Tag: Democratic Party

  • Fossil fuel industry in the hot seat at CNN Climate Town Hall

    It’s been a few days since the CNN Climate Town Hall marathon of climate discussion wrapped up, and we’ve had a moment to catch our collective breath, read the hot-takes, and think about what it was that we spent seven hours of our life watching. Here are a few takeaways we here at Oil Change think are worth highlighting…

    It was basically good!

    The Climate Town Hall was, by and large, better than expected. We had been worried about potentially awful questions, boring or weak responses from candidates, and little or no drama or interesting moments. And for the most part we got the opposite. The questions — particularly from audience members — were generally thoughtful, save for a few questions about hamburgers, straws, or light bulbs that we would do without. Likewise, the responses from candidates were mostly passionate and engaging, and there were several 2020 contenders seemingly competing to give the most ambitious answers. And finally, we saw some drama, which we’ll get to below.

    My colleague Collin summed up the sentiments of many about how far the discussion has come:

    “Cancel culture takes aim at oil and gas industry.” 

    Some of the best questions from audience members and CNN hosts were about policies and plans to ramp down fossil fuel production in the United States. Oil Change International analysis has shown two important things: First, existing fossil fuel projects around the globe have more oil, gas, and coal beneath them than we can afford to burn if we want to meet our climate goals; second, the oil and gas industry is eyeing a massive expansion of production in the United States over the coming decades. Something has to give, and our next president needs to stand up for communities and the climate by implementing a just and managed phase-out of fossil fuel production. Two critical questions during the CNN Climate Town Hall helped to draw this out:

      • Near unanimous support from candidates for ending new fossil fuel leasing on public lands and offshore waters. This is a major win for local communities and a climate movement that has been fighting for this federal action since the Obama years and before. Fossil fuels from public lands account for nearly a quarter of U.S. emissions, so this is an important step toward a full phase-out of fossil fuel extraction.
      • Majority support for a ban on fracking. While Senator Klobuchar went so far as to parrot the fossil fuel industry talking point of gas as a bridge fuel, most other candidates who were asked if they supported a fracking ban expressed support for banning this dangerous extraction process that is driving an out-of-control expansion of oil and gas production in the U.S.

    In general, we saw a new and appropriately combative posture towards the fossil fuel industry from many candidates throughout the night. As Vox put it, the oil and gas industry (and I would add coal) was a “loser” in the Climate Town Hall. This is a very good thing. We know that we already have more fossil fuels under active production than our climate can afford, and there is no room for negotiation with an industry that has been blocking progress, buying off politicians, and obscuring science to protect their profits for decades.

    In the past we’ve seen candidates at all levels suggesting a softer approach towards this industry or even putting forth industry-endorsed plans, but this time there were multiple candidates talking about holding this rogue industry to account, through lawsuits for lying to shareholders and the public, ending fossil fuel subsidies, charging them for their pollution, and more.

    Journalist Antonia Juhasz summed it up well:

    And, as Dave Weigel of the Washington Post put it, “Democrats are done with ‘all of the above’ energy.” Good riddance.

    The No Fossil Fuel Money pledge has a (viral) moment.

    As alluded to above, there was also some drama amidst the climate plan specifics and bold, anti-industry positions. During former Vice President Joe Biden’s segment, Isaac Larkin, a young activist affiliated with the Sunrise Movement, was given the mic to ask a question about Biden’s ties to the fossil fuel industry. Isaac challenged Biden on the fact that, despite having taken the No Fossil Fuel Money pledge, Biden was set to attend a fundraiser hosted by a fossil fuel company founder the very next day (as revealed by CNBC earlier in the day). 

