Kamala Harris on Energy & Oil : Jul 31, 2019
Rejoin Paris Accord on Day One; carbon neutral by 2030

Harris: I have to agree with Governor Inslee. We currently have a president in the White House who obviously does not understand the science. The guy thinks that wind turbines cause cancer, but what in fact what they cause is jobs. I would take any Democrat on this stage over the current president of the United States. We must have and adopt a Green New Deal. On day one I would re-enter us in the Paris agreement. And put in place so we would be carbon neutral by 2030.

Tulsi Gabbard on Energy & Oil : Jul 31, 2019
Off Fossil Fuel Act: plan to deal with climate change

Joe Biden on Energy & Oil : Jul 31, 2019
Rejoin and raise standards of Paris Climate Accord

Biden: There is no middle ground about my plan. We're responsible for 15% of all the pollution in the country. 85% of it is something I helped negotiate; and that is the Paris Climate Accord. I would immediately rejoin that Paris Accord. I would make sure that we up the ante which it calls for. I would be able to bring those leaders together and I would raise the standard. I also invested $400 billion in research for new alternatives to deal with climate change.

Cory Booker on Energy & Oil : Jul 31, 2019
Climate change is the lens through which we view every issue

Yes, the majority of this problem is outside the United States, but the only way we're going to deal with this is if the United States leads.

Kirsten Gillibrand on Environment : Jul 31, 2019
Why not have clean air and clean water for all Americans?

Jay Inslee on Environment : Jul 31, 2019
Middle ground solutions aren't going to save our air & water

V.P. Joe BIDEN: There is no middle ground about my plan.

INSLEE: These deadlines are set by science. Mr. Vice President, your argument is not with me, it's with science. Unfortunately, your plan is just too late. The science tells us we have to get off coal in 10 years. Your plan does not do that. We have to have off of fossil fuels in our electrical grid in 15. Your plan simply does not do that. I believe that survival is realistic, and that's the kind of plan we need. And that's the kind I have.

John Hickenlooper on Environment : Jul 17, 2019
Support nuclear power

FIVE CANDIDATES HAVE SIMILAR VIEWS: Cory Booker; Peter Buttigieg; John Delaney; John Hickenlooper; Amy Klobuchar; Andrew Yang.

Many environmentalists and scientists believe it will be impossible to decarbonize the power sector and fight climate change without maintaining nuclear power, because it offers more capacity than renewables and is more reliable to dispatch since it does not rely on the wind or sunshine.

Pete Buttigieg on Environment : Jul 17, 2019
Support nuclear power

FIVE CANDIDATES HAVE SIMILAR VIEWS: Cory Booker; Peter Buttigieg; John Delaney; John Hickenlooper; Amy Klobuchar; Andrew Yang.

Many environmentalists and scientists believe it will be impossible to decarbonize the power sector and fight climate change without maintaining nuclear power, because it offers more capacity than renewables and is more reliable to dispatch since it does not rely on the wind or sunshine.

Jay Inslee on Environment : Jul 17, 2019
Develop new nuclear technologies

TWO CANDIDATES HAVE SIMILAR VIEWS: Joseph Biden, Jr.; Kamala Harris.

Utilities and scientists are developing nuclear power reactors that are much smaller than the massive facilities that have been used in past decades. The new reactors, called Small Modular Reactors that the Energy Department's national labs are helping to develop, would produce perhaps 50 to 100 megawatts.

John Delaney on Environment : Jul 17, 2019
Support nuclear power

FIVE CANDIDATES HAVE SIMILAR VIEWS: Cory Booker; Peter Buttigieg; John Hickenlooper; Amy Klobuchar; Andrew Yang.

Many environmentalists and scientists believe it will be impossible to decarbonize the power sector and fight climate change without maintaining nuclear power, because it offers more capacity than renewables and is more reliable to dispatch since it does not rely on the wind or sunshine.

Kamala Harris on Environment : Jul 17, 2019
Develop new nuclear technologies

TWO CANDIDATES HAVE SIMILAR VIEWS: Joseph Biden, Jr.; Jay Inslee.

Utilities and scientists are developing nuclear power reactors that are much smaller than the massive facilities that have been used in past decades. The new reactors, called Small Modular Reactors that the Energy Department's national labs are helping to develop, would produce perhaps 50 to 100 megawatts.

Amy Klobuchar on Environment : Jul 17, 2019
Support nuclear power

FIVE CANDIDATES HAVE SIMILAR VIEWS: Cory Booker; Peter Buttigieg; John Delaney; John Hickenlooper; Andrew Yang.

Many environmentalists and scientists believe it will be impossible to decarbonize the power sector and fight climate change without maintaining nuclear power, because it offers more capacity than renewables and is more reliable to dispatch since it does not rely on the wind or sunshine.

Joe Biden on Environment : Jul 17, 2019
Develop new nuclear technologies

TWO CANDIDATES HAVE SIMILAR VIEWS: Kamala Harris; Jay Inslee.

Utilities and scientists are developing nuclear power reactors that are much smaller than the massive facilities that have been used in past decades. The new reactors, called Small Modular Reactors that the Energy Department's national labs are helping to develop, would produce perhaps 50 to 100 megawatts.

