WolfeNotes.com

Gaslighting and Kabuki Cover For Corporate Capitulation

Neoliberal Economics, Fake Austerity, and Corporate Power Overwhelm Democracy

Rockets, moon shots
Spend it on the have nots
Money, we make it
Fore we see it you take it ~~~ Inner City Blues, Marvin Gaye

While AOC gaslights her celebrity cult followers to cover for her complete and utter capitulation to Democratic leadership (a total sellout of “NO CLIMATE – NO DEAL!, which has been exposed as an empty slogan), we thought we’d post a very, very brief note of what’s really going on, just for the historical record.

[Intro note: AOC is gaslighting on the content of the reconciliation bill and the reversal of her posture to demand linkage between infrastructure and reconciliation. Despite her “NO” vote on the infrastructure bill, it is obviously that this Kabuki was arranged with and approved by Pelosi, who had secured 10 Republican votes to offset the NO votes of AOC and parts of the Squad. Just like the coordinated voting on previous folds by AOC and progressives, no way would AOC’s NO vote actually have blocked passage of the bill. Pelosi would not have allowed that.]

Biden is championing failed Neoliberal economics (i.e. corporate subsidies, corporate tax cuts, privatization under the guise of “public private partnerships”, deregulation under the guise of “streamlining”, and “America is back” economic globalism and imperial militarism under the guise of Obama’s “Pacific Pivot”) while Democrats in Congress use discredited Neoliberal austerity policies to slash public investment and social spending (under the guise of limiting the deficit and controlling inflation).

Biden and the Democrats campaigned on a pledge to make corporations and the rich pay their fair share. Instead of following through, they have now managed to reverse that promise and have not only abandoned a modest Biden proposal to recoup just half of the Trump tax cuts, but now have INCREASED tax cuts for the rich with a $400 billion SALT giveaway to the wealthiest 5%. (are we supposed to be happy not just the 1% benefitted, but another 4% get tax cuts?). And they do all this while claiming to care about deficits!

The list of promises Biden and the Democrats campaigned on and have failed to deliver on or outright abandoned is long, too long to rehash here (no $15 minimum wage even though it should be $24/hour based on productivity increases, no public option (Biden’s alternative to single payer or Medicare for all), no Medicare expansion, no student debt relief, no moratorium on evictions and foreclosures …….)

Democrats actually managed to increase defense spending to record levels and increase spending on and militarization of local police forces.

They abandoned Voting Rights Act reform legislation (John Lewis Act), despite the national Republican anti-democratic racist campaign of gerrymandering, voter suppression, and expansion of control over State electors (a key part of Trump’s strategy to steal the 2020 election via the 12th amendment procedure and very likely to work in stealing the ’24 election).

The Biden administration has increased deportations, expanded Trump’s abuse of public health laws to block legal immigration and send refugees back to Mexico, and abandoned legislative immigration reforms. The US Border Patrol is still out of control.

The Biden Executive Order “pause” on issuing leases for oil and gas extraction on federal lands was quickly abandoned and exposed as sham, as Biden issued more gas, oil and pipeline development approvals than Trump and George Bush. My goodness, US coal power production increased this year!

Seems almost like this is all part of Biden’s promise to Wall Street and Big Donors: “nothing fundamentally will change”.

Meanwhile, the media is focused on the huge reduction in spending under Biden’s “Build Back Better” reconciliation bill. (I think Sanders began the debate at $6 trillion and now were’ looking at a small fraction of that, something like $1.75 trillion)

But the real story is in the substance of the bills.

It’s not just money – the bills include many terrible pro-corporate policies and programs, including massive billion dollar subsidies to fossil (carbon capture and methane grants), privatization, deregulation, attacks on NEPA, and more logging of national forests under the guise of “resilience” and wildfire prevention. The lame Biden Climate Program was gutted by Manchin.

The package of bills actually makes the US emissions profile even WORSE.

Notice that no one has conducted an analysis of how the bills would impact greenhouse gas emissions.

That analysis should be done, just like the Congressional Budget Office “scores” bills for economic impact and effects on the deficit. The road projects alone in the infrastructure bill, not considering economic growth that will result from this stimulus and the promotion of logging et al, would greatly increase emissions (more VMT and massive amounts of high carbon steel and concrete).