    Biden was simultaneously rattled by the question and armed with a talking point using a technicality in the pledge’s rules to maintain he was not breaking his pledge. The question and answer is worth a complete viewing, found here:

    I posted a thread of tweets responding to this exchange, clarifying that while it may technically be the case that the fundraiser didn’t break the letter of the rules spelled out in the No Fossil Fuel Money pledge, it clearly goes against the pledge’s spirit (click the tweet for the full thread):

    This exchange quickly became the most talked-about moment of the entire seven hours. The issue was covered by the New York Times, the Washington Post, CNN, Politico, CNBC, Vox, Huffington Post, the Associated Press, Reuters, Bloomberg, and many more. In essentially every outlet, the conclusions were the same: If a candidate intends to stand up to the fossil fuel industry, it’s probably not a good look to have a fossil fuel company founder, host a high-dollar fundraiser to benefit your campaign (even if they may not technically be an executive at the company).

    More broadly, the No Fossil Fuel Money pledge has clearly become a minimum standard for being considered a leading candidate for the Democratic party nomination. Every single one of the participants in the CNN Climate Town Hall had taken the No Fossil Fuel Money pledge, and several spoke about standing up to the fossil fuel industry and breaking its grip on Washington. And it’s no surprise — voters are sick and tired of the way the fossil fuel industry is delaying progress on our climate crisis, and they are demanding that their elected officials stand up to this out-of-control industry in defense of our communities and our climate.

     

    One final lesson we can draw from the CNN Climate Town Hall is that seven hours of discussion only scratched the surface. Our climate crisis touches every aspect of society and politics, and thanks to solid questions and mostly-prepared candidates, we saw that a robust conversation of the climate crisis is both possible and essential.

    With the CNN Climate Town Hall success, #ClimateStrikes coming up in under two weeks, another climate forum hosted by MSNBC, and climate plans being dropped on a near day-to-day basis, the climate crisis has finally landed in the very center of the political discourse. It’s about time.

  • Dispatch from the 2019 Netroots Nation Conference in Philly

    From July 11-13, over 3,000 progressive activists from across the United States gathered for the Netroots Nation (NN19) conference in Philadelphia, and Oil Change was there for all the action. While our collective movement for justice has many critical issues, the climate crisis stood out throughout the weekend as a crucial part of the progressive dialogue. Here’s a quick Twitter journey through some climate highlights from NN19:

    As you can imagine, people at this year’s conference were fired up about a Green New Deal. The conference kicked off with a panel on “Making the Green New Deal Real,” moderated by Brad Johnson, with award-winning journalist and New York Times bestselling author Naomi Klein, Sunrise Movement Executive Director Varshini Prakash, New Consensus co-founder and Executive Director Demond Drummer, and well-regarded California politician Kevin de Leon.

    Then, in the afternoon, the Hip Hop Caucus’s podcast, “Think 100%: The Coolest Show on Climate Change,” recorded its latest show live for a gathered crowd at NN19. Hosts Rev. Yearwood and Antonique Smith were joined by special guest Vic J. Barrett. Barrett is one of 21 plaintiffs with Our Children’s Trust who are suing the U.S. federal government to defend the rights of youth and future generations. This whole interview was . 

    On Thursday night, with a rainstorm outside, many of us gathered for a Green New Deal Happy Hour, where notes were compared, plans were made, inspiring speeches were shared, and good food was consumed (there were even eggplant sloppy joes, because yes, that is a thing). 

    As in previous years, Netroots attendees were abuzz about the No Fossil Fuel Money pledge throughout the conference. The pledge has been signed by more than 1,600 politicians from across the country — including 21 of the 2020 Democratic presidential candidates. Along with coalition partners, Oil Change brought a pledge board with permanent markers, and got a whole bunch of signers, old and new, to sign their names.

    Friday kicked off with a critical panel, “Racial Justice & Climate Change: Building A Multiracial Environmental Justice Movement.“ Moderated by Data for Progress Director of Green New Deal Strategy Julian Brave NoiseCat, the panel featured Sunrise Movement Executive Director Varshini Prakash, 350.org U.S. Communications Associate Director Thanu Yakupitiyage, and artist, filmmaker, and digital communications strategist Jade Begay. They were joined by Alexa Ross and O. from Philly Thrive, a Philadelphia-based multiracial, cross-class organization working hard for a just transition away from fossil fuels and toward a thriving, inclusive clean energy future in the city.


