2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumBig Oil’s Favorite Governor: Jerry Brown: Fracking Champion Small Wonder He Endorsed HRC
http://www.counterpunch.org/2014/09/24/big-oils-favorite-governor-jerry-brown/Jerry Brown, one of the worst governors for fish, water and the environment in California history, spoke to world leaders at the United Nations Climate Summit in New York City on September 23 in a cynical attempt to greenwash his deplorable environmental record.
During his U.N. address, Governor Brown touted Californias controversial carbon trading policies as an example of innovative climate strategies.
The California story is a very hopeful one, Brown gushed. Its a story of Republican and Democratic governors pioneering innovative climate strategies. Its not been easy, its not without contest, but were making real progress.
I believe that from the bottom up, we can make real impact and we need to join together, added Governor Brown. Were signing MOUs with Quebec and British Columbia, with Mexico, with states in China and wherever we can find partners, because we know we have to do it all.
Browns remarks at the summit are available here.
In a video message ahead of the Summit, Brown claimed, We are carrying on because we know in California that carbon pollution kills, it undermines our environment, and, long-term, its an economic loser. We face an existential challenge with the changes in our climate. The time to act is now. The place to look is California.
Yes, California, now under attack by the anti-environmental policies and carbon trading greenwashing campaign by Governor Brown, is definitely the place to look for one example after another of environmental destruction.
snip
Oil Change International, a research, communication, and advocacy organization focused on exposing the true costs of fossil fuels and facilitating the coming transition towards clean energy has given Brown a new nickname, Big Oil Brown, for the large contributions he has received from oil companies and his support of fracking. The web page dedicated to Big Oil Brown features Jerry attired in a suit and cowboy hat like a Texas oil baron right next to an oil rig.
Californias Governor Jerry Brown has a problem: he wants to be seen as a climate champion who understands the science and takes this crisis seriously. At the same time, he just proposed new fracking rules in California that would amount to a gift to Big Oil.
KamaAina
(78,249 posts)The irony is that one of Brown's goals is to be remembered as "the climate change governor"!!
bjo59
(1,166 posts)And where did the dilettante end up? In the pocket of big oil and endorsing a candidate for president who favors facilitating coups, regime-change, and wars in other people's countries because it makes "good business sense" to Goldman Sachs, the IMF, and a whole host of corporate interests. Brown clearly don't give a crap what Buddha would think of that! And so much for all that priestly stuff from his youth too. A lot of Californians don't like Jerry Brown (for the reasons that are the subject of this Counterpunch article) so we'll see whether they care at all about who the hell he endorses. Edmund "Pat" Brown must be rolling in his grave over what a shameful sell out his son turned out to be.
reddread
(6,896 posts)after retiring from elected officialdom, Jerry's dad opened up a PR office in Santa Monica (?) with Occidental Petroleum, specifically to lobby for offshore drilling IN MARINE SANCTUARIES.
whole family is weasel.
amborin
(16,631 posts)reddread
(6,896 posts)its worth it. to us.
I dont know what the fuck these other people are thinking.
MisterP
(23,730 posts)some pols can contradict themselves, others just can't get away with it
Carolina
(6,960 posts)Please do the right thing. You elected Ronald Reagan governor and from there, he was able to launch a presidential bid in 1976 and 1980. He went from unremarkable actor, to shilling for GE, to CA governor to the two-term POTUS who started US/us on this disastrous oligarchic, corporatist slide to hell.
Next Tuesday, PLEASE don't be fooled by HRC's campaign rhetoric and increased appearances in CA. Don't vote for HRC out of the fear promulgated in Gov. Brown's statement, a fear that maintains the status quo. Please send US the anti-Reagan, the man of real hope and change.
Vote for Bernie Sanders. Send a message to the third way, to the bought and paid for (corporate bribed) DINOs, to the establishment, to those in the Democratic Party who want you to vote AGAINST the opposition rather than FOR someone you can believe in, meaning voting yet again for the not so lesser of two evils.
This time there is a real choice between Wall Street Red and Wall Street Blue, and his name is Bernie Sanders.
Do what you can to START undoing Reagan!
merrily
(45,251 posts)shanti
(21,672 posts)fuck off! god, what a disappointment! he's also selling off our water to japan. oh, and lest i forget, he's not for rec cannabis either.
book_worm
(15,951 posts)amborin
(16,631 posts)YouDig
(2,280 posts)Because he's a real corporate establishment guy. Good luck selling that one.
ronnykmarshall
(35,356 posts)FDR could come out of this his grave and endorse Hillary and these folks would attack HIM!
Pathetic, yet some much fun to watch childish meltdowns.
ucrdem
(15,512 posts)Oil is still a big California industry and this is a hyper-gripe about one policy concerning one technology that's basically a stopgap between old and new energy sources. Fossil fuels won't be around much longer but in the meantime that's what we've got and no one is complaining about low prices except the oil companies. Remember the late great peak oil?
nc4bo
(17,651 posts)Hell...poor Pacific Ocean.
Pastiche423
(15,406 posts)when he was my governor.
He's gone from moon bat to Big Oil Brown.
So effing sad.
kstewart33
(6,551 posts)Brown has a 77% approval rating in California. He must be doing something right.