YOU’VE MADE CLIMATE CHANGE A CENTRAL POINT TO YOUR POLITICAL
CENTRAL POINT TO YOUR POLITICAL CAREER.
CAREER. ON THE ISSUES OF MAKING CHANGE
ON THE ISSUES OF MAKING CHANGE THAT LASTS AND PERMANENT, COULD
THAT LASTS AND PERMANENT, COULD YOU ADDRESS THAT, SIR IN.
YOU ADDRESS THAT, SIR IN. >> RACHEL, I’M THE ONLY PERSON
>> RACHEL, I’M THE ONLY PERSON ON THIS STAGE THAT WILL SAY
ON THIS STAGE THAT WILL SAY CLIMATE IS THE NUMBER ONE
CLIMATE IS THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY FOR ME.
PRIORITY FOR ME. VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN WON’T SAY
VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN WON’T SAY IT.
IT. SENATOR WARREN WON’T SAY IT.
SENATOR WARREN WON’T SAY IT. IT’S A STATE OF EMERGENCY, AND I
IT’S A STATE OF EMERGENCY, AND I WOULD DECLARE A STATE OF
WOULD DECLARE A STATE OF EMERGENCY ON DAY ONE.
EMERGENCY ON DAY ONE. I WOULD USE THE EMERGENCY POWERS
I WOULD USE THE EMERGENCY POWERS OF THE PRESIDENCY.
OF THE PRESIDENCY. I KNOW THAT WE HAVE TO DO THIS.
I KNOW THAT WE HAVE TO DO THIS. I’VE SPENT A DECADE FIGHTING AND
I’VE SPENT A DECADE FIGHTING AND BEATING OIL COMPANIES, STOPPING
BEATING OIL COMPANIES, STOPPING PIPELINES, STOPPING FOSSIL FUEL
PIPELINES, STOPPING FOSSIL FUEL PLANTS, ENSURING CLEAN ENERGY
PLANTS, ENSURING CLEAN ENERGY ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
ACROSS THE COUNTRY. I KNOW THAT WE HAVE TO DO THIS.
I KNOW THAT WE HAVE TO DO THIS. I ALSO KNOW THAT WE CAN DO THIS.
I ALSO KNOW THAT WE CAN DO THIS. I WOULD MAKE THIS THE NUMBER ONE
I WOULD MAKE THIS THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY OF MY FOREIGN POLICY AS
PRIORITY OF MY FOREIGN POLICY AS WELL.
WELL. WE CAN DO THIS AND CREATE
WE CAN DO THIS AND CREATE LITERALLY MILLIONS OF GOOD
LITERALLY MILLIONS OF GOOD PAYING UNION JOBS ACROSS THIS
PAYING UNION JOBS ACROSS THIS COUNTRY.
COUNTRY. I WOULD MAKE SURE THAT MY
I WOULD MAKE SURE THAT MY CLIMATE POLICY WAS LED BY
CLIMATE POLICY WAS LED BY ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, AND
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITIES WHERE
MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITIES WHERE THIS SOCIETY HAS CHOSEN TO PUT
THIS SOCIETY HAS CHOSEN TO PUT OUR AIR AND WATER POLLUTION
OUR AIR AND WATER POLLUTION WHICH ARE IN LOW INCOME BLACK
WHICH ARE IN LOW INCOME BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES.
AND BROWN COMMUNITIES. AND WHEN WE’RE ASKED HOW ARE WE
AND WHEN WE’RE ASKED HOW ARE WE GOING TO PULL THIS COUNTRY
GOING TO PULL THIS COUNTRY TOGETHER?
TOGETHER? HOW ABOUT THIS.
HOW ABOUT THIS. WE SAVE THE WORLD AND DO IT
WE SAVE THE WORLD AND DO IT TOGETHER.
TOGETHER. DO YOU THINK THAT WOULD PULL
DO YOU THINK THAT WOULD PULL AMERICA TOGETHER?
AMERICA TOGETHER? I DO.
I DO. >> QUICKLY VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN,
>> QUICKLY VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN, YOU WERE NAME CHECKED THERE.
YOU WERE NAME CHECKED THERE. >> I WAS.
>> I WAS. I THINK IT IS THE EXISTENTIAL
I THINK IT IS THE EXISTENTIAL THREAT TO HUMANITY.
THREAT TO HUMANITY. IT’S THE NUMBER ONE ISSUE.
IT’S THE NUMBER ONE ISSUE. AND I MIGHT ADD, I DON’T REALLY
AND I MIGHT ADD, I DON’T REALLY NEED A KIND OF LECTURE FROM MY
NEED A KIND OF LECTURE FROM MY FRIEND.
