'Strong Start' But 'Not the End of the Road,' Says Greenpeace as Biden Vows to Bar Fossil Fuel Leaders From Transition Team

"Personnel is policy, and we need experts in the White House who put climate and environmental justice ahead of corporate profits."

Jake Johnson, staff writer



https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/10/01/strong-start-not-end-road-says-greenpeace-biden-vows-bar-fossil-fuel-leaders

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden on Wednesday vowed to bar from his transition team any "leaders" of fossil fuel companies, a pledge environmentalists cautiously applauded while urging the former vice president to go further by committing to banning all Big Oil lobbyists and executives from both his transition team and cabinet.

"Rejecting fossil fuel influence is a smart move for the Biden-Harris campaign," Charlie Jiang, climate campaigner with Greenpeace USA, said in a statement Thursday. "Voters are hungry to elect a climate champion. Joe Biden is running on the most ambitious climate platform in history, but it won't mean much if his transition team is stacked with oil and gas insiders."


But the ethics plan falls well short of adhering to a list of demands issued last month by a coalition of nearly 150 climate organizations, which urged Biden to "ban all fossil fuel executives, lobbyists, and representatives from any advisory or official position on your campaign, transition team, cabinet, and administration" if elected president.In a document titled "Biden-Harris Transition Team Ethics Plan" (pdf), the campaign states that "in addition to instituting a robust code of ethical conduct, Vice President Biden aims to ensure that those who serve are aligned with his values and policy priorities, and have not, for example, been leaders at fossil fuel or private prison companies."

While the Biden campaign will require transition team members to sign a pledge promising to disqualify themselves from "involvement in any particular Biden-Harris transition team matter" if they have "engaged in regulated lobbying activities with respect to such matter" within the previous 12 months, the requirement comes with a substantial loophole.

"Persons who have registered as federal lobbyists within the last 12 months may only serve as transition team members with advance approval of the General Counsel," the document states, suggesting that lobbyists for the fossil fuel industry could ultimately be permitted to serve on the transition team.


Jiang said that while the Biden campaign's ethics plan "is a strong start," it "is not the end of the road."

"We urge Biden to commit to banning all fossil fuel executives and lobbyists from his cabinet and administration," Jiang added. "Personnel is policy, and we need experts in the White House who put climate and environmental justice ahead of corporate profits."

On Twitter, Collin Rees, senior campaigner at Oil Change U.S., called Biden's move "a key first step" made possible by constant pressure from grassroots climate activists.

"Committing to a fossil-free transition team is exactly what we need to see heading into a new administration with climate impacts mounting rapidly," Rees added in a statement Thursday. "Keeping fossil fuel representatives out of the federal government is a position that's extremely popular with Democrats and the entire American public, and builds on the key improvements Biden has made to his climate plan since the primary. The Biden-Harris campaign is clearly listening to its potential allies, and this willingness to listen and adapt will be critical in the months ahead."

A Message from the Future II: The Years of Repair

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2m8YACFJlMg&feature=emb_logo&ab_channel=TheIntercept

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hyXY7HqglA&feature=emb_logo&ab_channel=TheRealNewsNetwork

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This could end Trump’s last chance at victory

One of the main reasons Donald Trump is sitting in the Oval Office is that he sold Americans on the lie that he is some kind of genius businessman.

In fact, even with 13 million people out of work right now, polls still have Trump over Joe Biden when it comes to the economy.

But this week, we were handed a silver bullet to destroy Trump’s phony image as a good businessman forever.

As you likely saw, the New York Times published a bombshell expose on Trump’s tax returns that show that he not only pays almost nothing in federal taxes, but he’s also lost billions over the past two decades, and almost certainly broke the law along the way. Details from the Times story show Trump could face prosecution for bank fraud, tax fraud, wire fraud, and mail fraud.

His golf courses hemorrhage money. His real estate investments have crashed spectacularly. The only way he’s ever made money is by inheriting it and selling his image.

Right now, Joe Biden and Donald Trump are nearly tied in swing states like Florida, Arizona, Ohio, and North Carolina. But if we can blow up his phony reputation on the economy, we can eliminate any remaining chance of another Trump comeback victory.

That’s where we come in. We’re making short, easy-to-process and share explainer videos showing just what Trump’s tax returns mean about his business acumen and presidency.

We know this tactic works. A study last year found that 54% of voters thought that Trump was a “successful businessman,” but once those voters were shown evidence that Trump lost $1.2 billion in a decade, that number fell to 43%, more than enough to erase Trump’s lead on the economy.

We have built one of the largest social media followings in the country, and now we need to leverage that audience to help make our explainer videos on Trump’s tax returns go viral before he wins another term.





Robert Reich

Sunrise: Our plan to stop Trump

If you’re like me, you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed this election season. Just like last election, Trump is trying to divide us with lies and violence. And he’s threatening to use any means necessary to hold onto power if he loses. But we aren’t powerless.

Leaders in youth movements all over the country are gathering together on Monday, October 5th at 8pm Eastern / 5pm Pacific to discuss how we will defeat Trump at the polls and, if he tries to steal the election, force him to count every vote. Click here to join us.

No matter what we look like or where we’re from, across race and place, we want to live in communities that are safe for our families. We want safe air to breathe, water to drink, and cozy homes to live in. We don’t want to have to worry about record-setting wildfires, hurricanes, or floods sending us fleeing from our homes. That’s what is at stake this election season.

For decades, fossil fuel executives have polluted our air and water, damaging our climate and threatening our future, all while the politicians they bought off stood by and let it happen. We have an opportunity to reverse course, to push our political leaders to adopt a Green New Deal framework that creates millions of well-paying jobs rebuilding our infrastructure, upgrading our energy grid, and not just averting the climate crisis, but undoing the damage already done to this planet and all the neighborhoods in it—our home.

But Trump is threatening all of that. Terrified he’s going to lose, Trump is openly rejecting our democratic process in a panicked attempt to cling to power. He’s trying to tear us apart with distractions while he tries to steal the election. He’s already shrugged off the idea of leaving office peacefully, and is crying out for help from white supremacist groups on national television.

You’re not alone in feeling nervous about what he might do next. When I spoke to other young people in allied movements, they revealed that they were worried about the same things as me, as all of us. And in having these conversations, in reconnecting with each other, we realized how much stronger we are when we stick together.

Our movements are a force to be reckoned with. Look at the Dreamers who win protections for immigrants against ICE. Look at the young people who took on the NRA to fight gun violence. This generation made Black Lives Matter a national rallying cry against police brutality and made the Green New Deal a political priority.

There is nothing we can’t accomplish when we stay united. We can build the future of our dreams, but first we have to escape the nightmare we’re in. So all these youth movements are gathering on Monday to make a plan together for the coming weeks. Click here to register and save your spot.

Together, we can assemble a nonviolent tidal wave of young people who will make sure Donald Trump loses this election with a margin so wide, even he can’t cheat his way to denying it.

See you on Monday,

Mattias, Digital Director