Republican opposition can’t last — Gore
Former Vice President Al Gore said last night that Republican opposition to climate action would eventually give way in the face of public opinion and a preponderance of scientific evidence.
“I don’t think it can last,” he said last night during an appearance on MSNBC’s “All In with Chris Hayes.” Gore added, “I think we are winning this debate.”
“I think the coal industry is on the ropes here in the United States,” he added.
Gore and Hayes noted that Republican contenders for the 2016 presidential nomination frequently point to inaction in other countries to warn against the United States’ taking steps to limit greenhouse gas emissions. But Gore pointed out that China last Friday announced that it will preview a new carbon cap-and-trade program beginning in 2017 that will cover its entire economy — including sectors like manufacturing that are not regulated for carbon in the United States.
Gore also used the spot to cheer former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s announcement last week that she does not support approval of the Keystone XL oil pipeline — a position that puts her in line with other Democratic presidential contenders. He declined to say whether or whom he would endorse in 2016, saying it is too early.
Gore, who is now the founder and chairman of the Climate Reality Project, waved away a question about whether he might return to politics by calling himself a “recovering politician.”
“The longer I go without a relapse, the less likely one becomes,” he said.
And Gore applauded Royal Dutch Shell PLC’s announcement that it would not drill in the Arctic, saying that such a plan would be “insane” because oil spills would be destructive in the region.
“A crazy idea in the first place. I’m glad that they pulled the plug. I hope nobody else does it,” he said.