FRIEND. WHILE I WAS PASSING A FIRST
WHILE I WAS PASSING A FIRST CLIMATE CHANGE BILL AND WAS IN
CLIMATE CHANGE BILL AND WAS IN FACT A GAME CHANGER, WHILE I
FACT A GAME CHANGER, WHILE I MANAGED THE $90 BILLION RECOVERY
MANAGED THE $90 BILLION RECOVERY PLAN INVESTING MORE MONEY IN
PLAN INVESTING MORE MONEY IN INFRASTRUCTURE RELATED TO CLEAN
INFRASTRUCTURE RELATED TO CLEAN ENERGY THAN ANY TIME WE’VE EVER
ENERGY THAN ANY TIME WE’VE EVER DONE IT, MY FRIEND WAS
DONE IT, MY FRIEND WAS INTRODUCING MORE COAL MINES AND
INTRODUCING MORE COAL MINES AND PRODUCED MORE COAL AROUND THE
PRODUCED MORE COAL AROUND THE WORLD, ACCORDING TO THE PRESS,
WORLD, ACCORDING TO THE PRESS, THAN ALL OF GREAT BRITAIN
THAN ALL OF GREAT BRITAIN PRODUCES.
PRODUCES. NOW, I WELCOME HIM BACK INTO THE
NOW, I WELCOME HIM BACK INTO THE FOLD HERE, AND HE’S BEEN THERE
FOLD HERE, AND HE’S BEEN THERE FOR A LONG WHILE.
FOR A LONG WHILE. BUT THE IDEA WE TALK ABOUT WHERE
BUT THE IDEA WE TALK ABOUT WHERE WE STARTED AND HOW WE ARE, LET’S
WE STARTED AND HOW WE ARE, LET’S GET THIS STRAIGHT, I THINK IT IS
GET THIS STRAIGHT, I THINK IT IS THE EXISTENTIAL THREAT OF
THE EXISTENTIAL THREAT OF ALL-TIME.
ALL-TIME. >> YOU MAY RESPOND, MR. STEYER.
>> YOU MAY RESPOND, MR. STEYER. >> LOOK, I CAME TO THE
>> LOOK, I CAME TO THE CONCLUSION OVER TEN YEARS AGO
CONCLUSION OVER TEN YEARS AGO THAT CLIMATE WAS THE ABSOLUTE
THAT CLIMATE WAS THE ABSOLUTE PROBLEM OF OUR SOCIETY, AND IT
PROBLEM OF OUR SOCIETY, AND IT WAS THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE
WAS THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE OF OUR WHOLE COUNTRY BEING BASED
OF OUR WHOLE COUNTRY BEING BASED ON FOSSIL FUELS.
ON FOSSIL FUELS. EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM HAS LIVED
EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM HAS LIVED IN AN ECONOMY BASED ON FOSSIL
IN AN ECONOMY BASED ON FOSSIL FUELS.
FUELS. AND WE ALL HAVE TO COME TO THE
AND WE ALL HAVE TO COME TO THE SAME CONCLUSION THAT I CAME TO
SAME CONCLUSION THAT I CAME TO OVER A DECADE AGO.
OVER A DECADE AGO. IF WE’RE WAITING FOR CONGRESS TO
IF WE’RE WAITING FOR CONGRESS TO PASS ONE OF THE BILLS, AND I
PASS ONE OF THE BILLS, AND I KNOW EVERYBODY ON THIS STAGE
KNOW EVERYBODY ON THIS STAGE CARES ABOUT THIS.
CARES ABOUT THIS. BUT CONGRESS HAS NEVER PASSED AN
BUT CONGRESS HAS NEVER PASSED AN IMPORTANT CLIMATE BILL EVER.
IMPORTANT CLIMATE BILL EVER. THIS IS A PROBLEM WHICH
THIS IS A PROBLEM WHICH CONTINUES TO GET WORSE.
CONTINUES TO GET WORSE. THAT’S WHY I’M SAYING IT’S A
THAT’S WHY I’M SAYING IT’S A STATE OF EMERGENCY.
STATE OF EMERGENCY. THAT’S WHY I’M SAYING IT’S
THAT’S WHY I’M SAYING IT’S PRIORITY ONE.
PRIORITY ONE. IF IT ISN’T PRIORITY ONE, IT’S
IF IT ISN’T PRIORITY ONE, IT’S NOT GOING TO GET DONE.