Tom Steyer on Energy & Oil : Jul 14, 2019
When I realized the threat of fossil fuels, I divested

Tom Steyer on Energy & Oil : Jul 10, 2019
AdWatch: I left my business to combat climate change

"I left my business to combat climate change, fix our democracy, and hold President Trump accountable," Steyer said in one of his new ads. "Last year, we ran the largest youth voter registration in history, helping double turnout and win back the House."

The $1.4 million buy represents a small chunk of what Steyer has committed to spending on his presidential bid. A Steyer spokesperson said that the billionaire former hedge fund manager will spend "at least $100 million" on the race.

Joe Sestak on Energy & Oil : Jul 9, 2019
Rejoin Paris Accord, ban offshore drilling

Tom Steyer on Environment : Jul 4, 2019
Stand up to corporate polluters who poison our air & water

Joe Sestak on Energy & Oil : Jul 2, 2019
Global warming is a grave threat to humanity and the planet

Tom Steyer on Energy & Oil : Jul 2, 2019
Cut greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020

Report on Tom Steyer's stance and spending on ballot initiatives:
• California Proposition 23, the Suspension of AB 32 (2010)
• Steyer Opposed; Steyer spent $5.49 million; outcome: Defeated
• Proposition 23, which would have suspended AB 32, the "Global Warming Act of 2006," was on the November 2, 2010 ballot in California as an initiated state statute, where it was defeated.
• AB 32 was passed by the California State Legislature and signed by Arnold Schwarzenegger.
• AB 32 required that greenhouse gas emission levels in the state be cut to 1990 levels by 2020.
• In their campaigns for and against Proposition 23, supporters and opponents each adopted nicknames for the measure clarifying their respective views of it. Supporters called Proposition 23 the California Jobs Initiative, and opponents called it the Dirty Energy Proposition. Supporters of the measure filed a lawsuit that resulted in a change to the measure's title and summary.

Bernie Sanders on Energy & Oil : Jun 27, 2019
Scientists say "12 years before damage is irreversible"

Kamala Harris on Energy & Oil : Jun 27, 2019
Climate crisis represents existential threat to our species

John Hickenlooper on Environment : Jun 27, 2019
Toughest methane regulations in the country

Jay Inslee on Energy & Oil : Jun 26, 2019
We're the first generation to feel sting of climate change

Joe Sestak on Energy & Oil : Jun 23, 2019
Replace fossil fuel subsidies with fees for carbon polluters

Priorities:
• Re-join the Paris Accord and restoring our leadership role among the community of nations working together to fight climate change.
• Stop subsidizing fossil fuel industries.
• Implement a fee for carbon polluters, with proceeds being returned to all Americans as a dividend and also devoted to research & development in renewable energy and other climate-stabilizing strategies.
• Establish a permanent moratorium on all future offshore drilling and Arctic drilling, including in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge..

Joe Sestak on Environment : Jun 23, 2019
Ratify the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol

Priorities:
• Ratify the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol committing countries around the world to phasing out the use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).
• Give the EPA full authority to regulate substances (like HFCs) that contribute to global warming, as it has authority to regulate ozone-depleting substances.
• Stop subsidizing destructive industrial farming practices, and dramatically increase support for carbon-sequestering regenerative agriculture.
• Restore the National Monuments and other public lands opened to extractive industries by the current administration.
• Renew our commitment to fighting deforestation, habitat destruction, and illegal poaching of endangered species around the world..

Joe Sestak on Technology : Jun 23, 2019
Reprioritized defense funding toward cyberspace

Steve Bullock on Energy & Oil : Jun 18, 2019
President's role is to set direction on climate change

A: "One president can't do it alone, but one president can set the direction for the country."

Seth Moulton on Energy & Oil : Jun 18, 2019
Get started on stopping climate change

A: "Is it possible to fix it in the term of one presidency? Probably not, but we can get started in the right direction."

Andrew Yang on Energy & Oil : Jun 18, 2019
US only accounts for 15% of global emissions, but take steps

A: "I don't believe that the president can put a halt to climate change, given that the United States only accounts for 15 percent of global emissions, but we can take dramatic steps to combat it."

John Hickenlooper on Principles & Values : May 27, 2019
Socialist policies will not appeal to Americans

Steve Bullock on Energy & Oil : May 15, 2019
Re-enter Paris climate agreement

Michael Bennet on Energy & Oil : May 2, 2019
Climate change is major issue; but not Green New Deal

Seth Moulton on Energy & Oil : May 2, 2019
Green New Deal addresses climate change AND changed economy

The Green New Deal needs to be built around green jobs and clean energy, decarbonization and breakthrough technologies, and access to green energy for the developing world--and America should lead the way in winning this moral and economic opportunity. We can lead the world in green tech and green jobs, and we should set the standards for other countries to follow.

The New Deal paved the way for a strong economy and American leadership in the last century. Let's shape the Green New Deal to help America lead this one.

Pete Buttigieg on Principles & Values : May 2, 2019
Ensure that America's future is better than its past

Pete is laying out a vision, values, and policies to ensure that America's future is better than its past. We need to secure a future in which every American has the freedom to live a life of their choosing; where our republic grows more and not less democratic; where racial justice is a reality and not a dream; where we've put an end to endless war; where we've summoned the national will to meet the challenge of climate change; where everyone has the health care they need; and where everyone has the chance to find purpose and belonging in our economy and our country.

