting in a thread.
!!!!!!!! /1 https://theintercept.com/2021/01/21/bluegreen-alliance-biden-climate/
!!!!!!!! /1 https://theintercept.com/2021/01/21/bluegreen-alliance-biden-climate/
BlueGreen Alliance ( @BGAlliance) â a coalition of âBig Greenâ environmental groups and 6 national labor unions is staffing up big for Biden era, recently advertising for 11 new jobs, including the 15-year-old groupâs first field organizers and federal campaign manager. /2
BlueGreen endorses net zero emissions by 2050, being âsolidly on a pathâ to that goal by 2030, and creating good union jobs in the process. The coalition also supports carbon-capture tech, has no position on fracking, and stays out of pipeline debates. /3
Unlike other climate groups, BlueGreen steers away from rhetoric about ending fossil fuel industry. Decarbonization, they say, is the goal. âWeâre focused on what unites labor and environment âŠ[and] weâll need that unity, we have literally no votes to spare.â -Jason Walsh, ED /4
So far nearly all climate groups have praised the Biden campaign + transition team for listening to their concerns, and personnel picks. Erich Pica, of @foe_us, said Bidenâs team is âone of the most open and transparent campaigns that Iâve worked with over the last 20 yearsâ /5
While there is considerable overlap in goals among climate groups, real differences also exist, particularly around carbon capture, natural gas, and nuclear energy. Many of these differences were relatively muffled during the campaign season + with GOP political control. /6
In Sept, the House overwhelmingly passed an energy bill, but it did have 18 Democratic dissenting votes, including @AOC, @Ilhan, and @RashidaTlaib. Critics of carbon-capture were proud of that margin, and are prepared to pressure more lawmakers on similar ground under Biden /7
These groups argue that if Biden's admin wants to make good on its commitment to environmental justice, then they have to more proactively close down fossil fuel infrastructure, reject CCS, etc. /8
On the other hand, @BGAlliance and their allies note, correctly, that while many left-wing climate groups say they support a âjust transitionâ for workers and want to elevate unions and worker concerns, very few have real relationships with organized labor. BlueGreen does /9
BlueGreen leaders think the expectation that they call for ending the fossil fuel industry even prior to having any sort of real alternative in place is unrealistic and reflects something of an insincere commitment from left-wing groups to working with organized labor /10
& it should be noted that unions in BGA are not just those in the fossil fuel industry. Two major unions that actually endorsed the federal Green New Deal resolution, AFT and SEIU, are coalition members. CWA also endorsed BlueGreen's climate platform, published in 2019 /11
While Bidenâs team is clearly receptive to ideas of BlueGreen, theyâve also shown willingness to go beyond. Yesterday they rescinded permit for Keystone XL pipeline, and during campaign said gov should "go after" fossil fuel industry to hold it accountable for climate change /12
âThatâs all a testament to how far the movement has come,â said @collinrees, of @OilChangeUS. âBecause for all the things that Joe Biden is, heâs not a radical politician.â
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