Tim Kaine: duurzaam én fossiel

26 juli 2016Wat heeft Tim Kaine, de running mate van Hillary Clinton, met klimaat en energie? Uit een paar snippers informatie over dit thema komt een dubbel beeld naar voren: duurzaam én fossiel.

Uit het FD
‘(…) Kaine ontplooide duurzame energie-initiatieven maar steunt ook het boren door bedrijven als Shell naar gas en olie aan de Atlantische kust. (…)’

Uit een bericht van 350. org
‘(…) “Tim Kaine won’t energize the climate base, so it’s up to Hillary to start staking out some clearer positions. Kaine was with us on Keystone XL, but against us on offshore drilling and fracking. This November, climate activists, young people, and progressives will turn up at the polls for candidates who say the magic words, ‘keep it in the ground.’ If Democrats want to drive turnout, it’s time to come out more clearly against drilling, fracking, and new fossil fuel infrastructure.” (…)’

Scientific American
‘(…) The mixed reviews appear to reflect a mixed record. Kaine supports offshore oil drilling and fast-tracking natural gas export terminals, but he was also considered instrumental in the battle against the Keystone XL oil pipeline. When he was governor of Virginia, his administration backed one of the last coal plants built in the country. At the same time, he supported renewable energy and instituted the first-ever climate change commission in Virginia to bring together environmentalists and power companies to chart a way forward on cutting greenhouse gas levels.

The Natural Resources Defense Council called Kaine an environmental champion with an “impressive” record. The League of Conservation Voters Action Fund declared, “Awesome choice, Hillary! We’re thrilled.” Several other groups, including NextGen Climate and Environment America, chimed in with their support, too. But Climate Hawks Vote summed it up with “In one word: Meh.”

“Whether it’s coal, fracking, or oil drilling, Kaine has been there time and again with fulsome praise. And then he warns his constituents about sea level rise,” the group’s leader, RL Miller, said in a statement.

Environmental groups that dealt with Kaine as governor between 2006 and 2010 largely see him as a moderate. And they say it’s important to review his work from that time. They point, in particular, to his administration’s handling of a permit for a coal plant that came online in 2012 as a key example of how he may be able to appeal to greens and industry alike. (…)’

Bronnen
FD, 25 juli 2016: Talent Kaine komt eindelijk uit de coulissen
350action.org, 25 juli 2016: Tim Kaine won’t energize climate voters, so Hillary must
Scientific American, 25 juli 2016: Tim Kaine’s Climate Record Is All over the Map

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Auteur: Redactie

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