Beto O`Rourke on Energy & Oil : Apr 29, 2019
Net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, but allow drilling

Seth Moulton on Energy & Oil : Apr 23, 2019
Member of the Climate Solutions Caucus in Congress

Bill de Blasio on Energy & Oil : Apr 22, 2019
40% reduction in emissions by 2030

• 10%: Mandating that all large, existing buildings implement retrofits to be more efficient and lower emissions--a global first.
• 6%: OneNYC initiatives to further reduce emissions including more renewable energy, expanded energy efficiency in buildings & reduced reliance on fossil fuel vehicles.
• 5%: Pursuing a deal to power 100% of City operations with clean electricity sources like Canadian hydropower.
• 2%: Cleaning up vehicle fleet and implementing congestion pricing.

Amy Klobuchar on Energy & Oil : Apr 22, 2019
Would rejoin climate pact & propose new legislation

Wayne Messam on Education : Apr 18, 2019
I built the greenest school in the Southeast US

Messam: I started a climate-conscious construction business that built the greenest school in the Southeast United States. I know firsthand that we can create and protect jobs while also protecting our environment. The Obama administration understood the urgency to address this crisis for the future. My administration will make climate change a priority and not only restore Obama-era environmental policies like the Clean Power Plan, but work to take aggressive action that rivals the New Deal in scope. It seems that the Trump administration's environmental policies are for industry lobbyists and special interests instead of tackling the hard choices we need to make now to protect the environment for future generations.

Amy Klobuchar on Energy & Oil : Apr 18, 2019
Open to carbon tax, but without increased prices

Her campaign didn't answer this question, but Ms. Klobuchar said at a CNN town hall-style event: "I will, as first day as the president, sign us back into the international climate change agreement. That is on Day 1."

Q: Do you support a federal carbon tax? If so, at what price per ton, and how do you envision the proceeds being used?

Ms. Klobuchar's campaign said she was open to a carbon tax but would not support one that increased prices for lower- and middle-income Americans. It did not provide an on-the-record quote.

Q: Would you restore Obama-era climate change regulations that the Trump administration has reversed, like the Clean Power Plan, methane limits and vehicle emissions standards?

Ms. Klobuchar's campaign confirmed that she would restore the Clean Power Plan and gas mileage standards, but did not provide an on-the-record quote.

Elizabeth Warren on Energy & Oil : Apr 18, 2019
Return to Paris climate accord, & build on it

Warren: "I believe we need to return to the Paris climate accord, and then we need to build on it. We need to do far more to reduce global emissions, but we can only do that when we're leading from the front."

Q: Would you restore Obama-era climate change regulations that the Trump administration has reversed, like the Clean Power Plan, methane limits and vehicle emissions standards?

Warren: "I have strongly opposed the Trump administration's efforts to roll back the Clean Power Plan and other Obama-era methane limits and vehicle emission standards. As president, I would reverse these rollbacks."

Q: Do you support a national renewable energy standard?

Warren: "I am an original cosponsor of the Green New Deal resolution, which commits the United States to meet 100 percent of our power demand through clean, renewable and zero-emission energy sources."

Cory Booker on Energy & Oil : Apr 18, 2019
Rejoin Paris Climate Agreement, plus domestic legislation

Booker: "As president, I will immediately move to rejoin the Paris Agreement and to increase our emission reduction targets to align with the scientific consensus for the necessary speed and scale at which we must decarbonize in order to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees."

Q: Would you restore Obama-era climate change regulations that the Trump administration has reversed?

Booker: "The Trump EPA is taking actions to gut the Clean Power Plan, to weaken methane limits and to reverse vehicle emissions standards. All of these actions will make climate change worse. As president, I will restore these policies as part of a comprehensive approach to address climate change."

Q: Do you support new regulations to cut greenhouse gas emissions?

Booker: "I will both work with Congress to pass comprehensive climate legislation and, when appropriate, use executive powers to address the existential threat posed by global warming."

Jay Inslee on Energy & Oil : Apr 18, 2019
Rejoin Paris Climate Agreement on Day 1

Inslee: Yes. President Trump's attempt to leave the Paris Agreement was one of the most shameful decisions of a shameful presidency. America can and should be a leader in the global fight against climate change. As president, I will recommit to the Paris accord and work on Day 1 to undo Donald Trump's attacks on international climate progress. We are ready: I am proud to say that within hours of Trump's announcement that he intended to pull the U.S. out of the agreement, I co-founded the U.S. Climate Alliance--a bipartisan coalition of states that are committed to upholding America's contributions to that pact. This alliance now consists of 22 states and Puerto Rico that together comprise over half of America's population and its economy.

Wayne Messam on Energy & Oil : Apr 18, 2019
Climate change is not a hoax; we need bold action

Messam: Yes. Climate change is not a hoax. It affects the quality of the air we breathe and the water we drink. As president, my administration will make it a priority to lead the world and take bold, direct climate action that will rival the New Deal in scope, rise to the scale of this challenge, and apply the urgency required to get the job done in 10 years. We need bold ideas that will meet the scale of the climate change crisis.

Q: Do you support a federal carbon tax?

