Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Well, howdy there, Internet people. It's Belle again.
Chapter 2: What is Trump's expanded forbidden word list?
So today, we're going to talk about Trump's expanded forbidden word list. According to reports, an email went out dealing with the Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. And the email contained a list of words to be avoided.
According to the reporting, Acting Director of External Affairs Rachel Overby said,
Chapter 3: Why are certain words deemed unacceptable by the Trump administration?
said, quote, Please ensure that every member of your team is aware that this is the latest list of words to avoid and continue to be conscientious about avoiding any terminology that you know to be misaligned with the administration's perspectives and priorities.
The list of words that are apparently displeasing to Trump include, well, pretty much everything needed to describe renewable energy and climate change. To include the term climate change, energy transition, clean energy, emissions, carbon footprint, and so on are no longer words acceptable for use.
How an office of energy efficiency and renewable energy is supposed to function without these terms is beyond me. But that's probably the point.
Chapter 4: How does avoiding key terminology impact discussions on climate change?
It isn't supposed to function. The Trump administration wants Americans to continue paying more for dirty, obsolete energy. Much like a drop in tourism or soybean purchases, you can only use rhetoric to hide the problem for so long.
Chapter 5: What are the implications of canceled renewable energy projects?
The problem here is emissions leading to climate change, and the solution is an energy transition to clean energy to reduce our carbon footprint. Not using the terms isn't going to make the problem go away. It's going to limit discussion of it and limit progress towards the transition.
In a little bit of good news, climate groups are starting to wake up to the reality that they could be marketing their cause better. Vicki Patton, who is general counsel at the Environmental Defense Fund, recently said, The pocketbook aspect is about to matter greatly. Trump is doing everything he can to cancel renewable projects that were already approved, and sometimes even underway. The U.S.
has an aging grid, and it needs every megawatt it can get.
Chapter 6: How can climate groups adapt their messaging for better impact?
Every single one of the canceled projects is going to increase people's energy bills. This is a time for climate groups to appeal to the bottom line. And we're seeing signs that there's already a shift in that direction. It's easy to ignore the climate impacts of dirty, obsolete energy when it's perceived as cheaper and people are struggling.
It's harder to cheer to pay more for something that's also hurting the environment and your kids. A list of words Trump deems double plus ungood that get removed by the Ministry of Truth from official communications won't change that. The energy transition has to occur. Anyway, it's just a thought. Y'all have a good day.