Inside the Beltway: The Green Party slams Biden on Earth Day

NEWS AND OPINION:

The green-minded Green Party has a message for President Biden on Earth Day, which is Thursday.

“Greens to Biden: On climate, you are not the party of science,” the independent political third party said in a statement shared with Inside the Beltway, meant to mark the global ecological observance, now in its 51st year.

Mr. Biden’s climate goals of cutting greenhouse gas emissions 50% by 2030 “falls woefully short” of averting a climate catastrophe, the organization said.

“There’s no doubt that climate change is an existential crisis to humanity and the planet. Biden needs to formally declare a climate emergency and launch an all-out mobilization of national resources to give current and future generations a fighting chance for a future,” observed Howie Hawkins, the Greens’ 2020 presidential nominee.

“Democrats love to lecture that half a loaf of bread is better than none, but the president is offering half of a parachute when we’re about to be kicked out of an airplane,” said party communications manager Michael O’Neil.

The Green Party contends that there are only seven years left before worldwide greenhouse gas emissions surpass the limit required to keep warming below a threshold, which if violated, will trigger “catastrophic” climate change.

“Biden and the Democrats must, at long last, stop following the fossil fuel companies and their campaign contributions and start following the science,” said Green Party national co-chair Margaret Elisabeth. “That means a goal of zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. Aiming short of that is a plan to fail, before we even start.”

The party has its own version of a “Green New Deal” which halts development of new fossil fuel infrastructure, phases out use of natural gas and many other things. Find the details at GP.org.

“To pay for the program, the Green Party supports slashing the dangerous, bloated military budget (that devours over 60% of Congressional expenditures), enacting a carbon tax on polluters, and increasing taxes on the wealthy,” the party said in a mission statement.

AND ABOUT THOSE (A-HEM) EMISSIONS

“According to research, going to a plant-based diet makes more of a difference to your carbon footprint than eating local, but the public guess this is the other way around. Almost 6 in 10 people around the world (57%) say eating a locally produced diet, including meat and dairy products, is a better way to reduce an individual’s greenhouse gas emissions while only 20% say eating a vegetarian diet with some imported products is more effective,” reports a massive new Ipsos poll.

It surveyed 21,011 adults in 30 countries, including the U.S.

“Only those in India are more likely to choose a vegetarian diet as the more effective option (47%), while those in Hungary (77%), Switzerland (73%) and France (70%) are most likely to choose a local diet as the best way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“Public understanding of relative impact of meat and miles is also low. The public has little idea of the carbon emissions of burgers as an equivalent of driving in a car. Almost 9 in 10 people globally (86%) could not make a guess how far a car would need to drive to match the carbon emissions of making one beef burger,” said the poll.

The poll was conducted Feb. 19 to March 5 and released Wednesday.

THE CHRISTIE QUESTION

Former President Donald Trump has already revealed he’s mulling another run for president in 2024. Now along comes former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who is also sending out such signals according to Axios, citing “three people familiar with his thinking.”

That’s was enough to fire up the media speculation train. A few stray headlines from the past 24 hours:

“Scoop: Chris Christie friends think he’s running in 2024” (Axios); “Just In: Chris Christie reportedly gearing up to run for president” (Mediate); “Chris Christie is reportedly ’seriously considering’ a 2024 presidential run” (The Week, The Independent), and “Chris Christie is ’seriously considering’ running for president again in 2024 — and is immediately trolled on Twitter” (The Daily Mail).

It is of note that Mr. Christie’s official presidential campaign website from 2016 is still up and running, and still emblazoned with “Telling it like it is,” his campaign motto at the time.

MCCARTHY’S REMINDER

House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy reminded his peers on Wednesday that the U.S. Border Patrol is already on track to encounter some 2 million illegal immigrants — “twice the population of Delaware, President Biden’s home state,” he said during a floor speech.

Mr. McCarthy also noted that Vice President Kamala Harris — charged with forging immigration policy — has yet to visit the southern border. Over one-third of House Republicans, he said, already have been to the region to witness the crisis for themselves.

Mr. McCarthy included other helpful hints.

“We should not be wasting its time on recycled legislation that weakens our national security. We simply need to return to common sense border security policies that work. We need to finish the border wall and deploy technology to the border. We need to fully reinstate the ’remain in Mexico’ policy and maintain and robustly implement Title 42 authority,” Mr. McCarthy said.

“We need to require a negative COVID-19 test before releasing migrants. And we need to send a clear message: Do not come to the United States illegally,” he advised.

POLL DU JOUR

• 64% of U.S. adults think American businesses should not donate directly to political candidates; 71% of Republicans, 69% of independents and 61% of Democrats agree.

• 64% of men and 64% of women also agree.

• 17% overall think businesses should donate to the candidates; 15% of Republicans, 14% of independents and 23% of Democrats agree.

• 20% of men and 14% of women also agree.

• 19% overall are not sure about the issue; 14% of Republicans, 17% of independents and 16% of Democrats agree.

• 16% of men and 23% of women also agree.

Source: An Economist/YouGov poll of 1,500 U.S. adults conducted April 17-20.

• Helpful information to jharper@washingtontimes.com.