Now that Tim Pawlenty has announced an “exploratory committee” for president in 2012, I presume he’s going to emphasize his long-standing support for clean energy and capping carbon emissions? Ha, of course not; in fact, Pawlenty already appears to be completely disowning his past and going into full-teahadist-pander mode for the primaries. Still, as much as Republicans love to make s*** up and create their own versions of history, the reality exists: Tim Pawlenty for many years has been a clean energy and climate champion. A few quotes on this subject from Pawlenty show that he completely understood (understands?) what’s at stake, even if he pretends now that it was a “mistake” or whatever (maybe a “youthful indiscretion?” lol). Translation: Tim Pawlenty desperately wants to be president, and will say anything in order to achieve that objective.
*”If we act now, we can create thousands of new jobs in clean energy industries before our overseas competitors beat us to it.”
*”C’mon Congress, let’s get moving…cap greenhouse gas pollution NOW!“
*”Global warming definitely exists, so we have to take steps to control greenhouse emissions and carbon emissions and the like.”
*”There’s going to be an entirely new economic sector that is going to be opening up across this country relating to clean and green jobs.”
*”…Minnesota has been a leader in renewable energy initiatives for many years. In 2007 legislative session, the legislature passed, on a bipartisan basis, our proposal to create a renewable energy standard and goal in Minnesota that is put into law…”
*”We’re a nation that’s held hostage to an outdated energy policy. We have an unbelievable and unhealthy amount of our economic future hooked to fossil fuels.”
*”I hope I can come back to this group in a couple years and report back to you that we have dramatically increased our renewable energy in Minnesota, that we have dramatically reduced our reliance on electricity and energy sources through conservation and efficiency, and that we have a new carbon emission control program in place.”
*”I don’t think many people would disagree with the fact that what we’re doing is unsustainable environmentally, economically, and from a national security standard, but we have a chance to try to make a difference and to do good.”
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