Guest essay by Eric Worrall

Joe Biden has take the risky step of inviting deep green firebrand Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to join his climate policy panel.

Democrat Ocasio-Cortez will serve on Biden’s climate change panel

Trevor Hunnicutt
ENVIRONMENT MAY 13, 2020 / 2:17 PM / UPDATED 4 HOURS AGO

(Reuters) – U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will serve on a panel helping Joe Biden develop climate policy, an aide to the congresswoman said, providing a prominent liberal voice who could help the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee’s efforts to win his party’s full support.

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“She made the decision with members of the Climate Justice community – and she will be fully accountable to them and the larger advocacy community during this process,” the aide said. 

“She believes the movement will only be successful if we continue to apply pressure both inside and outside the system.”

A spokesman for Biden did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside of normal working hours.

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Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-biden-climate-idUSKBN22P0F8

Joe Biden may be struggling to win the support of greens and disappointed Bernie comrades.

Despite Biden’s occasional wild threats to jail fossil fuel executives and anti-fracking speeches, A lot of climate activists seem to think Joe Biden’s climate position is not radical enough. Grist’s response to Joe Biden’s recent climate policy podcast was “The whole thing sounds like a voicemail two of your grandparents left you”

Bringing Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez onboard might temporarily reassure climate radicals and Bernie comrades about Biden’s candidacy, but how will AOC handle compromising on climate policy?

One misstep and AOC will be accused of selling out. But if AOC doesn’t compromise at least a little, she risks blowing up the whole Democrat party unification process.