Old Fault Lines in the Climate Movement Reopen, Complicate Biden’s Path

"The administration favors an approach to emissions reduction that includes technologies like carbon capture. Many activists oppose anything other than renewable energy sources."

"As President Joe Biden works to enact his plan for cutting greenhouse gases, a long dormant rift among climate action activists is surfacing.

On one side are those who believe that renewable energy — especially solar, wind, and hydroelectricity — will be sufficient to fuel the economy and get the world to zero emissions. On the other side are those who, like the Biden administration, think fossil fuels are likely to have a role in the nation’s energy future, making it important to invest in technology to capture carbon emissions.

This dispute was largely buried in recent years, as progressives and moderates bonded together to oppose President Donald Trump’s wholesale unraveling of environmental protections. But now it threatens to complicate the already difficult job that Biden faces in getting his $2 trillion American Jobs Plan through Congress."

Marianne Lavelle reports for Inside Climate News June 1, 2021.

Source: Inside Climate News, 06/02/2021