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As the field grows, so does the issue

-- Adam -- 01/31/2007

A story in the Los Angeles Times today makes the point that global warming has the momentum to be a critical issue for presidential candidates throughout the 2008 cycle. Even with Congress stirring with hearings on the topic, "many" are pointing to 2008 as the political event that can really change the nation's direction away from fossil fuels. Concern has become strong on both sides of the aisle. One pollster, Whit Ayers, suggests that enough Republican voters care about the issue that candidates in the GOP primary cannot ignore it. "In a July 2006 survey of GOP voters, he found that a majority agreed that the Earth's temperature was rising and that human activity, not normal climate cycles, was the cause."  So far, the increased public attention to this issue has worked to inspire several candidates to address it openly. With contenders now just piling into the field, it should be interesting to see how each responds to energized public demands for action.