NOT GOING TO GET DONE. AND THIS IS SOMETHING WHERE WE
AND THIS IS SOMETHING WHERE WE ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO ADDRESS IT UP
ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO ADDRESS IT UP FRONT.
FRONT. WE HAVE TO MAKE IT THE MOST
WE HAVE TO MAKE IT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING.
IMPORTANT THING. AND WE CAN USE IT TO REBUILD AND
AND WE CAN USE IT TO REBUILD AND REIMAGINE WHAT THE UNITED STATES
REIMAGINE WHAT THE UNITED STATES IS.
IS. WE CAN BE THE MORAL LEADERS OF
WE CAN BE THE MORAL LEADERS OF THE WORLD AGAIN WHILE WE CLEANUP
THE WORLD AGAIN WHILE WE CLEANUP OUR AIR AND WATER AND CREATE
OUR AIR AND WATER AND CREATE MILLIONS OF GOOD PAYING JOBS.
MILLIONS OF GOOD PAYING JOBS. >> SENATOR SANDERS --
>> SENATOR SANDERS -- >> I WAS ALSO NAMED IN THAT.
>> I WAS ALSO NAMED IN THAT. >> YOU WERE.
>> YOU WERE. >> YOU TALKED ABOUT THE NEED TO
>> YOU TALKED ABOUT THE NEED TO MAKE CLIMATE CHANGE A NATIONAL
MAKE CLIMATE CHANGE A NATIONAL EMERGENCY.
EMERGENCY. I’VE INTRODUCED LEGISLATION TO
I’VE INTRODUCED LEGISLATION TO JUST DO THAT.
JUST DO THAT. NOW I DISAGREE WITH THE THRUST
NOW I DISAGREE WITH THE THRUST OF THE ORIGINAL QUESTION BECAUSE
OF THE ORIGINAL QUESTION BECAUSE YOUR QUESTION HAS SAID WHAT WITH
YOUR QUESTION HAS SAID WHAT WITH WE GOING TO DO IN DECADES?
WE GOING TO DO IN DECADES? WE DON’T HAVE DECADES.
WE DON’T HAVE DECADES. WHAT THE SCIENTISTS ARE TELLING
WHAT THE SCIENTISTS ARE TELLING US IF WE DON’T GET OUR ACT
US IF WE DON’T GET OUR ACT TOGETHER WITHIN THE NEXT 8 OR 9
TOGETHER WITHIN THE NEXT 8 OR 9 YEARS, WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
YEARS, WE’RE TALKING ABOUT CITIES ALL OVER THE WORLD, MAJOR
CITIES ALL OVER THE WORLD, MAJOR CITIES GOING UNDER WATER.
CITIES GOING UNDER WATER. WE’RE TALKING ABOUT INCREASED
WE’RE TALKING ABOUT INCREASED DROUGHT.
DROUGHT. WE’RE TALKING ABOUT INCREASED
WE’RE TALKING ABOUT INCREASED EXTREME WEATHER DISTURBANCES.
EXTREME WEATHER DISTURBANCES. THE UNITED NATIONS IS TELLING US
THE UNITED NATIONS IS TELLING US THAT IN THE YEARS TO COME THERE
THAT IN THE YEARS TO COME THERE ARE GOING TO BE HUNDREDS OF
ARE GOING TO BE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF CLIMATE REFUGEES
MILLIONS OF CLIMATE REFUGEES CAUSING NATIONAL SECURITY ISSUES
CAUSING NATIONAL SECURITY ISSUES ALL OVER THE WORLD.
ALL OVER THE WORLD. WHAT WE HAVE GOT TO DO TONIGHT,
WHAT WE HAVE GOT TO DO TONIGHT, AND I WILL DO AS PRESIDENT IS TO
AND I WILL DO AS PRESIDENT IS TO TELL THE FOSSIL FUEL INDUSTRY
TELL THE FOSSIL FUEL INDUSTRY THAT THEIR SHORT-TERM PROFITS
THAT THEIR SHORT-TERM PROFITS ARE NOT MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE
ARE NOT MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE FUTURE OF THIS PLANET.
FUTURE OF THIS PLANET. AND BY THE WAY, THE FOSSIL FUEL
AND BY THE WAY, THE FOSSIL FUEL INDUSTRY IS PROBABLY CRIMINALLY
INDUSTRY IS PROBABLY CRIMINALLY LIABLE BECAUSE THEY HAVE LIED
LIABLE BECAUSE THEY HAVE LIED AND LIED AND LIED WHEN THEY HAD
AND LIED AND LIED WHEN THEY HAD THE EVIDENCE THAT THEIR CARBON
