NEWS

Dodd on climate change: ‘Whole world in our hands’

05/31/2007

By David Lightman

The Hartford Courant

Chris Dodd goes for the heart in his new ad, debuting today.

The ad, the third of his presidential campaign, opens with children singing "We've got the whole world in our hands" as they play with miniature globes.

An announcer then warns "All the Earth's creatures are threatened by global warming."

But, the voice assures the viewer, "One candidate for president is doing something to stop it--Chris Dodd. He's the only one with an energy plan that has a courageous corporate carbon tax to transform American industry."

As this message is delivered, Dodd himself appears, gathering around four children, as they all look at a globe together.

It ends with Dodd himself saying, "I'm Chris Dodd, and I approved this message because stopping global warming is in our hands."

In the background, the children appear with globes and they sing again, "We've got the whole world in our hands," as Dodd turns back to the globe, smiles and spins it as a child watches.he ad, which will run in the key early voting states of New Hampshire and Iowa, is meant to position Dodd as a champion of stopping global warming. That's one of his two major campaign themes--the other is that he's the most ardent anti-war candidate.

He began stressing that theme hard last month, when he outlined a comprehensive energy plan. His proposals include raising fuel economy standards in automobiles to 50 miles per gallon by model year 2017, and an 80 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

By 2020, Dodd would have the U.S. reduce emissions by 15 percent, with further reductions each decade.

The most controversial aspect of his plan has been the corporate carbon tax, which he estimates would raise about $50 billion a year. That money would then be placed in a special fund and be spent for research, development and use of renewable technologies like wind, solar, ethanol and other biofuels.