Interior's Jewell Calls Anti-Fossil Fuel Protesters 'Naïve'

Department of Interior (DOI) Secretary Sally Jewell called protesters with the national "Keep It in the Ground" campaign "naïve," on the grounds that their calls for an immediate shift to renewable energy sources is impossible, and that technological advances in the sector, while progressing, are still many years away. Jewell was one of several federal officials present for last week's designation of three new national monuments in California. The monuments -- Castle Mountains, Mojave Trails and Sand to Snow -- will connect the Mojave National Preserve, Joshua Tree National Park, the San Bernardino National Forest and 15 wilderness acres previously designated by Congress. During a videotaped interview with The Desert Sun, Jewell conceded that while "fossil fuels are part of the problem, we are also highly dependent [on them]." Jewell then told the reporter for the Palm Springs, CA-based newspaper that in California, "many miles are driven every day. We don't yet have solar-powered cars. But the technology is moving forward quickly, [and] the price of renewables is coming down...more