Indiana loves Donald Trump. Donald Trump won 60% of the vote in the 2024 election. So, I am sure they assumed that loyalty and fealty to their Orange King would afford them some level of protection from major funding cuts. After all, he hates blue states and blue cities and minorities. WHY WOULD HE GO AFTER THEM?
Well, dear readers. You know where this is going….they FAFO’d a little too close to the sun and are now entering the FO phase.
The Washington Post is reporting that in afford to ensure that all common sense global warming initiatives are ended, they targeted a local cement factory. Yes, CEMENT.
The backstory is this: A cement plant by a company called Heidelberg (aka Heidelberg Materials) in a town called Mitchell was making an effort to cut back on carbon dioxide emissions from their factory manufacturing process. As part of this initiative, they received a $500 million grant for special machinery that would assist in trapping and burying the plant’s greenhouse gasses.
The community is deeply Republican, so imagine their utter shock when Trump cut the $500 million without warning.
The Republican Mayor of Mitchell, Don Caudell, told the Post:
“This was going to be a demonstration project for the entire country. Part of what is disheartening for us is so much had already been done and spent on this project, and now it has all come to a halt…Why would we not proceed with this to see how viable the technology is? It could virtually eliminate carbon dioxide emissions. It would be a win for everyone.”
The crazy thing is that so many companies are SUPPORTING low carbon initiatives – not just for the world, but because consumers like it as well. In fact, tech firms are “pouring hundreds of thousands of tons of concrete to build sprawling data center campuses” and actually “see green cement as a crucial vehicle for meeting their own emissions targets.”
And ironically, China is working on lower emission type technology as well, so abruptly clawing back that $500 million actually gives China the upper hand and makes us look foolish and weak.
The Department of Energy cut this project funding as part of a massive purge of grants “perceived to be linked to global warming.” Shockingly, it was reported that the DOE didn’t have a clear understanding of what the project was actually about. I mean NOT shocking.
You know who would not have cut that funding? Kamala Harris.
FAFO.
