John Kerry said Wednesday that President Joe Biden wants fossil fuel workers who lose their jobs to “have better choices” like going to make solar panels.
When asked what he has to say to people who believe they are “seeing an end to their livelihoods,” Kerry, who is Biden’s pick as the special presidential envoy for climate, said that the president is focused on creating “new jobs.” (RELATED: Biden Will Sign Multiple Climate Change Orders On Wednesday, Reversing Trump Policies)
John Kerry is asked what his message would be to oil and gas workers who “see an end to their livelihoods”:
“What President Biden wants to do is make sure that those folks have better choices… That they can be the people to go to work to make the solar panels.” pic.twitter.com/i9TYXlD9Jg
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) January 27, 2021
“You look at the consequences of black lung for a miner, for instance, and measure that against the fastest-growing job in the United States before COVID was solar power technician,” Kerry said. “The same people can do those jobs. But the choice of doing the solar power one now is a better choice.”
“Similarly, you have the second-fastest growing job pre-COVID, was wind turbine technician,” he continued. “This is happening. 75%, 70% of all the electricity that’s come online in the United States in the last few years came from renewables. Coal plants have been closing over the past 20 years.” (RELATED: Joe Biden Suggests Coal Miners Should Learn To Code)
“So what President Biden wants to do is make sure those folks have better choices, that they have alternatives. They can be the people who go to work to make those solar panels,” Kerry noted. He said that a focus of the Biden climate plan is to grow clean energy jobs in the United States.
Kerry added that “workers have been fed a false narrative,” which he said is “no surprise.”
“They’ve been fed the notion that somehow dealing with climate is coming at their expense. No, it’s not. What’s happening to them is happening because of other market forces already taking place,” Kerry continued.
Biden’s climate plan has been met with resistance from those who say the president’s actions will cause thousands of people to lose their jobs. The president has pledged to invest $2 trillion into climate issues and combatting climate change. Most recently, the Washington Post reported that Biden is prepared to pause new federal oil and gas leasing, which was one of his campaign promises.