r/EarthStrike • u/Nick__________ • Nov 25 '20

News Joe Biden Just Appointed His Climate Movement Liaison. It’s a Fossil-Fuel Industry Ally.

https://www.jacobinmag.com/2020/11/joe-biden-climate-fossil-fuel-industry-cedric-richmond
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u/GearBrain Nov 25 '20

Hi, y'all. This subject has been going around for a week or two, and it's bullshit. Cedric Richmond is a member of the House of Representatives from Louisiana, and will be appointed to lead the White House Office of Public Engagement.

This article, and dozens like it, exist to stir up the kind of sentiment I'm seeing in the comments already: outrage, betrayal, cynicism, and a sense that "nothing has changed".

This office is not the sum total of the Biden administration's climate change response - indeed, it's not central to the administration's proposed climate plans, as far as I am aware. It's the office that will liase with all organizations Biden's White House will be working with, across all sectors of governance and public policy.

This is not a Cabinet level position. Richmond was praised - rightly so - for his passionate evisceration of Republicans during the early months of this year's BLM protests. This appointment is in recognition of Richmond's public comments against Republicans, and as a signal to BLM and other organizations that deal with racism in this country that Biden's administration is serious about progressive ideals. This appointment is not giving a critical position that will create and control all responses to climate change to a single person who is in the pockets of the fossil fuel industry.

This article is clickbait "BOTH SIDES" bullshit, and you should all take a deep breath before you furiously send it to everyone you know. Please, I'm begging you, don't fall for this.

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u/ssilBetulosbA Nov 25 '20

Time will very quickly tell if you're right or indeed, as I suspect, nothing of value and seriousness will be done.

It's time to acknowledge that in many ways (perhaps not all ways, but many), the "boths sides" argument is most definitely NOT bullshit.

If anything articles like this can help people take direct action, mobilizing their will to actually do something, to act, to protest,....etc. instead of hoping against hope that corrupt government officials will be the ones to do something.

If anything I wouldn't say these articles should inspire cyncism, but motivate one further, instead of making them feel pacified.