Messam: All options will remain on the table to take action on climate change. I will use the bully pulpit and the veto pen to ensure we do not force our children to live under extreme conditions.

Bernie Sanders on Energy & Oil : Apr 18, 2019
Keep US in Paris Climate Agreement & increase targets

A: Sanders's campaign confirmed that he would keep the United States in the Paris Agreement and increase emission reduction targets, but did not provide an on-the-record quote.

Q: Would you restore Obama-era climate change regulations that the Trump administration has reversed, like the Clean Power Plan, methane limits and vehicle emissions standards?

A: Sanders's campaign said he would restore Obama-era regulations.

Q: Do you support new regulations to cut greenhouse gas emissions beyond what was in place under President Obama?

A: Sanders's campaign said he would go beyond Obama-era regulations, but did not elaborate or provide an on-the-record quote.

Q: Do you support a national renewable energy standard? If so, what would it be? If not, why not?

A: Sanders's campaign reiterated his support for the Green New Deal, which calls for 100 percent renewable energy.

Kamala Harris on Energy & Oil : Apr 18, 2019
Restore Clean Power Plan and Clean Car Standards

A: Yes, she wants to return the U.S. to the Paris deal.

Q: Would you restore Obama-era climate change regulations that the Trump administration has reversed, like the Clean Power Plan?

A: Harris's campaign said she wanted to "restore the Clean Power Plan and fully implement the Clean Car Standards."

Q: Do you support a national renewable energy standard?

A: She is for a national goal for renewable energy.

Q: Do you support increasing federal funding for clean-energy research?

A: Harris's campaign said that as president, she would "invest in clean energy research and infrastructure."

Tulsi Gabbard on Energy & Oil : Apr 18, 2019
2017: Short-sighted to withdraw from Paris Climate Accord

Ms. Gabbard's campaign responded with a 2017 statement: "President Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, making us just one of three countries in the world not to participate, is short-sighted and irresponsible. Without global action to drastically curb carbon pollution, climate change threatens the safety and security of the planet, especially in places like Hawaii where we are already experiencing its devastating effects. The US should be leading by example, leveraging innovation through science and technology, investing in clean energy, creating renewable energy jobs that cannot be outsourced, growing the economy, enhancing U.S. energy independence, and lowering energy costs for families and businesses, while reducing carbon emissions. We must continue to persevere and do our part to support efforts in the private sector and at all levels of government to combat climate change."

Andrew Yang on Energy & Oil : Apr 18, 2019
Rejoin rest of world in Paris Climate Agreement

Yang: "Absolutely. America needs to rejoin the rest of the world in formally recognizing the threat posed by climate change and work with all nations to combat this existential crisis. The Paris Agreement doesn't go far enough to mitigate climate change, and the U.S. should be a part of the conversation on what targets are necessary and how we can get to them. Only through something like the Paris Agreement can we effectively tackle this problem. The US accounts for only about 15% of global emissions, so any solution requires other countries to make similar changes. We also need to recognize that our targets probably aren't enough to prevent some of the worst effects of climate change. We need to heavily fund research into geoengineering projects such as carbon capture in order to undo some of the damage we've already done. The U.S. should be a leader in developing this technology."

John Delaney on Environment : Apr 18, 2019
Supports vehicle emissions standards and methane limits

John Delaney: "I support vehicle emissions standards and methane limits and other measures as a backstop. Over all, the most important thing we need to do is implement a carbon tax. Based on economic/climate modeling, a carbon tax would be more effective at reducing greenhouse gas emissions than regulations. This would harness the power of the free market but have regulations as a backstop."

Q: Do you support new regulations to cut greenhouse gas emissions beyond what was in place under President Obama?

John Delaney: "I would implement a carbon tax and primarily use market forces, rather than regulations, as the way to change behavior."

Kirsten Gillibrand on Environment : Apr 18, 2019
Clean air is a right

A: She believes that clean air is a right, and would reverse the Trump administration's rollback of the Obama administration's clean air regulations.

Q: Do you support a national renewable energy standard?

A: She supports a national renewable energy standard to achieve net-zero carbon emissions.

Wayne Messam on Environment : Apr 18, 2019
Nuclear energy falls short; no new nuke plants

Messam: As president, I will work to make the United States a global leader in renewable energy. While nuclear energy may seem like an option, in many ways it falls short of the type of energy we need to truly address climate change. I would not support the construction of new nuclear plants and would rally the American people to invest in truly renewable [energy]."

Tulsi Gabbard on Free Trade : Apr 18, 2019
Ban oil & gas exports; end fossil-fuel subsidies

Gabbard: I have long been an advocate of aggressive climate change legislation to curb greenhouse gas emissions, including:

• Renewable energy mandate, zero-emission vehicle mandate, electrification of transit, electric vehicle rebate program for consumers.
• Moratorium on new major fossil-fuel projects, banning fracking, ending fossil-fuel subsidies, low-income weatherization and retrofit assistance.
• Extension of tax credits for wind and solar energy.
• Ban on crude oil and LNG [liquefied natural gas] exports.
• Environmental justice provisions for a clean energy future.
• Identify the employment potential of the energy efficiency and renewable energy industry and the skills and training needed for workers in those fields to support career transition period.

John Hickenlooper on Technology : Apr 18, 2019
Public-private partnerships for next-gen energy technology

Hickenlooper: Yes.

Q: Would you restore Obama-era climate change regulations that the Trump administration has reversed, like the Clean Power Plan, methane limits and vehicle emissions standards?

Hickenlooper: Yes.

Q: Do you support new regulations to cut greenhouse gas emissions beyond what was in place under President Obama?

Hickenlooper: Yes.

Q: Do you support a national renewable energy standard? If so, what would it be? If not, why not?

Hickenlooper: Yes.

Q: Do you support increasing federal funding for clean-energy research? If so, how much money? Are there specific areas of research you're most interested in funding, and why?

Hickenlooper: Yes. Next-generation clean energy technologies; public-private partnerships.

Jay Inslee on Technology : Apr 18, 2019
Dramatically increase federal clean energy R&D investment

Inslee: Yes, we must dramatically increase federal investment for research and development into clean energy technologies and climate solutions. Fortunately, today we already have so many of the technologies we need to defeat climate change--we simply have to put them to work.

The federal government has a critical role in play in catalyzing new clean-tech innovations, and in helping bring them to market. Increased federal R&D investment must be part of a successful climate agenda--and it must be focused on a range of technologies, from next-generation renewables and energy storage, to the capture and removal from the air of greenhouse gas pollution.

This unprecedented public investment we will make will unleash even greater private sector investment, giving the right price signals to entrepreneurs and small businesses to succeed in this new clean energy economy.

Julian Castro on Welfare & Poverty : Apr 18, 2019
Lower energy consumption in HUD-assisted housing

Castro: Addressing the existential crisis of climate change requires bold and aggressive action. President Obama put forward important policies that were a major step forward for our country and the world. For example, at HUD [which Mr. Castro used to lead], we worked on efforts to lower energy consumption and increase renewable energy usage in HUD assisted housing. But we cannot afford to stop there. We need renewable energy and performance standards, resilient infrastructure with stricter codes for sustainability, and we need incentives for research and investment in cutting-edge technologies.

Q: Do you support a national renewable energy standard? If so, what would it be? If not, why not?

Castro: Yes. Lowering carbon emissions will require a national renewable energy standard that gradually increases until we achieve our emissions target by 2050.

Tim Ryan on Energy & Oil : Apr 14, 2019
Green New Deal means manufacturing jobs

Marianne Williamson on Energy & Oil : Apr 14, 2019
Climate change biggest crisis of our time

Bernie Sanders on Corporations : Apr 12, 2019
Break up big agriculture corporations

Bernie Sanders on Energy & Oil : Apr 12, 2019
Co-sponsor of Green New Deal

Jay Inslee on Energy & Oil : Apr 10, 2019
Research nuclear energy; many problems unsolved

I believe that the urgency is so great and the time period so short to decarbonize our economy that we need to be open to any low-cost or low-carbon or zero-carbon technology. That includes nuclear. But there would have to be four things happen before nuclear power would be able to become a major part of our portfolio. It would have to become cost-effective, which it is not. It would have to be much safer with passive safety systems, which have not yet been developed. It would have to solve the waste problem with the waste stream. And it would have to win public acceptance. My view is it is appropriate to make R&D investments to determine whether any of those or all of those can be surmounted.

Wayne Messam on Energy & Oil : Apr 9, 2019
Address climate change to create jobs & keep us competitive

Marianne Williamson on Energy & Oil : Apr 8, 2019
Supports Green New Deal and green jobs program

Wayne Messam on Environment : Mar 28, 2019
Supports fighting climate change

John Hickenlooper on Energy & Oil : Mar 26, 2019
Denounced Green New Deal, supports fighting climate change

John Hickenlooper on Energy & Oil : Mar 20, 2019
Work with environmentalists & industry to get to solutions

Elizabeth Warren on Energy & Oil : Mar 18, 2019
America must lead in combatting climate change

Beto O`Rourke on Energy & Oil : Mar 14, 2019
Return to Paris climate agreement

• O'Rourke would return the U.S. to the international Paris climate accord, under which the U.S. pledged to cut greenhouse gas emissions 26 to 28 percent by the year 2025.
• In general, O'Rourke focuses on the economic potential of renewable fuels and the economic hazards of not addressing climate change.
• It is unclear if he supports deeper carbon emissions cuts or a carbon tax.
• He would allow fracking, but with tighter oversight.

Beto O`Rourke on Energy & Oil : Mar 13, 2019
Keep planet from warming one-half degree Celsius

Jay Inslee on Energy & Oil : Mar 12, 2019
No "silver bullet" for climate: "silver buckshot" instead

His big idea: Clearly environmental action is the central thrust of Mr Inslee's campaign, although he says he has no one preferred policy "silver bullet", but rather wants a multifaceted "silver buckshot" approach.

His biggest challenge: If he succeeds in raising his visibility by pushing the environmental issue, his biggest challenge will be using that attention to sell Democratic voters on the rest of his progressive record in Washington.