The John Muir Project has documented how just the logging programs alone in these bills would increase current huge emission from logging, and wipe out at least one third of any greenhouse gas emissions reductions resulting from the renewable energy programs.

I’ve been documenting all this in multiple prior posts, so will leave it at that.

Market Fundamentalism Gone Mad

THE LEAF COALITION IS WIRED, FROM WALL STREET TO THE BIDEN WHITE HOUSE

[Update below]

Last week, I read the Biden Administration’s COP26 “Nationally Determined Contribution”” greenhouse gas emissions reductions plan and was not impressed by the lack of substance and detail on how the 50% – 52% emissions reductions by 2030 pledge would be implemented and funded. All the sections of the plan that involved disclosure of these details were checked “not applicable” N/A.

I also was disappointed – but not surprised – by the extent to which the Biden COP26 plan ignored and downplayed any role for regulation, while repeatedly promoting market mechanisms. (Regulation has become so taboo, that now the term is not even mentioned, but instead the whole concept is Orwellian and euphemistically called “standards”).

The plan views the role of government as “spurring” private markets, and is devoted to the discredited notion of “progress”:

The plan claims that “progress” in reducing emissions is driven by technological innovation and markets, not collective democratic action, or government intervention, and surely not by regulatory mandates:

So, it’s clear that Neoliberalism (private markets, capitalism, incentives, deregulation, technological innovation, and endless growth) continues to be the US governing policy and ideology that controls the public realm.

About this same time, on BBC radio, I heard a story about a group called THE LEAF COALITION, which included an interview with a former Obama White House climate policy aid. Immediately, my corporate corruption radar detector went off.

The Lowering Emissions by Accelerating Forest finance (LEAF) Coalition’s goal to halt deforestation by financing large scale tropical forest protection. In 2021, the Coalition mobilized $1bn in financing, kicking off largest-ever public-private efforts to protect tropical forests.

I’m reminded of all this now because I just read an important piece on Bob Scheer’s website, see:

• Wall Street’s Latest Scheme Is Monetizing Nature Itself – Just in time for the UN’s policy push for “30 x 30” – 30% of the earth to be “conserved” by 2030 – a new Wall Street asset class puts up for sale the processes underpinning all life.

My corporate corruption detection bells went off again.

Connecting these dots, I like to drill down on concepts and illustrate how they are implemented in policy, so I immediately recalled a prior April Biden White House “America Is Back” announcement, and was surprised to see the inclusion and promotion of our friends from THE LEAF COALITION

FACT SHEET: President Biden’s Leaders Summit on Climate

• Investing in tropical forests to drive towards a net-zero world. Halting deforestation globally, and restoring forests and other ecosystems, is critical to reaching a net-zero emissions world by 2050. The United States is joining together with other governments and private sector companies today to announce the Lowering Emissions by Accelerating Forest finance (LEAF) Coalition. The LEAF Coalition expects to mobilize at least $1 billion this year to incentivize tropical and subtropical countries in reducing emissions from forests by paying for verified emissions reductions that meet a high environmental and social standard. This is a crucial component to raising global climate ambition and to halting and reversing deforestation by 2030.

Imagine that: a former Obama White House climate aid – partnering with Wall Street vultures like Blackrock and tax avoiding billion dollar corporations like Amazon and Walmart – is written into the Biden White House climate market based plans.

Many mainstream corporate news outlets are already promoting this Wall Street corporate politically wired “public-private partnership”:

See how corporate power, political connections and media propaganda work?

Corporate Joe is not just a do nothing climate fraud on the domestic front.

It’s much worse than that.

He’s doing actual harm, by expanding corporate power, consolidating the discredited Neoliberal market fundamentalism model, and monetizing the world, including nature and the lands and forests of indigenous people, while allowing corporate carbon polluters to continue to pollute

Yes, Joe, it sure looks like “America Is Back”.

[Update: 11/9/21 – In terms of piecing Kabuki and understanding harm, Greta is an astute young woman. WSWS reported:

It is hard to argue with Thunberg’s characterization of the summit as “two-week-long celebration of business as usual and blah, blah, blah.”

She told the huge crowd, “The leaders are not doing nothing. They are actively creating loopholes and shaping frameworks to benefit themselves and to continue profiting from this destructive system. This is an active choice by the leaders to continue to let the exploitation of people and nature, and the destruction of present and future living conditions to take place.”

Wow.

Gov. Murphy, the BPU Energy Master Plan, and DEP Commissioner Oppose a Moratorium

Not Realistic For The Legislature To Rely On Executive Power, Given Gov. Murphy’s Record

We Need Legislation With Enforceable Standards Like New York State

Sheriff John Brown always hated me
For what I don’t know
Every time that I plant a seed
He said, “Kill it before it grows”
He said, “Kill it before it grows” ~~~ I Shot The Sheriff, Bob Marley

Just days after I urged legislators to amend NJ climate laws to mandate emissions reductions – including a direct challenge to Chairman Bob Smith –  the Senate Environment Committee today announced that they will consider a non-binding Senate Resolution #17 that would urge Gov. Murphy to impose a moratorium on fossil projects. The Resolution will be heard during the next Committee hearing on Nov. 15, 2021 in Trenton.

There are several technical flaws with the text of the Resolution as drafted.

But the real problem with the Resolution is the overall approach and reliance on Gov. Murphy’s exercise of executive authority to mandate emissions reductions, which is something that he and his administration have refused to do for 4 years and publicly have opposed.

A non-binding Resolution urging the Gov. to act may have been appropriate during Gov. Murphy’s first 100 days. But after 4 years, it is absurd.

We need legislation with enforceable goals, timetables, and standards, like New York State climate law provides.

The last thing we need during this climate emergency – and after 15 years of failed aspirational goals of the Global Warming Response Act, small bore market based programs (RGGI), voluntary programs, subsidies,”nudges”, moral appeals, and incentives – is more symbolic gestures.

The Legislature must step up and and legislate!

We need clear legislative goals, standards, and timetables, based on the most recent (“best available”) science and backed by enforceable DEP regulations. DEP’s discretion to delay and weaken any such legislative standards also must be limited, given their 15 year track record of loopholes, revolving door abuses (current DEP Commissioner LaTourette worked for the Gibbstown, NJ Fortress LNG Export plant), and foot-dragging.

(Unfortunately, I must note that way back in 2004, DEP Commissioner Brad Campbell first established regulatory control over GHG emissions as a regulated “pollutant” under the NJ Air Pollution Control Act. DEP has done nothing with this authority since then.)

I strongly urge climate activists not to fall for and support another failed symbolic gesture. Demand real actions!

So let us stop talkin’ falsely now
The hour’s getting late ~~~ “All Along The Watchtower” Bob Dylan (Hendrix version)

I fired of this letter to the sponsor, Senator Weinberg and Senate Environment Committee Chair and members:

Dear Senator Weinberg:

I just reviewed your Senate Resolution 17, which would urge the Gov. to impose a moratorium on (new? expanded?) fossil projects (just infrastructure, or all major emission sources?), pending adoption of unspecified regulations (and deadlines for adoption) designed to achieve Statewide greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals established by the Global Warming Response Act (for 2050).

The Resolution was posted for hearing by the Senate Environment Committee on 11/15/21.

While I strongly support the legislative findings and intent of this Resolution, and I have several technical concerns with how it is drafted, I can not support the resolution itself for the following reasons and instead suggest an alternative legislative approach:

Gov. Murphy has been urged to impose such a moratorium during virtually his entire first term in Office. Climate activists have launched a public campaign to pressure him to do so.

Yet, not only has the Gov. failed to support such an approach, his administration has actively opposed it multiple times.

For example, his BPU Energy Master Plan does not support such an approach. In fact the EMP justifies huge expansion in electric demand, much of the renewable power will rely on continued operation (and expansion) of fossil infrastructure and generation, some fossil power sources are redefined as renewable or net carbon zero.

His Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection has publicly not only opposed a moratorium, but has touted continued reliance on fossil fuels. DEP has also issued permits to significant capacity in new fossil infrastructure. Many new or expanded fossil infrastructure projects are pending DEP approval, as the Resolution notes, yet the DEP Commissioner has failed to aggressively propose and adopt the long delayed “Climate PACT” regulations that could block these hazardous fossil projects.

Given these unfortunate political, policy, and regulatory realities, it is unrealistic to rely on the Gov.’s executive power and discretion to follow the will of the Legislature and the policy of SR 17.

Instead, the Legislature should craft and pass amendments to the NJ Global Warming Response Act that provide enforceable standards and timetables based on the best available science (which would accelerate the goals of the NJ Global Warming Response Act). Put a bill on his desk and challenge him to veto it!

A few days ago, I urged Chairman Smith to do exactly that, based on the model climate legislation in New York. (for details and links to the NY State legislation, see:

http://www.wolfenotes.com/2021/11/what-a-difference-a-state-law-makes/

I would be glad to work with you, Chairman Smith, and OLS to craft such legislation.

I urge your favorable consideration and timely reply.

Please consider this as my testimony and submit it into the record on the SR17 for the Senate Environment Committee hearing.

Respectfully,

Bill Wolfe

No Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reductions In Biden’s “Build Back Better Framework” 

Progressives Fold: What Happened To No Climate – No Deal?

Manchin, Sinema, And Corporate Power Hijack The Future

[Update: 3/14/23 – The evidence mounts: (Joshua Frank)

Yesterday, the Biden administration approved ConocoPhillip’s enormous $8 billion Willow oil project on federally-owned land in Alaska.

[Update: 4/17/22 – Biden and the Dems are toast in the mid-terms: (NY Times reports)

• Biden Plans to Open More Public Land to Drilling

The Interior Department said in a statement that it planned next week to auction off leases to drill on 145,000 acres of public lands in nine states. They would be the first new fossil fuel leases to be offered on public lands since President Biden took office.

The move comes as President Biden seeks to show voters that he is working to increase the domestic oil supply as prices surge in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. But it also violates a signature campaign pledge made by Mr. Biden as he sought to assure climate activists that he would prioritize reducing the use of fossil fuels.

“And by the way, no more drilling on federal lands, period. Period, period, period,” Mr. Biden told voters in New Hampshire in February 2020. […]

Upon taking office, Mr. Biden issued an executive order calling for a temporary ban on new oil and gas leasing on public lands, which was to remain in place while the Interior Department produced a comprehensive report on the state of the federal oil and gas drilling programs.

[Update 4/6/22 – it’s getting hard to keep track of all the betrayals and rollbacks. This is egregious. Biden is not even trying. NY Times reports about the Clean Water Act Section 401 State Water Quality Certification issue I’ve been trying to get focus on for years:

• Supreme Court Revives Trump-Era Environmental Regulation

E.P.A. did not ask the judges to vacate the regulation while it worked on a new one.

[Update 4/1/22 – it’s getting even worse. NY Times reports (and shame on Harvard and Columbia for providing cover):

Biden will tap oil reserve, hoping to push gasoline prices down

The American Petroleum Institute, which represents oil and gas companies, said Mr. Biden ought to encourage domestic oil production by reducing regulations. …

But Senator Joe Manchin III, Democrat of West Virginia, welcomed the Biden announcement, saying it would “provide much-needed relief while also allowing for the simultaneous ramping up of domestic oil and gas production to backfill Russian energy resources.” …

The administration plans to call on Congress to require companies to produce oil on more than 12 million acres of federal lands that are already permitted for extraction or pay fines, a proposal that will probably face an uphill climb.

[Update: 3/19/22 – The evidence keeps piling up:

• Biden administration approves more LNG exports

[Update: 3/15/22 – as the planet burns and the science gets even more dire, Biden pulls an Obama and is getting WORSE. This is literally insane:

Biden bragged last week, U.S. fossil fuel corporations “pumped more oil during my first year in office than they did during my predecessor’s first year.”

Domestic oil and gas production is “approaching record levels,” said Biden, “and we’re on track to set a record for oil production next year.” The president, who has ordered the release of tens of millions of barrels of oil from the nation’s strategic reserves, argued that any blame for untapped extractive potential should be placed on the shoulders of those who are sitting on millions of acres of federal property.

