CNN This Morning host Poppy Harlow and climate correspondent Bill Weir lamented on Wednesday that President Biden’s decision to approve the Willow oil drilling project in Alaska has disappointed young people who now believe he isn’t extreme enough on the environment.
The segment came with the additional irony of hyping Weir’s recent field trip to Antarctica which first required him to fly 6,600 miles to Ushuaia, Argentina, for an upcoming documentary. Harlow unwittingly touched on the contradiction that would define the segment, “He made the trek south as scientists announce the Antarctic Sea ice hit record lows for the second time in two years.”
However, Harlow didn’t see the contradiction, “I’m so glad you went; you were greeted by the penguins?”
Weir is the kind of self-parodying climate correspondent that has to be seen to believe because he also didn’t see the tension between lamenting fossil fuels and traveling to the other side of the world for a TV show.
What he did have in Antarctica was a good time, “Greeted by the penguins, I haven’t been this giddy since show-and-tell in fifth grade. It was mind blowing, Poppy, I can't even tell you… You know how much I adore Alaska and Greenland and Iceland. This place is all of those on steroids. As one pro says, it makes Alaska suddenly taste like light beer because it’s so extreme. You’ve got these mountains, these glaciers, surrounded by whales.”
After some more show-and-tell of the Antarctic scenery, Harlow mourned, “But really, gosh, especially having little ones at home, what you get to see versus how the world will be so changed by the time that they are adults.”
That served as the transition from Antarctic to the Arctic, “Speaking of, it is largely depending on what we do and don't do to the world. So, let’s talk about the Biden Administration making a very controversial move approving this big drilling project called the Willow Oil Drilling Project in Alaska, really letting down many progressives and many climate activists.”
Harlow then asked “What does it do? I know there have been two lawsuits filed now against it.”
Weir responded by launching into an explanation of the economics of oil exploration, “Republicans wanted to drill in ANWR for 20 years, President Trump finally got permission to do that, but three companies that had leases, they pulled out…It's not worth it to them. There is not enough oil there. So, it may not happen, but in the near term, there's a lot of disappointed young people in President Biden.”
For CNN, apparently the feelings of young people and climate activists are more important than energy security and people’s gas bills.
This segment was sponsored by AARP.
Here is a transcript for the March 15 show:
CNN This Morning
3/15/2023
8:38 PM ET
POPPY HARLOW: He made the trek south as scientists announce the Antarctic Sea ice hit record lows for the second time in two years. I’m so glad you went; you were greeted by the penguins?
BILL WEIR: Greeted by the penguins, I haven’t been this giddy since show-and-tell in fifth grade. It was mind blowing, Poppy, I can't even tell you.
HARLOW: Yeah.
WEIR: You watch The Wonder List--
HARLOW: Yes.
WEIR: You know how much I adore Alaska and Greenland and Iceland. This place is all of those on steroids.
HARLOW: Wow.
WEIR: As one pro says, it makes Alaska suddenly taste like light beer because it’s so extreme. You’ve got these mountains, these glaciers, surrounded by whales.
HARLOW: Look at this.
WEIR: We’re doing a big special coming up, but I couldn't wait to just share—here’s my first impressions—
HARLOW: Yes.
WEIR: --Waking up at the frozen world that few people ever get to see.
…
HARLOW: But really, gosh, especially having little ones at home, what you get to see versus how the world will be so changed by the time that they are adults.
WEIR: Yes.
HARLOW: Speaking of, it is largely depending on what we do and don't do to the world. So, let’s talk about the Biden Administration making a very controversial move approving this big drilling project called the Willow Oil Drilling Project in Alaska, really letting down many progressives and many climate activists—
WEIR: Right.
HARLOW: What does it do? I know there have been two lawsuits filed now against it.
WEIR: This will drag out. You know, even if ConocoPhillips gets everything they want, oil won't start pumping out of there for six years or so and that’s a long time.
HARLOW: It’s in ANWR or next to ANWR
WEIR: It is—well it’s close to it. ANWR is over here.
HARLOW: Okay.
WEIR: The petroleum reserve, it’s interesting how names matter. It's hard to defend not drilling in the petroleum reserve, but that was made in the '20s to get the Navy off of coal basically, but The Willow Project right there may never be exploited.
The economics of oil exploration, for example, ANWR—
HARLOW: Right.
WEIR: Republicans wanted to drill in ANWR for 20 years—
HARLOW: Yeah.
WEIR: President Trump finally got permission to do that, but three companies that had leases, they pulled out.
HARLOW: Didn’t make economic sense.
WEIR: It's not worth it to them. There is not enough oil there. So, it may not happen, but in the near term, there's a lot of disappointed young people in President Biden.
HARLOW: Of course. Thank you, Bill. Cannot wait to see it.
