Pirate's Cove

The climate cult seems very surprised that few politicians yammered about it. It once again shows that few actually care about it in practice, especially when real world issues are front and center

Climate change stayed backstage in campaign homestretch

During a debate last month, Ohio Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan boasted about his party’s landmark climate law and its economic benefits.

“We’ve seen a stream of investments here in Ohio since the Inflation Reduction Act passed. In electric vehicles, in batteries. Honda just announced a huge investment here. The solar industry up in Toledo, hundreds of millions of dollars in investments,” Ryan, who is running for Senate against Republican J.D. Vance, said when asked to defend his support for the law.

“I was the one who made sure we had all the investments in electric vehicles in the Inflation Reduction Act,” Ryan argued, pointing to EV- and battery-related development in Lordstown, Ohio. “This is the future for us.”

It was a pointed example of Democrats talking about the Inflation Reduction Act on the campaign trail as a boon to jobs and the economy rather than a way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to save the planet.

Because the bill was supposed to be about inflation reduction, and, if they yammered about climate doom, the Independents and such would wonder about the bill, feeling it was snake oil

“With the Inflation Reduction Act passing, it for the first time really gives pro-climate Democrats, the political climate community … something specific to talk about that candidates have done,” he said.

That doesn’t mean voters will reward Democrats with a midterm election victory. Polls show climate change below immigration, crime and inflation as top concerns, fueling the possibility of Republicans taking both chambers of Congress next year.

What it all means is that Democrats are mostly ignoring climate apocalypse, since then they have to explain how people suffering from inflation, seeing their wages erode, can afford to pay $20K plus for solar panels to save a little bit on their energy bills, which are also rising heavily.

Meanwhile

From New York to Texas, climate candidates are gaining momentum in local races

Sarahana Shrestha did not want to run for office. She was working as a part-time organizer for the advocacy groups Democratic Socialists of America and the Public Power NY Coalition, trying to mobilize the public on climate issues and pass state-level renewable energy legislation. She was happy and settled in her job, but a major setback during last year’s New York legislative session forced her to rethink her plans.

Shrestha and her fellow advocates/activists had spent a year organizing around a package of bills to give a state agency the authority to provide power to energy customers — allowing it to compete against private utilities and incentivize renewable energy. But the group’s efforts ultimately failed after the bill stalled in the state assembly.

Interesting. A hardcore leftist in a group of hardcore leftists who want your energy to come from The Government

“Climate change is not just about the environment,” Shrestha told Grist. “It means economic disruption, supply chain disruptions, food disruptions, and migration that we haven’t really planned for… It permeates through everything.”

And they have government solutions to control everything

Shrestha is among the latest wave of climate and environmental organizers running for office. This midterms, they’re seeking seats in statehouses, mayorships, and city councils. Activists have long been part of the funnel for political candidates, but what makes this election different is that for the first time, many climate advocates have cleared the biggest hurdle: crowded primaries. Now, they look poised to win in several key races, affecting climate action from state to local levels.

Anyone voting these authoritarian nutjobs into office need to keep their complaints to themselves.