Former EPA Chief On Perils Of Pulling Out Of Climate Deal | MTP Daily

YOU COMING ON AND SHARING YOUR VIEWS.
THANK YOU. LET ME TURN TO ANOTHER
REPUBLICAN BUT ONE IS WHO HAVE IS AGAINST THE PRESIDENT'S
DECISION OF PULLING OUT OF THE ACCORD.
CYST KRISTINE TODD WHITMAN, FORM HE GOVERNOR OF NEW JERSEY.
>> GOOD TO SEE YOU. >> LET ME START WITH THE
PRESIDENT'S DECISION THAT INCLUDED A CAVEAT.
THE BUT IN THERE THAT IS AT LEAST OPEN TO COMING IN UNDER
DIFFERENT TERMS. DOES THAT, DO YOU TAKE HIM AT
HIS WORD ON THAT? IS THERE NEW TERMS THAT ARE
WORTH NEGOTIATION? IS THAT A FEASIBLE CAVEAT?
>> I DON'T THINK SO. NOT AT ALL.
YOU HAVE ALMOST 200 NATIONS THAT HAVE SIGNED ON TO THIS.
THIS HAS BEEN A PROCESS THAT HAS BEEN ONGOING FOR YEARS.
YOU'VE SEEN MAJOR COMMITMENTS BY COUNTRIES ALL AROUND THE WORLD.
WE JOINED A VERY EXCLUSIVE GROUP WHEN YOU CONSIDER NICARAGUA HAD,
SYRIA AND NORTH KOREA, THE ONLY ONES WHO WON'T SIGN.
THAT'S A VERY EXCLUSIVE GROUP. I'M NOT SURE IT IS ONE WHERE WE
WANT TO BE ASSOCIATED BUT THAT'S WHERE WE ARE.
WE'VE ALREADY SEEN THE DOUBLING DOWN BY THE CHINESE REACHING OUT
TO THE EUROPEAN UNION SAYING WE'LL NEGOTIATE EVEN MORE.
THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE IN MAKING THEIR AGREEMENT VERY
REAL. >> LOOK.
THE PRESIDENT FRAMED HIS DECISION UNDER THE JOBS
ARGUMENT. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THAT
THE ISSUE OF JOBS IS PITTED AGAINST ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS.
AND YOU AND I HAVE BEEN AROUND LONG ENOUGH TO KNOW, WHEN GIVEN
THE CHOICE, THE VOTER IS USUALLY GOING TO SIDE WITH THE JOBS
ARGUMENT OVER THE ENVIRONMENTAL, A UTILITY.
THERE IS NO URGENCY ON THE RIGHT, PERIOD.
HOW DO YOU DEVELOP A SENSE OF URGENCY?
>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, THAT'S THE WRONG ARGUMENT.
WE HAVE PROVEN OVER TIME FROM 1990 TO 2008, WE WERE ABLE TO
SEE OUR POPULATION GROW 20%. OUR ELECTRICITY DEMANDS GROW BY
35% WEST MORE THAN DOUBLED OUR GDP AND AT THE SAME TIME REDUCED
POLLUTANTS BY 60%. THIS IDEA THAT YOU CAN'T HAVE A
HEALTHY THRIVING ECONOMY WITH A CLEAN AND GREEN ENVIRONMENT IS
WRONG. THAT'S ONE OF THE FEW THINGS
SAID TODAY THAT I AGREE WITH. SCOTT PRUITT SAID WE'VE BEEN
DOING A WONDERFUL JOB VOLUNTARILY.
WE HAVE. BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF PLAYERS
ON THE FIELD WHO ARE NOT COMPLYING WITH THAT.
AND I WOULD GO FOR, FOR ME, THE JOBS.
IF YOU TALK ABOUT ENERGY AND YOU WANT TO REDUCE POLLUTION,
NUCLEAR. NUCLEAR ENERGY CALLS ON, THE
AVERAGE NUCLEAR REACTOR FULL TIME EMPLOYMENT OF SOME 3,000 TO
