"Greta to Congress: ‘End Fossil Fuel Subsidies Now’"

"Between releasing new climate commitments under the Paris Agreement and organizing an international Earth Day summit, it’s clear that President Joe Biden wants to reposition the U.S. as an international climate leader. At a hearing on Thursday, 17-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg offered him some advice on a way to do so: ending all subsidies to the dirty energy sector.

“I am not even going to explain why fossil fuel subsidies are bad,” she told U.S. lawmakers. “It is the year 2021. The fact we are still having this discussion and, even more, that we are still supporting fossil fuels directly or indirectly using taxpayer money is a disgrace. It is proof that we have not understood the climate emergency at all.”

Thunberg delivered her remarks at a historic virtual hearing held by the House Oversight Committee’s environmental subcommittee, convened by its chair Rep. Ro Khanna. The purpose of the hearing was to discuss phasing out financial subsidies to coal, oil, and gas, an idea which Biden said he supports in January."

Dharna Noor reports for Earther April 22, 2021.

Source: Earther, 04/23/2021