In an action sure to be quoted by climate denialists, a major union at the Los Angeles city run gas fired power plants is on record as being against the city retiring 3 plants in favor of a contract with a solar project to supply power at cheaper prices. The union warns it will lose 400 jobs and ratepayers will be hammered by mayor Eric Garcetti's decision to shutter the plants in favor of the more ecological solar project.
As Kevin Drum accurately points out, fighting climate change is not the exclusive domain of republican fat cats. Working people in industries which are hastening the destruction of our planet are also part of that coalition. Others have said we could pay coal miners their salaries for the rest of their lives and still be ahead in the fight against climate change, but I doubt the miners or in the above example the members of the IBEW at the gas plants would like "money for nothing and their checks for free". At least during our working lives most of us want to produce something in return for our livelihoods. Even if producing that thing is dangerous for the world we live in. That is why finding a consensus to battle climate change is so difficult.
No comments:
Post a Comment