    Soon after came the panel “Communicating Climate Action at the Intersections: Perspectives in Storytelling and Narrative,” moderated by Thanu Yakupitiyage with 350.org.

    Afterward, conference participants streamed into the hot summer afternoon heat for a truly amazing and inspiring “Lights for Liberty” rally that took over the streets of Philadelphia:

    At dusk, the Real Climate Leadership Happy Hour kicked off, sponsored by Oil Change U.S., 350 Action, and Climate Hawks Vote. On a breezy evening, dozens of conference attendees joined together to socialize, chat about climate organizing, and learn more about the amazing work Philly Thrive is doing in Philadelphia. Their presentation started with a moment for everybody to take a deep breath and reflect on the right to breathe. CLICK HERE to donate to Philly Thrive’s critical, ongoing work for energy and environmental justice in the city of Philadelphia.

    On Saturday, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, joined the Netroots Climate Caucus for a few minutes to give a short speech and take a few questions. He talked about his climate plans, the need for real climate leadership, and his continued call for a DNC-sanctioned climate debate. In addition, he discussed his opposition to the Enbridge Line 5 pipeline in Michigan, to cheers from the group. His latest statement on the matter was a call to action for other 2020 contenders: “I hope that every fellow Democratic candidate for President joins me in opposing this dangerous pipeline.” Plenary sessions with candidates also included mention of the climate crisis and the need for bold action. 

    On Saturday afternoon, the “We Paved the Road: A Frontline Perspective on the Green New Deal Moment” panel moderated by Climate Justice Alliance’s Anthony Rogers-Wright, with Sierra Club Pennsylvania’s Coordinator of Philadelphia Climate Works Zakia Elliott, UPROSE (Brooklyn’s oldest Latino community-based organization) Executive Director Elizabeth Yeampierre, and Movement Strategy Innovation Center fellow Anthony Giancatarino. Learn more from Climate Justice Alliance (CJA) about how to center frontline communities in the Just Transition.

    Later Saturday, the Oil Change U.S. team joined dozens of fellow climate activists to disrupt a Democratic National Committee (DNC) panel at the conference and make our voices heard, yet again, to the DNC in our demand for a full DNC-sanctioned climate debate! We packed the room, started a chant, and then several people directly impacted by the climate crisis told their heartfelt stories. 

    The whole thing was live-streamed, and after we left the room, the chant continued in the halls. It looked like this: 

    Due to our collective ongoing efforts, the call for a climate debate has been gaining serious momentum. Under intense pressure from the grassroots, twenty-one 2020 presidential candidates, and even their own membership, the executive committee of the DNC recently voted to reevaluate the #ClimateDebate issue. 

    The proposal will now be reviewed by the DNC’s resolutions committee before going up for a full DNC vote in late August. That means we have just one month to put the pressure on DNC members to make the right decision. Help us keep the pressure on: Tell members of the DNC to fully support a Climate Debate!

    All in all, the Netroots Nation conference made clear that the climate crisis continues to be a top concern, and there is passion and energy around raising our voices, demanding real climate leadership from decision makers, and demanding solutions that meet the scale of this crisis. The historic success of the No Fossil Fuel Money pledge shows just how powerful our efforts have been, and how far we’ve come. But there’s a lot more work to do. 

    We know that standing up to the out-of-control fossil fuel industry is essential if we are going to get ourselves out of this crisis, and the fossil fuel industry is starting to really feel the heat. Want proof? The secretary general of OPEC, Mohammed Barkindo, said that climate activists are “perhaps the greatest threat to our industry going forward.” That was an undeniably true statement, which received a celebratory thank you from Greta Thurnberg and from activists across the world. We’re certainly doing something right…


    Next year, the annual Netroots Nation conference will be in the midst of a heated general election season for 2020, and we can expect more fireworks, more victories, and a whole lot more talk about real climate leadership. We’ll be ready for it.

