U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was interviewed by Tesla CEO Elon Musk on the online platform X, with real-time data showing over 1.3 million people tuned in to the approximately 45-minute conversation. The two shared their political views on climate and energy policies, but their comments on climate change sparked criticism. Veteran climate activist and co-founder of 350.org, Bill McKibben, called it the most foolish climate discussion in history.

Electric Vehicle Discussion Highlights

After Trump faced an assassination attempt in July, Musk voiced his support for Trump. This led Trump, who had previously been skeptical of electric vehicles (EVs), to state at a campaign event, "I support electric vehicles. I have to support them because Elon (Musk) strongly supports me, so I have no choice."

Trump also conceded during the live broadcast that Tesla produces "a great product," although he added, "That doesn’t mean everyone should have an electric vehicle, but these are minor details, your product is great." Trump also reminded that producing electric vehicles still requires fossil fuels.

The Democratic Party offers up to $7,500 in tax credits for electric vehicle purchases, and Tesla is one of the car manufacturers benefiting from this.

However, Trump has repeatedly questioned in public campaign settings whether the green energy subsidies for electric vehicles, solar power, and other renewable energy installations are excessive and represent a significant waste of U.S. taxpayer money, promising to eliminate them if he is elected. Nevertheless, Trump did not address the issue of tax credits in the conversation yesterday.

Trump also denied the climate change issue, claiming that rising sea levels would only create more opportunities for the real estate industry, saying, "You will end up with more beachfront property... The biggest threat is not global warming. In the next 400 years, sea levels will rise by 1/8 inch (about 0.3 cm)." He suggested that "nuclear warming," or the threat of nuclear war, is a more direct danger than climate change.

Editor’s Note: The higher the sea level, the less coastline there is. Scientists point out that the global average sea level rose by 0.17 inches (about 5-6 cm) in 2023 alone, more than twice the level in 1993. According to projections by the World Climate Research Program (WCRP), sea levels could rise by up to 10 meters by the year 2300.

Energy Discussion Highlights

On energy issues, Trump defended his long-standing support for traditional energy sources like oil and gas, arguing that current levels of greenhouse gas emissions can be sustained for decades.

Musk partially agreed with Trump, noting that there is no need to immediately abandon fossil fuels because "it’s not an emergency like a house on fire." He suggested that a balanced transition to sustainable energy should occur without disparaging the oil and gas industries. However, "oil and gas will eventually run out; it won’t last forever, and it’s not infinite. In the long term, sustainable energy is the direction we need to work towards."

Musk also does not believe that caring about the environment requires sacrificing quality. "People can still eat steak and drive gasoline cars, but overall, we should lean towards sustainable development." He further stated that compared to the annual casualties caused by the mining industry, nuclear energy is relatively safer.

Trump also expressed concern about the massive power consumption of artificial intelligence data centers, saying, "The power needed for AI is double that of the current U.S. energy supply, which shocks me and is hard to believe."

This article is authorized for reprint from "The Now Weekly ESG." The original title is: "Musk Interviews Trump: Discussions on Electric Vehicles, Energy Issues, and Climate Change! What Did They Talk About and Why Is It Criticized as the Most Foolish Climate Dialogue?" It is not subject to CC BY-SA licensing terms.

Source: Environmental Information Center