Professor Dan Blumstein Quoted in the New York Times' Clued In Column
Professor Dan Blumstein quoted in the New York Times' Clued In Column, "The Way We Talk About Climate Change Matters, Bill Nye Says".
Using the phrase “phasing down coal” instead of “phasing out coal” dilutes the meaning and intensity of the conversation about coal’s effect on the environment.
“Our future depends on getting the tone right,” Daniel Blumstein, a professor at UCLA’s Institute of Environment and Sustainability, said. He added that the goal should be to eliminate as many carbon-producing energy sources as possible and replace them with carbon-free ones. “While there may be a transition that requires some carbon-intensive energy sources,” Blumstein said, “the word ‘out’ connotes a future where coal has no substantial role, where the word ‘down’ implies we just want to reduce it a bit.”
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