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Iowa Democratic Debate Recap
-- Mike -- 08/20/2007
While the media questioners at yesterday's Democratic debate in Iowa did not ask any of the candidates about global warming or energy, several of the candidates brought up the issue on their own, including Senator Clinton and Governor Richardson. Senator Obama discussed the issue at greater length in response to a question about telling the "whole truth" about a "major" issue.
OBAMA: I think there are a number of issues where there are going to be some choices we've got to make and some sacrifices involved. I'll give you one specific example, and that's on energy. All of us on this stage have talked about global warming and how it is a moral imperative for us to do something about this, to ensure that we're passing on a livable planet to our children and our grandchildren. There will be some costs involved. It's not—we can't do it on the cheap. There are some things that we can do to conserve energy, but all of those steps are going to require a little bit of hardship and a little bit of pinching, and that's something that we don't have enough of a discussion about. I've tried to. I went to Detroit, and in front of a bunch of auto makers, I said we've got to raise fuel efficiency standards on cars. And the silence was deafening in the room. But those are the kinds of choices, I think, that the next president is going to have to advance and have an honest conversation with the American people about.
Click here to watch video of this response.
Additionally, least you think the lack of a substantive discussion during the debate on energy went unnoticed by the candidates, Governor Richardson pointed it out during a post-debate interview with the local NBC affiliate.
RICHARDSON: I was hoping to talk about energy, you know I'm a former secretary of energy, and in my judgment we need to become energy independent, and renewable fuels and ethanol, and renewable technology's the key. I wish I'd even been asked a question on energy. Interestingly, there are no questions on energy…
Candidates spending LOTS of time in NH
-- brucebc -- 08/13/2007
News clips from several papers throughout the state make it clear that the presidential candidates, despite all kinds of talk about when and where people will actually vote, continue to take the New Hampshire Primary seriously and to talk about global warming and energy at most stops. The Caledonian-Record, covering the North Country of NH & VT, reported last Friday on Governor Richardson's stop in Whitefield, N.H., here.
Climate marchers complete trek across Southern NH
-- brucebc -- 08/07/2007
On Sunday, hundreds of marchers of all ages completed a five-day walk through Southern New Hampshire to help elevate the issue of global warming and the need for real action to curb emissions of global warming pollution. Those of us working hard to elevate the issue of global warming in the presidential primaries commend the great work of the marches' organizer. (A companion march finished in Iowa on Sunday, too.) Check out media coverage of the March to Reenergize NH here and also watch the excellent video of the final day on the StepItUp site. For more day-to-day info on the march, including several more videos, go to ClimateSummer.org.
Senator McCain Addresses Global Warming in SC
-- Megan -- 07/30/2007
Senator John McCain spoke about his solutions for global warming at Stax Original restaurant in Greenville Saturday morning. When asked by student volunteer and Furman University environmental studies major Lizzie Cooke what he proposes to do about the 150 coal plants that are planned to be built around the country, McCain responded, "I don't have a good answer for that." However, he went on to detail his plan for limiting our nation's overall emissions.
Senator McCain explained that he is a proponent of nuclear energy. He believes reprocessing is absolutely necessary and suggests that we model our nuclear development after France, a nation he believes successful in effectively using nuclear power.
In regard to the coal plants, McCain said every measure to make them more environmentally friendly should be taken, including adding scrubbers and other precautions.
Senator McCain also mentioned the "Climate Stewardship Act of 2007," a senate bill he has co-sponsored with Joe Lieberman. McCain stated that cap-and-trade was absolutely necessary to reducing carbon emissions by 65 percent as detailed in the bill.
Senator Obama addresses College Dem Convention
-- Megan -- 07/27/2007
The National College Democrats convention at the
Obama went on to suggest possible solutions to the global warming crisis, saying that it is time for new leadership to save our planet from catastrophe. He then proposed lowering carbon emissions through cap-and-trade system and by increasing fuel efficiency standards.
Obama said that fundamental change is what he plans to bring to the country and is only possible with the help of all Americans. “Big change needs to come from the bottom up,” Obama said. One of these big changes includes the environment - he suggests that we must commit to drive fuel efficient cars and not huge SUVs.
Giuliani: America needs to become energy independent
-- Mike -- 07/26/2007
Rudy Giuliani had an op/ed titled "Leading America Toward Energy Independence" published today on the political website RealClearPolitics.com. The former mayor's energy policy is part of his recently announced "12 Commitments to America."
