>> TODAY WE ARE ANNOUNCING THE
CLIMATE PLEDGE.
THE CLIMATE PLEDGE IS TO MEET
THE GOALS OF THE PARIS AGREEMENT
10 YEARS EARLY.
BY 2024 WE'RE COMMITTING TO BE
AT 80% RENEWABLE ENERGY AND BY
2030 WE'RE COMMITTING TO BE AT
100% RENEWABLE ENERGY.
DAVID: CEO JEFF BEZOS
ANNOUNCING A NEW SWEEPING PLAN
TO GO GREEN, THE MEASURES
INCLUDE AS HE SAID A
$100 MILLION REFOREST PLAN, A
NEW ORDER FOR 100,000 ELECTRIC
DELIVERY VANS AND A PLEDGE TO
POWER ITS GLOBAL INFRASTRUCTURE
BY 100% RENEWABLE ENERGY BY 2030
IT'S GOING TO BE INTERESTING TO
SEE WHETHER THAT COULD BE DONE
THE ANNOUNCEMENT COMING ONE DAY
BEFORE NEARLY 1,000 AMAZON
EMPLOYEES ARE PLANNING TO WALK
OFF THE JOB AND PROTEST OF THE
COMPANY'S INACTION ON CLIMATE
CHANGE.
HERE NOW IS FORMER EPA OFFICIAL,
MANGY.
GOOD TO SEE YOU, THANK YOU FOR
BEING HERE.
APPRECIATE IT.
SO, IS IT BETTER FOR PRIVATE
BUSINESS TO TAKE THIS ON INSTEAD
OF RELYING ON GOVERNMENT
REGULATION?
>> CERTAINLY THE PRIVATE SECTOR
HAS BEEN PRODUCING INNOVATIONS
VERY SUCCESSFULLY FOR A LONG
TIME, AND AT THE END OF THE DAY
WHEN IT COMES TO ENVIRONMENTAL
ISSUES THERE'S A DELICATE
BALANCE BETWEEN THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT SETTING FORTH
EXPECTATIONS BUT DOING SO WITH A
CLOSE RELATIONSHIP AND A GOOD
UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THE
COMPANIES AND THE INDUSTRIES
THAT IMPACT ACTUALLY WORK, AND
THAT'S WHERE THE ROLE OF CEOS
MAKING THESE TYPES OF DECISIONS
OFTENTIMES, THEY ARE MUCH BETTER
SUITED TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS
TO ENSURE THAT THEY DON'T
UNDERMINE THEIR BUSINESS, OR
UNDERMINE THE SERVICES THAT THEY
BRING TO THEIR CONSUMERS.
>> IT'S JONATHAN HOENIG, THANK
YOU FOR BEING WITH US.
YOU CAN ARGUE ABOUT WHETHER THIS
IS A GOOD BOTTOM LYNN MOVE FOR
AMAZON BUT IT IS A VOLUNTARY
MOVE.
IT'S GOING BACK TO THE CHEVY
VOLT, THAT CAR IS DISCONTINUED
BUT IN FACT AMAZON IS NOT ONLY
INVESTING IN HUNDREDS AND
HUNDREDS OF NEW DELIVERY
VEHICLES, THEY'VE INVESTED IN A
COMPANY THAT'S CREATING THOSE
VEHICLES, TO DAVID'S POINT ISN'T
ESSENTIALLY THE PRIVATE SECTOR
THE BEST MECHANISM, THE ONLY
MECHANISM THAT CAN ACTUALLY
ADDRESS THESE EMISSIONS PROBLEMS
>> YEAH, I THINK THE PRIVATE
SECTOR IS THE BEST AT PRODUCING
THE MOST EFFICIENT SOLUTIONS TO
REDUCING EMISSIONS.
WE'VE SEEN THIS PLAY OUT IN A
NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS ALREADY.
ONE OF THEM IS ADVANCES IN THE
HYDRAULIC FRACTURING BUSINESS,
BECAUSE OF THOSE ADVANCEMENTS,
YOU SEEN EXPLOSIVES GROWTH OF
THE NATURAL GAS INDUSTRY WHICH
IS THE REAL REASON THAT THE
UNITED STATES LEADS THE WORLD IN
EMISSION REDUCTION AND THAT
WASN'T THE PRODUCT OF REGULATORY
REQUIREMENTS COMING DOWN FROM
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
IT WAS A COMBINATION OF A MARKET
THAT ENCOURAGES INNOVATION AND A
BUYER OF COMPANIES TO PRODUCE
THAT IN A MEANINGFUL WAY.