5,000 PEOPLE AT JOBS THAT PAY 30% MORE THAN THE AVERAGE.
>> ARE YOU GOING TO TAKE US DOWN THAT RABBIT HOLE, NOT IN MY
BACKYARD? THE NUCLEAR DEBATE OPENS UP A
WHOLE OTHER CAN OF WORMS. BUT I TAKE YOUR POINT.
>> I AGREE. THERE ARE CHALLENGES THERE.
BUT RIGHT NOW IT IS BECAUSE OF THE LOW COST OF NATURAL GAS
WHICH GETS BACK TO ONE THING PRESIDENT TRUMP HARPED ON TODAY.
COAL MINERS. IT IS BEING PHASED OUT BECAUSE
OF THE LOW COST OF NATURAL GAS AND ECONOMIC DECISIONS MADE BY
THE UTILITIES.IES. AND TRUMP IS ALL FOR IT.
>> GIVEN THE NUMBER OF STATES INCLUDING OUR COUNTRY'S LARGEST
STATE, CALIFORNIA, WHO WANTS TO ENACT POLICIES AS BEST NECK
ABIDES BY THE ACCORD. AND ESSENTIALLY REALIZE, THEY
HAVE TO DO BUSINESS AROUND THE WORLD SO THEY'LL ABIDE BY A
GLOBAL SET OF RULES. IS IT POSSIBLE THAT WHILE THE
UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT IS NOT SIGNING ON TO IT, THERE ARE
ENOUGH ENTITIES IN THE UNITED STATES, THAT WE HIT SOME OF THE
GOALS? OR WE MAKE PROGRESS
SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH THE PARIS ACCORD?
DOES OUR LACK OF PRESENCE IN IT GIVE CARTE BLANCHE?
>> YES, WE WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE PROGRESS AND THE PRESIDENT WAS
RIGHT WHEN HE SAID WE'VE DOUBLE MORE THAN MANY.
WE HAVE. WE CAN DO MORE.
IT WOULD BE BETTER IF IT WERE SOMETHING THE ENTIRE COUNTRY WAS
COMMITTED TO. BUT RIGHT NOW PRIVATE SECTOR
STATES AND LOCALITIES, MUNICIPALITIES HAVE MADE
COMMITMENTS. THEY UNDERSTAND THIS PROBLEM IS
REAL AND THERE ARE THINGS WE CAN DO ABOUT THAT IT DON'T HURT THE
ECONOMY. SO THAT IS OFF THE TABLE.
WILL OTHER COUNTRIES BAIL? THERE'S A POSSIBILITY BUT I
DON'T THINK SO. I THINK THERE ARE SOME WHO
MIGHT, INDIA, PERHAPS MIGHT BAIL.
THERE'S ENOUGH PUT INTO THIS THAT IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT FOR
THEM TO BAIL. THINGS LIKE THE GREEN FUND.
WE'RE NOT REQUIRED TO PUT BILLIONS IN THERE.
THERE'S NO REQUIREMENT FOR A SPECIFIC AMOUNT OF MONEY.
IT JUST CALLED FOR THE DEVELOPED COUNTRIES TO PUT MORE IN AND
THAT'S TO ENABLE TO US PROVIDE MONEY SO THE DEVELOPING
COUNTRIES CAN GET NEW TECHNOLOGIES WHICH WE COULD
EXPORT IF WE WERE AT THE FOREFRONT OF DEVELOPING THEM.
WE SEEM TO BE COMING BACK ONLY. TRADE WARS GO BOTH WAYS.
AND EVEN THOUGH THEY MAY BE SETTING THEIR OWN GOALS, I THINK
YOU'LL SEE SOME NATIONS SAY, HEY, WE'LL PUT SOME TARIFFS ON
THINGS COME FROM THE UNITED STATES.
>> THAT WOULD BE AN INTERESTING GAME CHANGER THERE AND SOMETHING

Former EPA Chief On Perils Of Pulling Out Of Climate Deal | MTP Daily | MSNBC

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