President Joe Biden says that he expects coal and oil drilling activities to go away.
Key Details
- President Joe Biden spoke out against coal power and oil drilling this weekend in two press events.
- Speaking at a California event promoting the CHIPS and Science Act on Friday, the president said that coal power plants across the country are going to be shut down to shift toward wind power.
- He made a subsequent unscripted comment at a rally for New York Governor Kathy Hochul on Sunday saying that there will be no more new oil drilling during his presidency.
- Both comments come just before the Tuesday, November 8, midterm election.
Why it’s News
The Democratic Party is pushing climate justice and environmental initiatives as one of the leading referendums of its platform for tomorrow’s midterm. While a recent Yale University study shows that 64% of voters are somewhat or very concerned about climate change, Axios data reports that the most important issues on the ballot are economic issues like jobs, taxes, and wages.
Coal jobs are a sensitive topic among working-class voters. West Virginia and other states reliant on the coal industry saw an upsurge in GOP support during the 2016 election after Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton spoke about plans to rein in their industries. The Republican National Committee responded to the president’s comments saying: “Joe Biden celebrates coal plant workers losing their jobs.”
The GOP is positioned to slow or reverse climate initiatives if they take control of Congress. President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act on August 16, which invests $369 billion into clean-energy investments. Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy has said that his first legislation if the GOP takes control of Congress in January is to attempt to reverse the law.
At the moment, fossil fuels play an important role in keeping the economy functioning until the green revolution is in full swing. As we previously reported, the International Energy Agency expects an upswing in fossil fuel use over the next two decades before a gradual decrease after 2050. Green energy is important but fossil fuels aren’t going away anytime soon.