Jay Inslee on Government Reform : Mar 12, 2019
End the filibuster; it dooms good legislation

John Delaney on Energy & Oil : Mar 11, 2019
Bipartisan carbon tax bill, but not the Green New Deal

At the South-by-Southwest conference, he defended that position. "It is a time for bold solutions. But we also have to put our shoulder behind things that can actually get done," he said. "Because climate is not like other issues. We have an infrastructure issue in this country. But if we wait five years to deal with our infrastructure, it's a missed opportunity. But it doesn't get exponentially worse, so we have to deal with climate change right away."

Delaney said he would get a bipartisan carbon tax bill passed in his first year as president. "We have to have a goal around climate that's realistic," he said.

John Delaney on Energy & Oil : Mar 10, 2019
Proposed carbon tax, but also invest in new technology

John Kasich on Principles & Values : Mar 10, 2019
OpEd: Realism & anti-liberalism define #NeverTrump ideology

Jay Inslee on Energy & Oil : Mar 1, 2019
Fighting climate change crucial, and profitable

Jay Inslee on Energy & Oil : Mar 1, 2019
We are last generation that can do something about climate

Jay Inslee on Energy & Oil : Mar 1, 2019
Fighting climate change must be top goal of next president

[When Obama won in 2008], the Democratic team said, "We're going to do health care first." And so climate didn't get done. Now, could it have gotten done if it was put first? There are no guarantees. But once health care went first, there wasn't enough juice to get climate through. We simply cannot have that experience again. So [climate change] can't be on a laundry list. It can't be something that candidates check the box on. It has to be a full-blooded effort to mobilize the United States in all capacities.

John Kasich on Energy & Oil : Feb 26, 2019
I've evolved on climate change: stop denying it

Kasich himself has evolved from when he was running in the 2016 GOP presidential primary. He said then that the overall human impact on climate change is unclear and that "we don't want to destroy people's job, based on some theory that is not proven."

When presented with those comments, Kasich responded: "Yeah, well you know what, we all evolve." He went on to cite a federal government report, issued under the Trump administration, that laid out humans' impact on climate change and the impacts of it. "As I see more and more evidence, especially from our government and scientists, you learn more. Let's step it up."

John Kasich on Energy & Oil : Feb 26, 2019
Centrist climate policy: price for carbon dioxide emissions

Kasich opposes the "Green New Deal," a climate change policy backed by progressives, but said that it's "not enough" to oppose it without introducing a counterproposal. His proposals include subsidies for electric vehicles and other eco-friendly technologies and a price for carbon dioxide emissions.

Kasich said that his views on humans' impact on the environment have "evolved" since the 2016 campaign, when he said: "We don't want to destroy people's job, based on some theory that is not proven." Kasich now says, "As I see more and more evidence, especially from our government and scientists, you learn more. Let's step it up."

Jay Inslee on Immigration : Feb 24, 2019
Illegal immigration not a national emergency

Howie Hawkins on Energy & Oil : Feb 22, 2019
I'm the original Green New Dealer, since 2010

Hawkins says he was the first American political candidate to run on the promise of a Green New Deal. During his run for NY governor in 2010, he proposed a plan to fight climate change "with the same urgency, speed, and commitment of resources that our country demonstrated in converting to war production for the mobilization for World War II." To reduce carbon emissions to net zero over ten years, Hawkins's plan would "devote resources to and create jobs in renewable energy, public transit and organic agriculture." And those resources would come from progressive tax reform.

Hawkins thinks the Green New Deal is being unfairly co-opted. But he's happy that it's become mainstream, because "it's our opportunity to explain how the Democratic establishment chopped away the pieces," he said.

Mike Bloomberg on Energy & Oil : Feb 19, 2019
$218M effort led to closure of 282 coal-fired power plants

For instance, Bloomberg has contributed $218 million for clean-energy efforts that, among other results, have led to the closure of 282 coal-fired power plants. But he does not oppose, at least in the short term, other fossil fuel use--and that's not good enough for climate change activists

Joe Biden on Foreign Policy : Feb 19, 2019
US can't do it alone: stay engaged in the world

Amy Klobuchar on Energy & Oil : Feb 18, 2019
Green New Deal is aspirational; don't over-promise

On climate change, Klobuchar said she believes that "we can get close" to the Green New Deal, but that she doesn't "think we're going to get rid of entire industries in the U.S."

"We need to get this debate going, and this is put out there as an aspiration in that something we need to move toward," she said. "Do I think we can cross every 'T' and dot every 'I' in 10 years? Actually, I think that would be very difficult to do."

She also looked ahead to the potential legislation, acknowledging that "there are going to be compromises" and "it's not going to look exactly like that," she said.

Pete Buttigieg on Energy & Oil : Feb 15, 2019
Supports Paris climate accord and Green New Deal

Bill Weld on Energy & Oil : Feb 15, 2019
Climate change dangers are real; rejoin Paris Accords

Howard Schultz on Foreign Policy : Feb 12, 2019
China is not an ally, but we need to work with them

Pete Buttigieg on Energy & Oil : Feb 10, 2019
Green New Deal is a framework addressing climate & jobs

Amy Klobuchar on Energy & Oil : Feb 10, 2019
Rejoin Paris climate deal; meet UN goals

• Climate change: Set goals for cutting greenhouse emissions and rejoin Paris climate deal.
• Klobuchar wants to meet the goals of the U.N. panel on climate change: cut greenhouse gases by 45 percent by 2030, and increase renewable energy by up to 47 percent by 2050.
• She has not given specifics recently on how she would achieve those goals.
• But in 2008, Klobuchar pushed for a bill to cut emissions 70 percent by the year 2050 via a cap-and-trade market system.
• Klobuchar would also rejoin the Paris accord and push to set national guidelines to boost renewable fuel use.

Kamala Harris on Crime : Feb 5, 2019
Ex-felons re-enter society, instead of broken justice system

We need an America where no mother or father has to teach their son that people may stop him or kill him because of the color of his skin.

The strength of our union is in our diversity and our unity. We see the State of our Union in the formerly incarcerated individual who re-enters society looking to contribute and in the DREAMer who pursues her future in the face of uncertainty.

Bernie Sanders on Energy & Oil : Feb 5, 2019
We have 12 years to transform to sustainable energy

How can a president of the United States give a State of the Union speech and not mention climate change when the leading scientists of the world tell us that climate change is real, is caused by human activity, and is already causing devastating harm in the United States and in much of the world. Further, they tell us that we have a very short 12 years in order to transform our energy system away from fossil fuel and into energy efficiency and sustainable energy if we are going to have a planet that is healthy and habitable for our kids and grandchildren.

Larry Hogan on Energy & Oil : Jan 30, 2019
Clean energy; green jobs

Kamala Harris on Energy & Oil : Jan 22, 2019
Climate change important, but not only issue

Kamala Harris on Energy & Oil : Jan 21, 2019
Don't withdraw from the Paris climate accord

• California's attorney general, Harris launched an investigation into Exxon Mobil in 2016, after reports that the oil and gas giant lied for decades about the risks of climate change.
• Harris criticized President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris climate accord.
• Additionally, Harris opposed the Trump administration's proposal to reverse Obama-era fuel efficiency standards for cars and light trucks.

Elizabeth Warren on Energy & Oil : Jan 17, 2019
Supports the idea of a Green New Deal

• Climate change: Supports reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
• Warren favors forcing public companies to report their greenhouse gas emissions and any potential effects climate change might have on their businesses.
• She also supports "the idea of a Green New Deal," a broad package of proposals floated by some Democrats and environmental groups aimed at taking action against climate change.
• But while Warren fielded questions from voters about climate change at an Iowa event this month, she did not focus on the issue the day she announced she was forming a presidential exploratory committee.

Kirsten Gillibrand on Energy & Oil : Jan 16, 2019
Limit then cap-and-trade carbon emissions

• Climate change: Create a cap-and-trade commodity market for carbon emissions. Ban new drilling on federal lands.
• Writing in the Wall Street Journal in 2009, Gillibrand proposed establishing a cap-and-trade commodity market to mandate a limit on carbon emissions and allow businesses to trade their emissions allowances as commodities.
• In addition, she has proposed the "Keep it in the Ground Act," which would ban any new leases for gas or oil drilling on federal lands.

Tulsi Gabbard on Energy & Oil : Jan 14, 2019
No more fossil fuels for electricity by 2050

Julian Castro on Energy & Oil : Jan 12, 2019
Rejoin the Paris Climate Treaty

Castro has criticized President Donald Trump for withdrawing from the Paris climate change accord.
• Castro's overall approach in public office was to try to convince businesses to increase their reliance on renewable energy voluntarily.
• While he was mayor of San Antonio, the local utility committed to close a coal plant and embrace a 20 percent renewables goal.
• It is not clear if Castro supports a carbon tax or "cap and trade" policy to reduce carbon emissions.

Kamala Harris on Energy & Oil : Jan 8, 2019
Climate change is a national security threat to America

For example, climate change will lead to droughts. Droughts will lead to famine. Famine will drive desperate people to leave their homes in search of sustenance. Massive flows of displaced people will lead to refugee crises. Refugee crisis will lead to tension and instability across borders.

The hard truth is that climate change is going to cause terrible instability and desperation, and that will put American national security at risk. That's why as part of President Obama's national security strategy, climate change was identified as a national security threat of the highest priority.

Jay Inslee on Energy & Oil : Jan 2, 2019
Spur green R&D; restrict power plants and emissions

He's put together an email list of 200,000 climate advocates, which could become a beachhead of support around the country [in his presidential run].

Jay Inslee on Energy & Oil : Jan 2, 2019
Decade-long track record on climate change

As the 2018 midterm campaigns came to an end, Inslee read through searing international and federal climate-change assessments, took a trip to view the wildfire damage in California--and he shifted [in his decision to run for President]. Now "we're laying the groundwork that would make this a feasible thing in the relatively short term," Inslee told me.

Jay Inslee on Energy & Oil : Jan 2, 2019
Climate change threatens environment & national security

Even more so, he wants to talk about the risk to American opportunity. "We have two existential threats right now: one is to our natural systems, and one is to our economic systems," he said.

Bernie Sanders on Energy & Oil : Nov 25, 2018
No more debate on climate change; it's here & costs $100Bs

SANDERS: Well, what Congress should do is move aggressively in listening not only to this report from the Trump administration but from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change which tells us that climate change is already doing irreparable harm all over this planet. What Congress has got to do is take Trump on, take the fossil fuel industry on, and transform our energy system away from fossil fuel, to energy efficiency and sustainable energies like solar and wind.