    PAID FOR BY OIL CHANGE U.S., WWW.OILCHANGEUSA.ORG, NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE, CANDIDATE’S AUTHORIZED POLITICAL COMMITTEE, OR CANDIDATE’S AGENTS.

  • Oil Change U.S. response to first set of Democratic presidential debates

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    June 27, 2019

    CONTACT:
    David Turnbull, david [at] priceofoil.org
    Collin Rees, collin [at] priceofoil.org

    Oil Change U.S. response to first set of Democratic presidential debates

    In response to the first two nights of the Democratic presidential debates, David Turnbull, Strategic Communications Director of Oil Change U.S., provided the following comment:

    “The first two nights of Democratic debates proved one thing when it comes to the climate crisis: We need a Climate Debate.

    “Despite some candidates’ attempts to tie in the climate crisis to questions on other topics, the mere fifteen minutes of debate directly focused on the climate crisis of 240 minutes total — a paltry six percent of debate time — didn’t scratch the surface of the robust discussion that the crisis deserves.

    “Climate change is now a top tier issue for Democratic voters according to numerous polls. Eighteen of the twenty candidates onstage this week have taken the No Fossil Fuel Money pledge. Many of them support a Green New Deal, eliminating fossil fuel subsidies, ending fossil fuel leasing on public lands, and an end to fracking. But we didn’t hear these crucial facts, because the debate moderators didn’t spend the time needed to dive into the critical details of the candidates’ plans to tackle the climate crisis.

    “The climate questions asked were far too simplistic, and missed the chance to challenge candidates to demonstrate how committed they are to tackling the climate crisis, and what their plans are to take on the fossil fuel industry. The only thing we learned about the climate crisis this week was that we need a DNC-sanctioned climate debate, moderated by journalists who understand the issue.”

    ###

    Note for Editors:

    – The full list of No Fossil Fuel Money pledge signers can be found here: http://nofossilfuelmoney.org/presidential-signers/

  • 60 Questions We Could Ask at a #ClimateDebate

    This week, Tom Perez, the Chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), informed Jay Inslee (and later the public via Twitter) that the DNC does not plan to host a climate debate. This comes after over half a dozen top-tier candidates have expressed a desire for such a debate, and hundreds of thousands of young people and voters signed petitions demanding one as well. It comes after multiple polls have shown that the climate crisis is one of the very top concerns of Democratic voters, and major candidates have released a raft of robust climate plans more detailed than ever before in a presidential primary.

    In the aftermath of the DNC’s out-of-touch and premature refusal, young people, voters, advocates, and some candidates themselves have doubled down in their demands, unwilling to take no for an answer. Oil Change U.S. is proud to stand with the youth of this country and with our partners and continue demanding a dedicated debate on candidates’ plans to confront the fossil fuel industry and address the mounting climate crisis.

    As news of the denial broke, #ClimateDebate began to trend on Twitter, and the DNC apparently went to work recruiting surrogates to defend the decision and attack proponents of the idea. They trotted out tired arguments such as not having enough time to devote full debates to specific issues, and hard-to-believe assurances that climate change will get its due attention during the usual debates (particularly hard to swallow given the history of climate change discussions in previous debates, as outlined by Lisa Hymas from Media Matters for America here).

    But one argument from some really stuck out as so beyond the pale that it deserves some attention. The suggestion was that there simply is not enough to ask candidates about to fill an entire debate on the climate crisis.

    [I’ll pause here to allow you to stop laughing and compose yourself.]

    This is obviously a ridiculous assertion that shouldn’t need a response, but it got us wondering…off the top of our heads, just how many questions could we come up with that we’d like to see candidates asked about the climate crisis? So we made a list. To spare you from being forced to read a novel on climate wonkery, we decided to limit it to 60…enough to ask one question per minute for a full hour, although each of these deserve to be discussed at far greater length.

