CLIMATE ONE: Joe Manchin: Coal, Climate, and ‘Common Sense’

Joe Manchin grew up in the coal fields of West Virginia, the grandson of a miner and the son of a small-town grocer. His worldview was shaped by a place where energy isn’t an abstract policy debate; it’s the identity of the community and vital for economic survival. Manchin was portrayed as a bit of a villain in liberal circles for his role in blocking or slowing down Biden-era policy goals, including climate policy. Yet he was also the architect of the biggest climate legislation the country has ever enacted: the Inflation Reduction Act. Now, in the midst of the Trump administration dismantling climate policy and basic political norms, Manchin is calling for a return to compromise and “common sense.”  Episode Guests:  Joe Manchin, Former US Senator, West Virginia  Thomas Ramey, Commercial and Nonprofit Solar Evaluator, Solar Holler For show notes and related links, visit ⁠ClimateOne.org⁠ Highlights:  00:00 - Intro 05:27 - Joe Manchin on his first senate run  10:42 - Joe Manchin on Build Back Better 19:26 - Joe Manchin on how the Inflation Reduction Act was written  22:51 - Joe Manchin on the dismantling of the IRA 27:21 - Joe Manchin on the effects of climate  31:02 - Joe Manchin on West Virginia’s transition to clean energy  37:10 - Joe Manchin on the state of the country  38:10 - Joe Manchin on how to make the country better  42:56 - Joe Manchin on working together  44:20 - Thomas Ramey on growing up in West Virginia 50:08 - Thomas Ramey on how he talks about solar energy ******* Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on ⁠Patreon⁠, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and access to the Climate One Discord. ⁠Sign up today⁠. Ad sales by ⁠Multitude⁠. Contact them for ad inquiries at ⁠multitude.productions/ads⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices