Source: United States Senator for Florida Marco Rubio
America deserves better than Democrats’ fake green agenda
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL)
April 19, 2023
Washington Times
Far from denying the value of climate-conscious efforts, I have led them for years…. It exposes the Left’s slander that all Republicans want to do is “block climate action.” To the contrary, what common-sense Republicans like me want to do is block Democrats’ fake green agenda….
People who are serious about increasing America’s climate resilience agree that we cannot operate on solar and wind alone, because in their current state, those technologies cannot supply enough power to keep our nation running…. And yet, President Joe Biden is actively trying to “end fossil fuels,” including natural gas.
Not only is that bad news for the environment, it would also have a severe price inflation effect. In a global food economy run by natural gas-based nitrogen fertilizer and diesel-fueled transportation, increased input costs can make the difference between the world’s poorest people being able to afford their next meal and their going hungry….
Similarly, forcibly transitioning to renewables would exacerbate unique threats that the “clean” energy industry poses to both basic human rights and the environment. Currently, most supply chains for renewables begin and end in poorer nations, where greedy companies regularly commit ethical and ecological horrors….
The craziness doesn’t end there, though, because Democrats’ green agenda is also strengthening China. This happens when federal subsidies intended to support the domestic renewable energy industry end up supporting Chinese companies…. And it happens when Washington goes soft on China to encourage Beijing’s cooperation on the “climate crisis.”
This isn’t just problematic because the Chinese Communist Party is America’s foremost geopolitical adversary. It’s also bad for environmental reasons, because any climate “gains” that depend on shifting industry from the U.S. to China are no gains at all. China is the greatest source of greenhouse gases in the world….
We do need a comprehensive, realistic approach to improve the environment and enhance climate resilience, but Democrats’ agenda is dangerous for America and the world. For that reason, I will continue to oppose left-wing laws tailored for ideologues, special interests, and Beijing.