Giuliani says that achieving energy independence "will require expanding our reliance on a much more diverse range of energy sources that America can control," including ethanol and other bio-fuels, nuclear power, coal, solar power, wind power and hydro-power. On coal, specifically, Giuliani writes:
"America has more coal than Saudi Arabia has oil. If we can compete and make cost effective the process of carbon sequestration, clean coal, we can rely on coal to a much larger extent. And we can rely on it without harming the environment."
Click here to read the entire piece.
Romney Asked About Global Warming in NH
-- Mike -- 07/26/2007
Mitt Romney fielded questions from New Hampshire voters at an hour long "Ask Mitt Anything" meeting yesterday in Bedford, N.H. Acccording to the Union Leader, Romney was asked about global warming:
"[Romney] called for a greenhouse gas reduction—one that is truly global in scope.
'They don't call it America warming, they call it global warming,' Romney said."
McCain Discusses Global Warming at NH Town Hall Meeting
-- Mike -- 07/26/2007
John McCain discussed global warming at a town hall meeting in Keene, N.H., yesterday. The Brattleboro Reformer reports:
"[McCain] said that while he did not address the issue in his 2000 campaign, he is now a believer in global warming and would work to cut greenhouse gas emissions 'I am convinced. There is not a doubt in my mind that climate change is real,' he said.
Nuclear power must be part of the equation though, as it has been for France, where 80 percent of the country's electricity is derived from nuclear, he argued. The American military has powered its submarine fleet for more than 50 years with nuclear power without any serious accidents, he said.
'Nuclear power has got to be a part of any real, meaningful effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,' he said.
Fuel efficiency standards must also be increased, he said, but not at the expense of the automobile industry. With 'the big three' American car manufacturers already 'on the brink,' any change must avoid making a bad problem worse, he said.
Going back to Carolina
-- John -- 07/25/2007
The beautiful town of McClellanville, S.C., played unfortunate host to Hurricane Hugo eighteen years ago, which made landfall the night of September 21, 1989, destroying homes, fishing boats, and trees. Watching the carnage from their home in North Carolina, John and Elizabeth Edwards responded by loading up their station wagon with goods and then driving down to help the people of the Lowcountry.
So on July 24, 2007, McClellanville played welcoming host to a return visit by the Edwards pair, as they sat down with conservation leaders from around the state to discuss global warming, energy, and conservation. Edwards, who regularly addresses climate change on the stump, outlined with plan for addressing global warming - calling for reducing carbon emissions 80 percent by 2050, raising fuel efficiency standards to 40 mpg and increasing renewable electricity standards 25 percent by 2025. He has also called for a moratorium on any new coal plan construction that does not use the most advanced IGCC (Internal Gasification Combined Cycle) technology.
But John and Elizabeth were as interested in hearing what South Carolina conservationists had to say about global warming and the environment as they were in outlining the campaign’s proposals. A wide-ranging discussion ensued, covering topics like funding cuts for scientific research in nearby Francis Marion National Forest, the invasion of hog farm lagoons in central South Carolina, the health of South Carolina rivers and aquifers and rising insurance rates for coastal property owners.
And what emerged was a strong consensus between both candidate and participants that perhaps there may be a way to inject new life into the old cliché, “Think globally, act locally.” Global warming has become the common environmental danger threatening all conservation efforts in South Carolina. But solving it will require working across traditional boundaries between the local and the national, the private and the public. Proving the point, Elizabeth Edwards responded to a fisherman’s concern that low tariffs for foreign shrimp are hurting the local fishing industry by pointing out that the right kind of trade policy, coupled with incentives to encourage people to buy and sell food locally, strengthens local economies while decreasing the shrimping industry’s carbon imprint.
Making these kinds of connections to American voters is a responsibility of all candidates; making these connections to the world will be the job of the next President. John Edwards concluded by saying, “I don’t think America can lead if we are not in the process of cleaning up our own act.”
John Edwards meets with members of South Carolina's conservation community in McClellanville, S.C.
Clinton Proposes ‘Green Buildings Fund’
-- Mike -- 07/25/2007
Hillary Clinton discussed energy and global warming yesterday at a New Hampshire forum devoted exclusively to those issues. At the event, Clinton announced a new proposal to spend $1 billion a year for a "Green Buildings Fund" to improve energy efficiency in schools and other public buildings. Clinton said this fund would create as many as 50,000 new jobs. Said Clinton:
"We know we can create millions of jobs if we're smart about how we go about dealing with energy and global warming."
Click here or here to read more.
