Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren was the seventh candidate to take the stage in CNN’s seven-hour presidential town hall on climate change. After a quick greeting, Chris Cuomo went straight to the audience. A retiree and novelist asked if she favored a carbon tax. Citing lessons she learned about cleaning up her own mess, Warren adamantly stated she was pro-carbon tax. When Cuomo asked her for a percentage, she shifted away and said she wanted to focus on the areas that make the most carbon: buildings, cars, and generating electricity. She then shouted out Washington Gov. Jay Inslee’s plan and explained a slow rollout of carbon reduction for new buildings, new vehicles, and electricity sources.
The next question focused on her opinion on nuclear energy, and whether the risk outweighed benefits. Warren pointed out that discarding spent fuel rods are a question nobody has the answer to, and she wants the nation off nuclear power and fossil fuels by 2035.
Cuomo then asked it she was willing to risk the economy in pursuit of fighting climate change. He quoted Donald Trump, who said that the Green New Deal is a dream. Warren shot back that if the GND is the dream, then wherever Trump is would be a nightmare She asserted that she absolutely is ready to do that.
Next, a law student from Appalachia discussed the devastating impact that mountaintop coal mining has on the communities, and asked if Warren supported legislation that first, would pause it until environmental impact was evaluated, and second, would help figure out what comes next. Warren answered “yes” without hesitation, and declared she would fight the companies that are doing this damage.
Cuomo asked about reassuring displaced workers in the fossil fuel industry, and Warren pointed out that the Green New Deal isn’t just Green, it’s also a New Deal, which provides jobs, creating a giant market. She wants to invest in deep R&D, and then give the world free rein to produce that tech—but only if they manufacture in the United States, creating a huge job market. She slid in support of unions in her plan to save the world, insisting that workers are needed to make this a reality.
Cuomo then went to the Trump light bulb nonsense, and asked if the government should control our light bulb choices. Warren grunted in frustration, and said that whether it’s light bulbs, straws, or cheeseburgers, this is just a distraction that the fossil fuel industries want Americans to focus their attention. There are three industries making the vast majority of pollution, she said. The targets are obvious.
A climate activist came up next, and asked if Warren would advocate for public ownership of all utilities. Warren thought about it, and said she wasn’t sure she thinks it’s the right solution, especially as dependency on fossil fuels is reduced. She doesn’t oppose profits, she said, she doesn’t want anyone doing harm to make those profits.
Next, an indigenous woman from Isle de Jean Charles, the previously-discussed island under water, who has seen her entire community displaced, and her future erased, asked Warren her plan to help people like her and everyone she loves. Warren admitted that she didn’t have her plan for that “completely stretched out yet,” but her goal was to make sure the funds reached the people hurt most, rather than just politicians. Warren then explained that she had different climate plans addressing different aspects, with different goals. She closed by conveying her commitment to tribal sovereignty and support as they tend their lands, and won’t move forward on projects near tribal lands without their informed consent.
Next, Bill Weir, CNN Chief Climate Correspondent, highlighted Port Arthur, Texas, and residents fighting the impact of its oil refinery every day. He asked Warren how she’d address those who’d rather keep the polluting refinery open because they’d rather have a job than clean air, because they’ll go hungry before they’ll die from pollution. Warren mused about her time in Port Arthur, and pointed out that the investors in the oil refinery are the ones truly profiting from it, not the workers, as well as corrupt politicians in Washington, D.C. She vowed to start at the corruption.
Next, via video, a shellfish farmer pointed out that the Green New Deal only addresses the oceans once. He asked if Warren had a plan for a BLUE New Deal for those who make their living on the water. Warren chuckled at that phrase and shared anecdotes of those who work the sea finding weird stuff in the water, and foreign species migrating up and down the coast. Saying “Count me in!” on the Blue New Deal, Warren said it can’t just be a focus on the United States, it has to be a focus on the entire world … including the waters.
In the final minutes of Warren’s time, Cuomo brought up cost—Warren’s plans are projected to cost $3 trillion over a decade, while Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ plan costs $16 trillion over 15 years. Does that mean, Cuomo said, that Sanders cares more than you, and has a more effective plan? After a stoic “No,” Warren zigged and zagged all over her plans, and the global impact of various pieces of her plan. She also acknowledged that she’s borrowing from Gov. Inslee’s “open source” climate plan, and she’s going to work on that Blue New Deal. Warren wrapped up her time by saying we have to look “everywhere” if we’re going to win this fight.
That was it for Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Up now: South Bend, Ind. Mayor Pete Buttigieg.
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Read more about each candidate’s Climate Change town hall through the links below.
Former HUD Secretary Julián Castro
Businessman Andrew Yang
California Sen. Kamala Harris
Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar
Former Vice President Joe Biden
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders
South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg
Former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke
New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker