How green is our next president?
January 9, 2008
Posted by CindyW in : Opinions & Thoughts , trackback
The answer is in our own hands. Caring for the health of humanity and the environment does not require a political map for navigation. But politicians serving in public offices significantly impact how our country operates at the environmental front. A good example is the recent outrageous EPA blockage of state efforts to curb global environment. Washington Post reported that “EPA denied California’s petition to limit greenhouse gas emissions from cars and trucks, overruling the unanimous recommendation of the agency’s legal and technical staffs.” In a sweeping stroke, a policy can counter conscientious green efforts millions of citizens are making.
New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman famously said that individual actions had no impact in the scheme of things. Electing the right politicians is what counts. While I strongly disagree with him about the futility of individual actions, I do concur that voting the right politicians into offices matter greatly for our future.
In this important primary season, I would like to share the resources that I have been using to evaluate the candidates’ environmental records and perspectives.
League of Conservation Voters (LCV) is an independent non-profit organization with a mission to advocate for sound environmental policies and to elect pro-environmental candidates who will adopt and implement such policies. It has an in-depth voter guide for all presidential candidates. In addition to showing the responses provided by the candidates in their own words to LCV’s questions on various environmental topics, it details the candidates’ voting records on environmental policies and summaries with a scorecard. Bottom line: I like it because LCV provides fact-based information not endorsements.
When asked about the first 100 days priorities on energy and global warming, here are some sample responses from candidates themselves:
Clinton: “…I will use executive orders to restore federal leadership in energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy. I will realign budget priorities to bolster research and development programs that can help to reduce oil dependence and greenhouse gas emissions. I will nominate committed, highly qualified people to run the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Energy, and other related Departments…”
Obama: “Putting a price on carbon is the most important step we can to take to reduce emissions. As president, my first priority to combat global warming will be enacting an economy-wide cap on U.S. carbon emissions that will reduce U.S. emissions by the amount scientists agree is necessary (80%) for the U.S. to bear an equitable share of the global emissions reduction burden… Another top priority for my energy and global warming agenda will be changing the cars we drive and the fossil fuels we burn…”
Edwards: “…I will seize the opportunity of my fi rst 100 days as president to send legislation to Congress that enacts my agenda to halt global warming and achieve energy independence. I believe that the United States must pass legislation capping the emissions of greenhouse gases as quickly as possible. I will submit a budget that doubles the Department of Energy’s research budget for development of clean energies and makes the renewable energy tax credit permanent. …”
McCain: “Among my priorities will be working with Congress, national, state, and local leaders, and the full range of stakeholders to promote U.S. energy security and implement a national market-based cap and trade system tailored to protect the nation’s economic, environmental, and national security… Another of my top objectives will be to draw into my administration the most qualified individuals in our country to fill key cabinet and other positions in these vital policy areas…”
Romney: “I believe we have to be developing more energy sources ourselves, which would include offshore drilling and drilling in ANWR, nuclear power, biodiesel, biofuel, ethanol, cellulosic ethanol, probably liquefied coal. We have enormous supplies of coal.”
Huckabee: “The most important thing about global warming is this: Whether humans are responsible for the bulk of climate change is going to be left to the scientists, but it’s all of our responsibility to leave this planet in better shape for the future generations than we found it. It’s the old Boy Scout rule of the campsite; you leave the campsite in better shape than you found it… be good stewards of this Earth, be good caretakers of the natural resources that don’t belong to us;”
Another good reference guide is from grist.org. It provides an at-glance chart that compares the candidates in the following energy areas: Cap-and-trade program for greenhouse-gas emissions, fuel-economy standards for automobiles, renewable energy, biofuels, coal, and nuclear energy.
Explore in great detail. Then vote and make your voice heard loud and clear.
CindyW at Organicpicks
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Comments»
thanks for sharing this, Cindy. I’ll have to peruse their website. No doubt about it, our next president will have a huge impact on the environment. It’s exciting to watch the primary results because it signals a new regime change.