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Tom Steyer on EnvironmentDemocratic Presidential Challenger; CEO |
We're going to make this work the old-fashioned way: We're going to have a government that puts in rules starting day one. We call our climate plan a justice-based climate plan. We can make this work. We can be better paid. We can more just. We can be cleaner and healthier, particularly in black and brown communities, which are bearing the brunt of our pollution.
If there's a big problem, the American government will solve it. And somewhere around 14 or 15 years ago, I thought, this doesn't seem to be working. There's this huge unintended consequence of having a fossil fuel economy, which is climate change. So what I finally decided was, this is a political problem. ]\
Mayor Pete BUTTIGIEG: We are going to have to use federal funds to make sure that we are supporting those whose lives will inevitably be impacted. That disproportionately happens to black and brown Americans, which is why equity and environmental justice have to be at the core of our climate plan going forward.
STEYER: Look, what you're talking about is what's called managed retreat. It's basically saying we're going to have to move things because this crisis is out of control. And it's unbelievably expensive. And of course we'll come to the rescue of Americans who are in trouble. But this is why climate is my number one priority. I would do it from the standpoint of environmental justice and make sure we go to the black and brown communities where you can't breathe the air or drink the water that comes out of the tap safely.