“They could be drilling right now, yesterday, last week, last year,” Biden said, referring to leaseholders who possess thousands of unused permits.

[More Updates below]

Back in July, after it became absolutely clear that Biden’s Executive Order “pause” on oil & gas leasing on public lands was a sham, I wrote:

•  Biden Is A Climate Fraud

The evidence to support that claim is now over-whelming (it’s actually worse than Biden’s approval of Enbridge pipeline and opening 80 million acres of the Gulf of Mexico to drilling and asking OPEC and Russia to increase fossil production and expansion of Obama’s “Asian Pivot” with gunboat diplomacy  and warmongering that undermine climate diplomacy with China and embrace of Trump’s bloated record Pentagon budget (the Pentagon is one of the world’s leading GHG emitters) and limping into COP26).

Here are the climate programs in Biden’s “Build Back Better Framework Agreement”:

Investments in Clean Energy and Combatting Climate Change

• Clean Energy Tax Credits ($320 billion):

Ten-year expanded tax credits for utility-scale and residential clean energy, transmission and storage, clean passenger and commercial vehicles, and clean energy manufacturing.

• Resilience Investments ($105 billion):

Investments and incentives to address extreme weather (wildfires, droughts, and hurricanes, including in forestry, wetlands, and agriculture), legacy pollution in communities, and a Civilian Climate Corps.

• Investments and Incentives for Clean Energy Technology, Manufacturing, and Supply Chains ($110 billion):

Targeted incentives to spur new domestic supply chains and technologies, like solar, batteries, and advanced materials, while boosting the competitiveness of existing industries, like steel, cement, and aluminum.

• Clean Energy procurement ($20 billion):

Provide incentives for government to be purchaser of next gen technologies, including long-duration storage, small modular reactors, and clean construction materials.

After Biden:

a) walked away from the “pause” on fossil extraction on public lands (half the loaf of a “keep it in the ground” policy);

b) ignored multi-billion subsidies to fossil fuels;

c) did not not even discuss EPA regulation of GHG emissions; and

[Update 10/30/21: Speaking of EPA regulations! Into the Biden EPA regulatory vacuum, the Supreme Court just intervened:

• Top Court Takes Up Climate Challenge in Pre-Summit Jolt to Biden

“It’s a huge deal — and a big surprise,” said Jeff Holmstead, a former EPA assistant administrator and now a partner at Bracewell LLP. The court’s decision to get involved will “almost certainly prevent the Biden administration from moving forward with a new rule to regulate carbon emissions from the power sector. They’ll have to wait to see what the Supreme Court says.”

The Biden administration urged the Supreme Court not to get involved, saying the issues in the case had been overtaken by events because the EPA doesn’t plan to revive the Clean Power Plan.

“This court’s review therefore should await the completion of EPA’s new rulemaking, when any challenge to the new rule will take a more concrete shape,” the administration told the justices.

d) failed to consider establishing a “price on carbon”;

Biden has now abandoned his proposed Clean Energy Performance Program – which was market based and incentives only, not regulatory mandates and thus even weaker than Obama EPA’s Clean Power Plan –

Biden’s “clean energy investments” do virtually nothing to assure reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

Corporations – their overpaid mangers and wealthy shareholders – and Wall Street love “incentives” (AKA subsidies). There is no guarantee that incentives for renewable energy actually replace fossil power (they might just serve growth in demand). And these public subsidies are not conditioned upon contribution of private corporate money. Why should the public have to pay for what amounts to private infrastructure?

On top of all that, the linked bi-partisan Senate infrastructure bill is a climate disaster.

[Update 10/30/21 – I was aware of the logging crap in the infrastructure bill (and haven’t read the 1,684 page reconciliation bill).

