Coal supporter Manchin named top Dem on Senate Energy Committee

[G_j]

Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, perhaps the least-green Democrat, will be the new ranking Democratic member of the Senate Energy Committee, according to The Hill. Sen. Chuck Shumer announced the appointment along with ranking members of other committees.

edited to add:

[Loki Liesmith]

1. Making sausage isn't pretty

[Autumn]

3. You know what else isn't pretty? Climate change. We are running out of time.

[Loki Liesmith]

9. Climate is beautiful

I’ve done climate modeling and it’s a complex and challenging field.

But we aren’t “running out of time”. Every reduction in carbon that we make (and we are on track to make *some*) relative to trend results in an improved outcome. Some scenarios are out of reach. But many better outcomes aren’t and won’t be for some time yet.


To your broader point: If you’re middle class in the US, you will do Ok. So will your kids and their kids. If you are poor or live in the developing world things will get significantly worse for you.

[Autumn]

11. Cool! As long as the American middle class does OK it doesn't matter?

Of course that does mean a LOT of people are fucked. But we'll all be dead so what does it matter.

[Loki Liesmith]

12. If you are going to put words in my mouth

Last edited Wed Dec 12, 2018, 04:08 PM - Edit history (1)

Please use better prose.

I have my reputation as a writer to consider.

[Autumn]

14. Your words, your prose, not mine.

To your broader point: If you’re middle class in the US, you will do Ok. So will your kids and their kids. If you are poor or live in the developing world things will get significantly worse for you.

[Autumn]

2. That's too bad. So many others to choose from.

[melman]

4. The same Joe Manchin

that once literally shot the cap and trade bill in an ad?

Okay. Sounds great.

[Autumn]

5. The one and only.

[FSogol]

6. That's good. WV will need help weening itself off of coal.

Did you know there are only 50,000 coal miners in the US? (2016 numbers). They need to be retrained for greener energy jobs. The GOP uses them as a political football, we need a federal program to train them for other jobs. With only 50k, it wouldn't be that costly.

[hatrack]

8. More Americans work at Arby's than mine coal

.

[jalan48]

7. Hopefully we will see a Green Wave before it's too late.

[Tiggeroshii]

10. Why

[hatrack]

15. Because sausage-making, and wouldn't want to rock the boat, and traditions of the Senate . . .

And let's not forget don't spook the horses, and the American way of life is non-negotiable, and Mr. & Mrs. John Q. Public, and radical green activists, and investor confidence, and the bond market, and low-information voters and "reaching out".

Oh, and if we do (X), then Republicans will say bad things about us (very important, that last one).

[G_j]

18. You forgot

keeping our powder dry.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

19. Damn! I think you covered all of them. nt

[WeekiWater]

13. Wonder why Cantwell isn't holding the position.

We currently have some solid names on the committee. It makes sense that Manchin is on it but not as ranking member.

[pecosbob]

16. I doubt there's many fans of either Joe or Coal in these confines

[JCanete]

17. well we kind of brought him to the prom...again...now we have to dance with him, since he's got

another 6 YEARS in office and there's always a risk that if we alienate him he'll find even deeper Republican affinities.

That said, there were plenty of people here saying during the primaries that primarying folks like Manchin was folly, and there was precious little energy amongst us for his challenger, just to take that sentiment as a microcosm. Sure, politics is local, but attention and money matters. It certainly helped candidates like Sharice Davids.