Governor to be held accountable for Wyoming’s ‘carbon negative’ plans in Debate.
Wyoming Republican Gov. Mark Gordon has agreed to engage in a debate with his critics regarding his ambitious plans to make the state “carbon negative,” shifting away from its reliance on fossil fuels.
Last Friday, Secretary of State Chuck Gray and 30 state lawmakers called on Governor Gordon to defend the merits of his “carbon negative” policy, which he recently presented at Harvard University.
“It is evident that our climate is warming,” stated Governor Gordon during an event at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics. “Carbon dioxide is a significant contributor to this change. Urgent action is required to address this issue, and simply abandoning fossil fuels won’t solve it.”
Governor Gordon, who oversees the leading coal producer in the country, proudly declared that Wyoming is the first state committed to becoming carbon negative.
“Achieving carbon negativity necessitates direct air capture or some form of carbon capture and sequestration,” Gordon emphasized.
The governor’s remarks faced immediate criticism from members of the state’s Freedom Caucus and a vote of “no confidence” from the Wyoming Republican Party.
“To our knowledge, the state of Wyoming has not unilaterally decided to abandon our legacy industries, and this is not a decision that the governor can make. Our state’s economy is not controlled by any elected official,” stated the Wyoming Freedom Caucus.
State Sen. Cheri Steinmetz, who led the effort to debate Governor Gordon, expressed concerns about adopting the narrative and terminology of the Biden/AOC ‘green new deal’ crowd, which portrays CO2 as a pollutant and industries in Wyoming as polluters.
Despite the backlash, Governor Gordon reaffirmed his commitment to achieving carbon negativity during a meeting with the Western Governors’ Association.
“There has been some confusion about what ‘decarbonizing the West’ means,” clarified Gordon during a press conference. “It’s about addressing the issue of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and aggressively moving forward while recognizing the role of all energy sources.”
As chairman of the Western Governors Association, Governor Gordon has prioritized “decarbonizing the West” through a combination of increased renewable energy production and enhanced carbon capture storage. In South Dakota, landowners have faced legal battles due to a major carbon capture company constructing a pipeline across the upper Midwest.
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“Decarbonizing the West” comes with significant costs, warned Steinmetz.
“Wyoming citizens deserve to hear why Governor Gordon believes climate change must be urgently addressed and why he considers CO2 a pollutant causing climate change,” she added.
In response to the governor’s commitment to demonize carbon, more than two dozen Republicans in the state legislature invited scientists from the CO2 Coalition, a climate advocacy group that challenges the narrative blaming carbon for global warming, to participate in a public debate.
“We challenge you and your representatives to a face-to-face, public, fair, and factual debate on climate change and the alleged contribution of CO2,” stated a letter signed by 30 lawmakers and the secretary of state. “While climate alarmists claim to act ‘based on the science,’ they avoid engaging in debates with those who hold different views. We believe that in Wyoming, we are better than that. The people of Wyoming deserve an open and robust conversation on this issue, hearing both sides of the CO2 debate and deciding for themselves.”
Governor Gordon accepted the invitation on the same day it was sent, according to the Cowboy State Daily. However, it remains unclear whether he will personally participate in the scientific forum or send representatives to argue on his behalf.
The CO2 Coalition expressed readiness to assist with the proposed debate in a letter to Rep. John Bear, the chairman of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus.
Lawmakers have requested Governor Gordon to finalize the details for the public forum by Friday.
The debate will focus on four claims related to the governor’s Harvard speech: the Earth’s warming, the role of CO2, the urgency to address carbon warming, and Wyoming’s status as the first carbon-negative state.
During the Governor’s Business Forum, Governor Gordon distanced himself from the urgency claim, stating that neither the United States nor Wyoming is in a climate crisis.
“We have never been more focused on responsibly advancing into a future full of tremendous opportunities than we are right here in Wyoming,” Gordon asserted.
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What are the criticisms and concerns raised by Governor Gordon’s critics regarding his “carbon negative” plans for Wyoming?
The Debate Over Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon’s Carbon Negative Plans
Wyoming Republican Governor Mark Gordon has agreed to engage in a debate with his critics regarding his ambitious plans to make the state “carbon negative” and shift away from its reliance on fossil fuels. The call for this debate came from Secretary of State Chuck Gray and 30 state lawmakers who wanted Governor Gordon to defend the merits of his “carbon negative” policy, which he recently presented at Harvard University.
Governor Gordon, during an event at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics, stated that it is evident that the climate is warming and carbon dioxide is a significant contributor to this change. He emphasized the need for urgent action to address this issue and mentioned that simply abandoning fossil fuels won’t solve it.
As the governor of Wyoming, which is the leading coal producer in the country, Governor Gordon proudly declared that Wyoming is the first state committed to becoming carbon negative. He highlighted that achieving carbon negativity requires direct air capture or some form of carbon capture and sequestration.
However, the governor’s remarks faced immediate criticism from members of the state’s Freedom Caucus and a vote of “no confidence” from the Wyoming Republican Party. The Wyoming Freedom Caucus stated that the state of Wyoming has not unilaterally decided to abandon its legacy industries, and it is not a decision that the governor can make as the state’s economy is not controlled by any elected official.
State Sen. Cheri Steinmetz, who led the effort to debate Governor Gordon, expressed concerns about adopting the narrative and terminology of the Biden/AOC ‘green new deal’ crowd, which portrays CO2 as a pollutant and industries in Wyoming as polluters.
Despite the backlash, Governor Gordon reaffirmed his commitment to achieving carbon negativity during a meeting with the Western Governors’ Association. He clarified that decarbonizing the West is about addressing the issue of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and moving forward aggressively while recognizing the role of all energy sources.
As the chairman of the Western Governors Association, Governor Gordon has prioritized “decarbonizing the West” through a combination of increased renewable energy production and enhanced carbon capture storage. However, the concept of decarbonizing the West comes with significant costs, as warned by Steinmetz. Wyoming citizens deserve to hear why Governor Gordon believes climate change must be urgently addressed and why he considers CO2 a pollutant causing climate change.
In response to the governor’s commitment to demonize carbon, more than two dozen Republicans in the state legislature invited scientists from the CO2 Coalition, a climate advocacy group that challenges the notion of CO2 as a pollutant. This suggests that the debate over Wyoming’s carbon negative plans is likely to continue.
In conclusion, Governor Gordon’s plans to make Wyoming carbon negative have sparked a debate among his critics. While he emphasizes the need to address climate change urgently, critics are concerned about the economic impact and the portrayal of CO2 as a pollutant. The ongoing debate highlights the challenges and complexities associated with transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources.
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