Buttigieg in Iowa

MG: “You were the first candidate to come out with a plan specifically devoted to disaster preparedness. How will it help communities like Cedar Rapids?”

PB: “That’s right. I proposed a disaster preparedness plan because no matter how hard we work on climate, and I have a very aggressive plan on climate change, we can expect that these issues will continue, and they will become more frequent and more severe, especially in our Midwestern, river communities. It’s why I’m proposing a disaster preparedness commission to align resources to take a lot of the red tape out of getting federal disaster relief and to support resiliency plans so that communities can be proactive, not just reactive, knowing that there are going to be more of these issues in the future. This is going to be a tough challenge, but I’ve seen in places like Cedar Rapids how the community has come together, both to make sure that there is a response to what’s happened and to begin preparing for the road ahead. Now we need more federal support so that communities across the country facing challenges like what we’ve seen right here in Cedar Rapids know that they can get the help they need.”

MG: “You said knowing that there will be more events like these in the future. It’s something that a lot of scientists — most scientists — would agree with. That being said, how to you get on board people who don’t believe in climate change?”

PB: “I think the biggest thing is for everybody to see where they fit in the future. You know, I think a lot of folks who have been resistant to climate science, it’s not because of evaluating the science and finding the flaw in it. It’s because of feeling like accepting climate science would be a personal defeat. We need to make sure we’re reaching out to some of the very people who have been told they’re part of the problem, from industrial workers to farmers across the country, and make very clear how we need them. We need to enlist them to be part of the solution. I think farming is part of the future of how we defeat climate change. We’re going to need the skills of skilled trades and industrial workers more than ever in order to defeat the climate challenge. Now, we’re definitely going to be asking people to think and work in new ways, but we’re also going to reward that. My plan will envision 3 million net new jobs created in the course of mobilizing as a nation to deal with climate change before it’s too late. So it’s about not just the policy and the science of it, but making sure that Americans from every walk of life and both parties can stand up and take pride in what we as a country are doing to lead the world in getting ahead of climate change before it’s too late.”