Jeffrey St. Clair flags another provision in reconciliation:

Biden’s reconciliation package looks like a catastrophe for the environment and not just on climate. The new language codifies “collaboration logging” projects on the national forests, providing $14 billion in funding for clearcutting public forests, a destructive bailout of the timber industry, which the timber industry will promptly pocket and then campaign like hell to take Biden down in 2024.

~~~ end update]

The progressives have already publicly “enthusiastically endorsed” this framework, so, unfortunately, I can’t urge you to contact them and demand that they stand by their “No Climate – No Deal” pledge.

Perhaps you might want to call or tweet them and tell them what you think about their sellout.

The Democrats’ failure to deliver on climate – plus lots of other promises and very popular “human infrastructure” programs like: paid family leave; Medicare for all, or at least Medicare expansion for vision and dental; negotiated (lower) prices for prescription drugs; living wage (should be $24/hour); mortgage and eviction moratorium; student debt relief; free college; public housing; public transit; redistribution of the $50 trillion stolen by the 1%; abandonment of tax increases for corporations and wealthy; surrender on pro union PRO Act; elimination of the Green New Deal Climate Conservation Corps (CCC); abandoning the abolition of the filibuster; walking away from the voting rights bill;  etc – virtually assure Republicans regain power in ’22 and ’24.

By failure to deliver concrete benefits that improve the daily lives of people – and by dissing progressives and the base – Biden and the Democrats re playing right into the Trumpers hands. There will be little enthusiasm among Democrats and the Trumpers will be able to attack the Weimar “do nothing” Democrats.

Dark times ahead:

Meanwhile, the amateurish “stop the steal” efforts of 2020 have given way to an organized nationwide campaign to ensure that Trump and his supporters will have the control over state and local election officials that they lacked in 2020. Those recalcitrant Republican state officials who effectively saved the country from calamity by refusing to falsely declare fraud or to “find” more votes for Trump are being systematically removed or hounded from office. Republican legislatures are giving themselves greater control over the election certification process. As of this spring, Republicans have proposed or passed measures in at least 16 states that would shift certain election authorities from the purview of the governor, secretary of state or other executive-branch officers to the legislature. An Arizona bill flatly states that the legislature may “revoke the secretary of state’s issuance or certification of a presidential elector’s certificate of election” by a simple majority vote.

I warned of exactly this many times, most recently:

• Senate Report Shows That Trump’s State Based Electoral Slate Strategy Remains The Mostly Likely Path To A Stolen ’24 Election

[End Note: Forgot to mention that Biden and his AG allowed the persecution of climate and human rights lawyer Steven Donzinger. Oops, I almost forgot: they are seeking extradition of Julian Assange.]

[Update – 11/16/21 – even more evidence:

• Biden Administration Plans Massive Auction of Oil and Gas Leases

Update – 11/12/21 – Heres’ more evidence: (h/t CP)

• Feds move forward with sale of southeast New Mexico public land to oil and gas industry

[Update – 12/6/21: Here’s more:

• The Reconciliation Bill Gives a Huge Gift to the Gas Industry

[Update – 12/15/21: Exactly like Biden’s assurance to Wall Street that “nothing fundamentally will change”, Biden Sect. Energy assures Big Oil that they are not “the bogeyman”:

• Activists Say Biden ‘Bamboozled’ by Big Oil as Crude Export Ban Is Off Table

DEP Commissioner La Tourette Dismisses Climate Activists At NJ BIA Climate Denial Conference

A Sister Soulja Moment

(Photo: NJ DEP Commissioner LaTourette (DEP website))

For years, we’ve been trying to warn people that:

1) the Murphy administration’s Energy Master Plan explicitly and actively promotes continued expansion and long term reliance on fossil fuels;

2) the Murphy DEP has done nothing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and they have no intention of doing so in upcoming climate PACT regulations; and

3) DEP Commissioner LaTourette is a dangerous former corporate and fossil industry lawyer who relies on identity politics for cover. (A human Trojan Horse)

Those warnings have been ignored by NJ climate activists and media, who have instead praised and cheerlead for the Murphy climate record.

Incredibly, we now have the Murphy DEP Commissioner’s own words that confirm our criticisms.