    In no particular order, and undoubtedly still missing many critical questions…

    1. What do you think is the single most important step you can take as president to show leadership on the climate crisis?
    2. Have you signed the No Fossil Fuel Money pledge? Why or why not?
    3. Describe your plan to put the United States on a managed decline of fossil fuel production in line with climate science.
    4. What do you believe are the key elements of a just transition for workers and communities as we move our economy away from fossil fuels?
    5. Please describe how the principles of environmental justice and concerns from low income communities, frontline communities, indigenous communities, and communities of color will be heard and incorporated in the planning and implementation of your climate agenda?
    6. By when do you believe the US should strive to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions?
    7. Please describe how you would ensure the US lives up to the bedrock principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and capabilities as outlined in the UN Framework Convention on Climate change?
    8. After you commit the United States to rejoining the Paris Agreement, what will your next step on the international stage be?
    9. What do you believe is the appropriate level of ambition for the United States’ next revision to its Nationally Determined Contribution to the Paris Agreement?
    10. Describe an action you’ve taken in your career in public service that you believe has been most beneficial to our climate fight.
    11. What level of funding do you believe is appropriate for the United States to contribute to the Green Climate Fund annually?
    12. How will you work with G20 nations to finally live up to the decade-old commitment to end fossil fuel subsidies?
    13. How will you take action to ensure our public lands are put to public good rather than used to dig up more fossil fuels?
    14. In your climate plans, what do you believe can be done through executive action alone, and what will need Congressional action?
    15. In order to get climate policy through Congress, will you support eliminating the filibuster? If not, what is your strategy to obtain 60 votes in the Senate?
    16. Do you support the immediate elimination of federal fossil fuel subsidies?
    17. Do you believe granting oil industry actors immunity from being tried for climate crimes is worth trading away to attract their support for a modest price on carbon that will not promote serious emission reductions?
    18. What lessons can you take from existing cap and trade policies in California and elsewhere to ensure communities at the fencelines of major emitters are protected from local pollution impacts?
    19. How would you define the “Green New Deal” and what role would it play in your administration?
    20. The Permian basin in Texas and New Mexico is set to see the largest increase in oil and gas development in the world over the coming years unless there is some intervention. How would you work with those states to ensure such a dangerous increase in production will be curtailed?
    21. A number of you voted in Congress to eliminate the crude oil export ban. Do you regret that vote? Do you support reinstating the crude oil export ban?
    22. How would you reform the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to ensure it accounts for the climate impacts of natural gas infrastructure in its permitting process?
    23. The Obama administration’s Council on Environmental Quality issued guidance to incorporate climate impacts in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process agencies undergo in consideration of infrastructure projects, which Trump has since rescinded. Would you reinstate that guidance, and/or how would you strengthen it?
    24. Do you support a “Climate Test” for fossil fuel projects?
    25. What can the US do to help shift global financial flows toward clean energy, and away from dirty energy?
    26. How should the US support international climate action through its overseas climate and development finance?
    27. Describe your intended approach to engaging major emerging economies such as China, India, and/or Brazil in partnering with them to achieve climate goals.
    28. Do you support enacting a ban on exporting liquified natural gas?
    29. How will you address the increasing petrochemicals and plastics production in the United States as it relates to our climate crisis?
    30. How will you engage young people in developing and implementing your climate policy agenda?
    31. Do you believe companies like Exxon should be held accountable for lying to the public and shareholders about the dangers of their product and business model as it relates to the growing climate crisis?
    32. What do you believe is the best approach to address emissions related to deforestation?
    33. What do you say to the members of Congress who still deny the realities of the climate crisis?
    34. Do you support the rights of state Governors and governments to reject permits for fossil fuel projects via Section 401 of the Clean Water Act? If so, how will you go about protecting that right from future assaults such as that attempted by President Trump?