>> GARY KALTBAUM HERE.
UNDER OBAMA, THE EPA WAS
SUPPOSEDLY THE GREATEST
ORGANIZATION ON EARTH.
NOW UNDER TRUMP, THEY ARE THE
WORST BECAUSE EVERY TIME THEY
GET RID OF A REGULATION ALL OF A
SUDDEN THEY ARE THE GREAT
POLLUTERS.
HOW DOES LIKE THE EPA HANDLE THE
MARKETING OF SOMETHING LIKE THAT
, BECAUSE EVERY TIME I SEE A
REGULATION GO BY THE WAYSIDE, IT
DOES USUALLY SAY OBAMA-ERA
REGULATION, AND I THINK THEY ARE
MAYBE JUST DOING THEIR JOB.
>> WELL THE PROBLEM WITH THE
OBAMA-ERA EPA REGULATIONS IS
THAT A LOT OF THEM WERE
UNJUSTIFIED AND THEY HAVE THIS
MENTALITY OF REGULATING FOR THE
SAKE OF REGULATING WHEREAS UNDER
THE TRUMP ADMINITRATION THE
PRESIDENT HAS DIRECTED THE
AGENCY TO LOOK AT THESE
REGULATIONS AND FIGURE OUT WHAT
IS WORKING IN TERMS OF PRODUCING
THE TYPE OF ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION EXPECTED AND SO IN
PAIRING BACK REGULATIONS HE'S
BEEN MAINTAINING IMPORTANT
PROTECTIONS BUT HE'S BEEN SAVING
MONEY THAT BUSINESSES UNDER
OBAMA WERE SENDING TO WASHINGTON
BUREAUCRACY BUT NOW THEY ARE
INVESTING IN THEIR COMPANIES TO
GROW THEIR COMPANIES, HIGHER NEW
EMPLOYEES, OR INVEST IN THE
LATEST AND GREATEST TECHNOLOGIES
, THAT WILL GET US
TO THE INNOVATIVE FUTURE WE'D
LIKE TO SEE AND THE ENERGY SPACE
>> SO IT SEEMS LIKE YOU ARE
SUPPORTIVE THAT AMAZON IS
ENTERING IN THEIR OWN WAY THE
PARIS CLIMATE ACCORD.
DO YOU THINK THE U.S. SHOULD
HAVE REMOVED THEMSELVES FROM THE
CLIMATE ACCORD?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
THE UNITED STATES OR ONE OF THE
BEST DECISIONS THAT THE
PRESIDENT MADE EARLY ON HE'S
COMMITTED TO IT ON THE CAMPAIGN
TALL AND FOLLOWED THROUGH EARLY
ON INTO HIS PRESIDENCY WAS
GETTING THE UNITED STATES OUT OF
THE PARIS CLIMATE ACCORD.
A LOT OF THE PROBLEMS WAS THAT
IT REQUIRED THESE TOP DOWN
EXPANSIVE FEDERAL CONTROL THAT
WOULD HAVE UNDERMINED UNLEASHING
THE MARKETS IN THE WAY THAT IS
PRODUCED ECONOMIC GROWTH WE'VE
SEEN TODAY.
>> IT'S JUST A GUIDELINE, RIGHT
>> WELL IT WAS MORE THAN A
GUIDELINE.
>> WAS IT A REGULATION?
>> IT WAS A COMMITMENT THOUGH
THAT THE UNITED STATES MADE.
>> YES IT WAS A COMMITMENT THAT
THE UNITED STATES WAS MAKING
THAT WOULD HAVE TIED OUR HANDS
IN TERMS OF REGULATORY
EXPECTATIONS THAT CAME WITH HIGH
COSTS, IT WOULD HAVE UNDERCUT
COMPETITION AND SENT AMERICAN
JOBS OVERSEAS TO COUNTRIES LIKE
CHINA THAT ARE REALLY THE
PROBLEM.
DAVID: I WANT TO SWITCH GEARS
BECAUSE PRESIDENT TRUMP CALLING
SAN FRANCISCO'S HOMELESS PROBLEM
AN ENVIRONMENTAL VIOLATION THAT
REQUIRES A CLEANUP BY THE EPA.
HE SAYS THE POLLUTION FROM
HOMELESS WHO ARE LIVING ON THE
STREET THERE IN SAN FRANCISCO
INCLUDING USED NEEDLES AND HUMAN
WASTE ARE A THREAT TO PUBLIC
HEALTH AND SAFETY.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THIS?
