Bernie Sanders just announced a $16 trillion plan to fight climate change. . .
Bernie Sanders just rolled out a $16 trillion climate change plan — the most ambitious yet from a presidential contender on climate change https://t.co/ptWPbBPKp8 via @FoxBusiness
— Connor Ryan (@connortryan) August 22, 2019
. . .but this is a surprise. Even meteorologist Eric Holthaus — who is a fan of the plan — called the elderly socialist out over the feasibility of the plan which wants to phase out nuclear power but at the same time, move to a “100% carbon free electrical grid in 10 years:
Here's some very worthy criticism of Bernie's new climate plan: Specifically that it calls for phasing out nuclear power, something that just can't happen if we are to have a 100% carbon free electrical grid in 10 years. https://t.co/Oh0Lz8fVHU
— Eric Holthaus (@EricHolthaus) August 22, 2019
Here’s University of California, Santa Barbara professor Leah Stokes on just what is wrong with the Bernie plan (focus on tweets numbered 4, 5, 6, 7, 10 and 11):
In terms of the supply side — keeping fossil fuels in the ground, ending fossil fuel subsidies, and taking on the fossil fuel industry — the plan is very bold. You can read what @OilChangeUS said about it here. 2/https://t.co/f6ctlu6Upp
— Leah Stokes (@leahstokes) August 22, 2019
The legal components of the plan re: fossil fuel corporate accountability are intriguing and go beyond what others have called for. When Bernie said “criminal” on the debate stage, he meant it. (He always means it!) Here’s @MichaelGerrard on that part of the plan. 3/ pic.twitter.com/L5w2DlwjBj
— Leah Stokes (@leahstokes) August 22, 2019
The plan has “flaws,” to say the least:
The electricity plan, the area that I work on, has flaws. It targets a 100% renewables grid by 2030. It takes license extensions for our largest source of carbon free power off the table. Even @UCSUSA supports safe nuclear power license extensions. 4/https://t.co/hUoQTw5TzY
— Leah Stokes (@leahstokes) August 22, 2019
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We’re tired of it, too:
The anti-nuclear stuff makes me so very very tired. Most of the environmental community recognizes that existing, safe nuclear plants are essential to solving this crisis. How many times will we have this debate? I do not understand why Sanders continues to promote this. 5/ pic.twitter.com/0eucSU20Bx
— Leah Stokes (@leahstokes) August 22, 2019
Over to you, Bernie:
If you want 100% renewables + 100% electrified transportation sector by 2030, you are going to run into a lot of challenges with local land use planning for wind, transmission and even large-scale solar. Are you going to rush environmental assessments for every project? 6/
— Leah Stokes (@leahstokes) August 22, 2019
The technology just isn’t there yet:
The battery storage parts of the plan don’t seem quite right. At very high renewables penetrations levels, you’re going to need more than a few days of 24 hour battery storage. Here’s @JesseJenkins on that. 7/https://t.co/tsk3aanfxP
— Leah Stokes (@leahstokes) August 22, 2019
The transportation section is quite bold and exciting. Here is what @yfreemark had to say about that. 8/https://t.co/G7BmRYi9Ba
— Leah Stokes (@leahstokes) August 22, 2019
The housing parts of the plan are very exciting, advancing what the #GreenNewDeal is about. Here is @aldatweets on that. 9/https://t.co/5371VQlbm4
— Leah Stokes (@leahstokes) August 22, 2019
We would like some “detail and realism,” too:
I’ve seen many call this the best plan after @JayInslee. What makes a climate plan good? Does it need to be realistic and implementable? Or just ambitious words on paper? I suppose different people come down in different ways on that. Personally, I like detail and realism. 10/
— Leah Stokes (@leahstokes) August 22, 2019
“. . .many parts would struggle in implementation”:
So: it’s bold and very ambitious. Yet, I think many parts of it would struggle in implementation — and I am a staunch climate advocate and supporter of the Green New Deal. Maybe it’s unpopular to say that. But I value speaking truth. I understand if others disagree. 11/
— Leah Stokes (@leahstokes) August 22, 2019
Read the plan here:
I would encourage others to read the plan and share their own views. I am very excited by the legal strategies and the aggressive moves on fossil fuels, transport and housing. There’s lots exciting and worthy of praise here. /FINhttps://t.co/nFcTN0Dnq4
— Leah Stokes (@leahstokes) August 22, 2019
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