    35. Do you support the overturning of President Trump’s executive order forcing the approval of the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline project? If so, how will you ensure the proposed pipeline is put to bed permanently?
    36. How will you approach working with cities and communities who will face sea level rise (e.g. Miami) in supporting their residents as climate impacts grow more disruptive?
    37. What deadline would you set for phasing out internal combustion engine passenger vehicles, and what approach would you take to achieve it?
    38. Do you believe the Republican Party will ever rid itself of the influence of the fossil fuel industry and support legitimate and robust climate action?
    39. How would you adjust transportation policy to ensure cities and states are supported in pursuing public transportation?
    40. How would you adjust agricultural policy in the United States to support climate efforts? How would you include the voices and concerns of farmers, ranchers, and rural communities in ensuring a just transition away from fossil fuels?
    41. What key improvements to U.S. trade policy would you make to align it with our climate imperatives?
    42. Describe how you will deploy public finance for renewable energy to leverage private finance at home and abroad?
    43. What is your view on carbon capture and storage (CCS)?
    44. How would you work with the Energy Information Agency to ensure their energy modeling better guides work to incorporate more renewable energy onto the US grid?
    45. How would you reform the Export-Import Bank and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation to ensure their investments are aligned with climate imperatives?
    46. It is estimated that the military spends anywhere from $10.5 to $500 billion annually to secure oil supply overseas. How would you reign in these activities?
    47. Will you instruct the Department of Justice to drop the Government’s request to throw out the Juliana v. United States lawsuit and allow it to go to trial?
    48. What will you be looking for as you fill the positions of Secretary of the Interior, EPA Administrator, Secretary of Energy, Secretary of State and heads of other agencies directly related to our climate efforts?
    49. Do you believe that natural gas – also known as fossil gas, and much of it derived from fracking – is a “bridge fuel” in our climate efforts or that it is a “bridge to climate disaster”?
    50. Do you support a national ban on fracking?
    51. How would you reform campaign finance law to ensure the voices of people are heard over the dollars of fossil fuel companies and other big corporations?
    52. What is your view of new laws that have been passed in multiple states (and proposed by the Trump administration) to promote harsh penalties for protests of oil and gas infrastructure? How will you protect communities’ rights to protest dangerous infrastructure in their communities?
    53. Would you work to repeal the 45Q tax credit, which is used mostly by the oil industry to gain tax credits for injecting CO2 into the ground in order to dig up more oil?
    54. Do you support ending the use of eminent domain for private gain, including the taking of private land to construct oil and gas pipelines owned by private and foreign companies?
    55. How will you adjust U.S. immigration policy to react to the inevitable increase in refugees seeking shelter from climate impacts across the globe?
    56. Do you support ratification of the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol to phase down hydrofluorocarbons, a key short-lived climate pollutant?
    57. Do you support removing fossil fuel industry actors from the UN climate negotiations, as has been done with tobacco industry actors in tobacco treaty talks?
    58. Will you acknowledge the rights and sovereignty of Indigenous peoples to protect their traditional lands and waters from fossil fuel extraction and infrastructure projects? How will you work with tribes and nations to achieve this goal?
    59. Do you support a carbon tax? If so, why? If not, why not?
    60. How will you engage the labor movement to ensure they are a key part in our clean energy revolution and that jobs in the burgeoning renewable energy sector are quality union jobs?

    You probably get the point. The climate crisis is one of the most urgent issues facing the world today. The answers to these questions matter.

    The Democratic primary process needs a chance for voters to hear directly from 2020 candidates on how they plan to tackle the fossil fuel industry, supercharge a just transition to 100% renewable energy, hold climate criminals accountable, and invest trillions in the health and safety of our communities and the climate matters. There’s a major gap between the worst climate plan in the Democratic primary and the best few. And voters have made it clear they want to learn more about these differences.

    Join us and demand a #ClimateDebate from the DNC – in the face of climate crisis, it’s needed now more than ever.