The week
John Kerry: American workers ‘fed a false narrative’ that the shift to clean energy is ‘coming at their expense’
President Biden on Wednesday turned his attention to climate issues, signing executive orders aimed at preventing new oil and gas leases on public land and waters, conserving 30 percent of federal land and waters by 2030 and finding ways to double the wind production for the same year. John Kerry, the first United States Climate Envoy, defended the actions, reiterating his belief that the climate crisis is “existential” and “failure, literally, is not an option”. While informing reporters, Kerry was asked about the potential job losses in the fossil fuel industry and whether he had a message for workers who believe they are witnessing the end of their livelihoods. Kerry explained that these workers “were fueled by a false narrative” by the Trump administration about the move to clean energy, which he said will not come “at their expense”. He added that, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the solar and wind power industries were growing rapidly, while coal plants have been closing in recent decades. “The same people can do these jobs. But choosing to use solar energy is now a better choice,” he said, also pointing out the health risks associated with coal mining. John Kerry said oil and gas workers were fed a “false narrative” that action on climate change will damage their livelihoods and that President Biden wants to “ensure that these people have better options” for jobs in the energy sector https: / /t.co/Nj065CIsxp pic.twitter.com/czkjomesi8 – CBS News (@CBSNews) January 27, 2021 Republicans like Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) did not believe the guarantee, suggesting that Kerry’s statement lacked empathy, although he did not explicitly refute the notion that an industry transition could be viable for fossil fuel workers. John Kerry’s message to the tens of thousands of Americans who lost their jobs thanks to the Biden government: make solar panels. Where is the empathy that Joe Biden promised in his possession? https://t.co/CvQovUlEoD – Tom Cotton (@TomCottonAR) January 27, 2021 More stories from theweek.com5 Brutally funny cartoons about the GOP’s Trump problem With Senate Republicans refusing to condemn Trump, the Democrats explore alternative censorship. its $ 1.9 trillion stimulus plan. And that’s fine.