I buried this important quote in my prior post, which focused on the NJ business community’s promotion of the fossil fuels’ industry climate denial propaganda campaign now under investigation by Congress.

So, here is the Murphy DEP Commissioner LaTourette’s own words:

No immediate end to fossil-fuel use

Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn LaTourette said he has told advocates pushing to shut down all fossil fuel projects that that is not going to happen anytime soon.

“We need carbon-based fuels to power our economy,’’ LaTourette said. “It is why we don’t see the DEP responding to calls for a fossil fuel moratorium.’’

There is so much that is so wrong with this quote:

1. NJ Spotlight failed to report on a previous DEP rejection of a petition for rulemaking filed by climate activist. For details, see:

• Murphy DEP Punts On Climate Emergency Rule Petition Seeking Deep Reductions In Greenhouse Gas Emissions

2.  Instead of reporting on this very bad and unprecedented DEP decision on the merits when it occurred, NJ Spotlight allowed DEP Commissioner LaTourette, weeks later,  to instead attack climate activists before an audience of climate deniers in the NJ business community.

That is gross cowardice.

It would be like LaTourette speaking before a Christian Nation conference to oppose and dismiss demands by gay rights activists.

What LaTourette did is a classic political tactic now known as a Sister Soulja Moment, whereby political hacks intentionally discredit and marginalize activists as unrealistic “radicals” in order to appear reasonable.

3. But DEP Commissioner LaTourette not only attacked climate activist before a climate denial audience, he factually mis-represented their petition to make them appear radical, unrealistic, and not credible.

Specifically, the climate activists petitioned DEP to : a) stop approving expansion of fossil infrastructure ;and b) stop approvals of pending permit applications for expansion of fossil infrastructure.

Commissioner LaTourette twisted and misrepresented a demand to stop expansion, to a “shut down all fossil fuel projects”.

Obviously, there is a HUGE difference between stopping the expansion of fossil infrastructure and shutting down all current fossil fuel projects.

LaTourette and NJ Spotlight did not accidentally conflate these two issues – they basically misrepresented and lied about them.

4. Here are fossil infrastructure expansion projects the Murphy DEP has already approved and/or are pending projects they have effectively now embraced: (source: petition)

In the last three years, the following projects have been built:

• Garden State Expansion Project (Bordentown, Chesterfield)
• Gateway Expansion Project (aka Roseland Compressor Station) (Roseland andPaterson)
• Rivervale South to Market (Bergen, Hudson Counties and Meadowlands)
• Lambertville East Expansion (Lambertville)
• Sewaren 7 PSE&G gas-fired power plant (Woodbridge)

The following major fossil fuel projects are currently in the pipeline and/or pending DEP review:

Pipeline and compressor projects:

• PennEast Pipeline. On June 29, 2021, the US Supreme Court reversed a Third Circuit ruling and allowed fossil fuel developers to seize state land for this massive pipeline. (Note: recently allegedly cancelled, but no binding decision or documentation)
• Northeast Supply Enhancement (aka NESE) (Somerset and Middlesex Counties and the Raritan Bay). While New York and New Jersey denied permits for this project last year, Williams/Transco is actively seeking to revive the project and is asking for a two-year extension of their federal approval.
• Southern Reliability Link (Pinelands). This project remains under construction despite massive leaks and cost overruns.
• South Jersey Gas pipeline. Even though its original purpose no longer exists, SJG is exploring other options.
• Expansion of the Tennessee Gas Pipeline, including expanded/new compressor stations in Wantage and New Milford. (Considered to be 2 projects)
• Regional Energy Access Pipeline with 3 compressor stations

Gas-fired power plant projects:

• Phoenix Energy Center (aka Highlands Power Plant) (Holland Township)
• Keasbey Energy Center (Woodbridge)
• NJ Transit Meadowlands Power Plant (Kearney). Despite agreeing to rethink the project to build a 140 MW gas-fired power plant and use renewable energy, it is unclear how much renewable energy technology will be used in this project.
• PVSC power plant (Newark). Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission plans to build an 84 MW gas power plant for operating power when commercial power is not available.

NJ Spotlight and NJ climate activists have allowed LaTourette to get away with this gross abuse.

But we told you so, and for years now.

We’re not happy about being right about this disgusting policy and politics of the Murphy Administration.

And we’re disgusted by the failure by media and activists to tell the truth.