>> YOU KNOW, THIS IS 100%
WITHIN THE PRESIDENT'S PERVIEW
TO STEP IN.
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS BROAD
SWEEPING OVERSIGHT AUTHORITY
THAT WHEN LOCAL OFFICIALS ARE
NOT KEEPING THE ENVIRONMENT
CLEAN, OR PROTECTING THE PUBLIC
HEALTH OF THEIR CITIZENS, THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CAN STEP IN,
AND SO THE PRESIDENT WAS PUTTING
THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA ON
NOTICE THAT IF THEY DON'T CLEAN
IT UP AND START TAKING CARE OF
THE HOMELESS SITUATION, THAT IS
ALSO LENDING ITSELF TO A PUBLIC
HEALTH CRISIS, WHERE YOU HAVE
THE RETURN OF ONCE ERADICATED
DISEASES, IF THEY DON'T FIX THE
PROBLEM, HE WILL USE THE
RESOURCES THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
TO HELP THESE PEOPLE AND FIX THE
PROBLEM FOR THEM.
>> AND I THINK FRANKLY, IT'S
SCORING POLITICAL POINTS AND
GOOD FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP,
BECAUSE THIS IS AN OUTRAGE.
CALIFORNIA HAS 12% OF THE
NATIONS POPULATION, 50% OF THE
HOMELESSNESS AND THEY ARE DOING
ABSOLUTELY ZERO TO HELP IT.
NOW YOU HAVE SOMEONE LIKE BERNIE
SANDERS COMING OUT WITH A
HOUSING PLAN.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAD A CHANCE
TO LOOK AT THAT HOUSING PLAN BUT
BASICALLY IT WANTS THE
GOVERNMENT TO PROVIDE HOUSING
FOR ALL AND I MEAN IT'S SORT OF
LIKE THE MEDICARE FOR ALL AND
SORT OF THE GOVERNMENT NOW WILL
TAKE THIS OVER.
WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN CALIFORNIA IS
THERES NOTHING WORSE THAN THE
GOVERNMENT BEING RESPONSIBLE.
>> YEAH, LIZ, YOU SAY THEY'RE
DOING NOTHING IN CALIFORNIA TO
HELP THE PROBLEM BUT THEY ARE
THE ONES CREATING THE PROBLEM.
>> I TOTALLY AGREE.
IF YOU LOOKED AT IT EVERY
ECONOMIST ON EARTH AGREES THAT
WHAT BERNIE SANDERS IS NOW
PROPOSING RENT CONTROLS
ABSOLUTELY DRIVES DOWN THE STOCK
OF HOUSING AND WILL MAKE THIS
PROBLEM WORSE, SO I SAY GOOD FOR
PRESIDENT TRUMP FOR CALLING THIS
OUT.
SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE, AND
IT NEEDS TO BE DONE IN
CALIFORNIA.
>> YEAH, ABSOLUTELY CALIFORNIA
IS GOOD AT LECTURING THE REST OF
THE WORLD WHO WE SHOULD LIVE OUR
LIVES INSTEAD OF FIXING THE
PROBLEMS IN THEIR OWN BACKYARD
AND THAT'S WHAT THE PRESIDENT IS
CALLING THEM OUT ON.
>> SO YOU SUPPORT THE PRESIDENT
NOW GETTING INVOLVED WITH STATE
SOLUTIONS?
BECAUSE I THINK HE CAMPAIGNED
THAT THE STATE SHOULD TAKE CARE
OF THEMSELVES.
IT'S AMAZING HOW WE ARE SO
DIFFERENT TONIGHT.
AND BY THE WAY, I'LL TELL YOU
ABOUT THE EPA, IS YOUR
BACKGROUND IN SCIENCE, I'M JUST
CURIOUS.
>> MY BACKGROUND, I'M AN
ATTORNEY BY TRADE AND HAVE DONE
POLICY WORK.
>> GOT EDAVID: GO AHEAD
JONATHAN.
>> BUT TO YOUR POINT --
DAVID: WE SHOULD REGARD STATE
RIGHTS AS MORE IMPORTANT THAN
FEDERAL RIGHTS.
>> WE SHOULD GO AROUND ALL FOR
THAT BECAUSE YOU JUST MORE OR
LESS ALL AGREED WITH THEM.
>> NO, NO, ROBERT THE PRESIDENT
SHOULD POINT THIS OUT IT'S THOSE
POLICIES, THE ENVIRONMENTAL
POLICIES --
>> HE'S MORE THAN POINTING IT
OUT, JONATHAN COME ON.