Q: The report estimates knocking as much as 10% off the size of the U.S. economy by the end of this century because of related costs.

SANDERS: The debate is over about the reality of climate change and the incredible and costly harm it's going to do to this country. We are talking about hundreds of billions of dollars in damage that we're going to have to pay for.

Donald Trump on Energy & Oil : Oct 14, 2018
Climate change isn't a hoax, but don't spend trillions on it

Trump called climate change a hoax in November 2012 stating, "The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive." He later said he was joking about the Chinese connection, but in years since continued to call global warming a hoax.

As far as climate "changing back," temperature records kept by NASA show that the world hasn't had a cooler-than-average year since 1976 or a cooler-than-normal month since 1985.

Beto O`Rourke on Energy & Oil : Oct 9, 2018
Unprecedented action to build clean energy economy

Ted Cruz (R): No. Doesn't believe it's real. Says data disproving it is being ignored as liberals want government power over economy, energy sector & all aspects of our lives.

Beto O'Rourke (D): Yes. "Crucial now more than ever that US & world leaders act urgently to address" it. Climate change increases droughts, wildfires, hurricanes, & other disasters.

Q: Climate Change: Limit or tax production of greenhouse gases? Support US participation in Paris Climate Accord despite President Trump's withdrawal?

Ted Cruz (R): Opposes regulating greenhouse gases. Paris Accord "would have destroyed $3 trillion in American GDP & killed 6.5 million industrial sector jobs by 2040."

Beto O'Rourke (D): Limit greenhouse gases. "Need to take unprecedented action" in building clean energy economy. Opposes withdrawing from Paris Accord.

Amy Klobuchar on Health Care : Aug 24, 2018
Allow sick people to obtain insurance

Democrat Klobuchar, meanwhile, told the Minnesota Public Radio debate audience that federal laws such as allowing sick people to obtain insurance should be continued, said she agrees with a majority of scientists who think climate change is at least partly due to human activity and felt Mexican border security should be a combination of a wall, fence and personnel.

In a rare area of agreement, Klobuchar and Newberger said the federal government needs to find a way to keep prescription medicine costs down.

Marianne Williamson on Energy & Oil : Jul 24, 2018
Massive effort to combat effects of climate change

Donald Trump on Energy & Oil : May 29, 2018
OpEd: US is only country out of 197 to reject Paris accord

Mike Bloomberg on Energy & Oil : Apr 22, 2018
America should be big part of climate solution

BLOOMBERG: If the government is not going to do it, we all have a responsibility. I'm able to do it. So, yes, I'm going to send them a check for the monies that America had promised to the organization as though they got it from federal government.

Q: $4.5 million dollars this year. Will you do the same next year?

BLOOMBERG: Hopefully, by then, President Trump will have changed his view.

Q: President Trump has been a huge critic of this Paris climate change accord.

BLOOMBERG: Yes, but he should change his mind and say, "look, there really is a problem here, America is part of the problem, America is a big part of the solution," and we should go in and help the world stop a potential disaster.

Mike Bloomberg on Energy & Oil : Apr 22, 2018
If some countries do right thing on climate, we all benefit

BLOOMBERG: Look, it's dangerous to keep doing what we're doing. If everybody would do the right thing, yes, it would be better. But if some people or some countries do the right thing, we all benefit from that.

Q: But the criticism is that industrialized nations aren't living up to those pledges.

BLOOMBERG: I can't speak for other nations. All I know is that America, I believe, will meet its commitment by 2025 to reduce greenhouse gasses by an agreed amount. And if we do it, hopefully, other countries will do it as well.

Q: Do you feel like you're filling a leadership gap?

BLOOMBERG: This is what the American public say they want to do. You have got companies and states and individuals all agreeing to step in, report to the United Nations what our progress is, fulfill our commitment to fund part of it.

Bernie Sanders on Environment : Apr 1, 2018
Leave a planet to our kids that is healthy & habitable

SANDERS: The issue goes well beyond that problem. Climate change is already devastating, and yet we have a president and a head of the EPA who do not even recognize reality of climate change. And over the last number of years we have made success against air pollution and against water pollution. We have made some success in transforming our energy system. And the idea to go back and listen to the short term needs of the coal industry or the oil industry makes no sense to me at all. Look, here is the truth. What the scientific community is telling us is that climate change is one of the great environmental crises facing this planet. And if we don't get a handle on that, we're going to leave a planet to our kids that is not healthy or habitable. We've got to address that. The Trump administration is moving in exactly the wrong direction.

Larry Hogan on Energy & Oil : Jan 31, 2018
Combat greenhouse gas emissions; grow green jobs

Bernie Sanders on Energy & Oil : Sep 21, 2017
Climate change is issue for entire international community

Donald Trump on Energy & Oil : Mar 28, 2017
Revive the coal industry; end efforts to curb carbon

Trump made clear that the United States had no intention of meeting the commitments that his predecessor had made to curb planet-warming carbon dioxide pollution, turning denials of climate change into national policy. Trump directed the Environmental Protection Agency to start the complex and lengthy legal process of withdrawing and rewriting the Obama-era Clean Power Plan, which would have closed hundreds of coal-fired power plants, frozen construction of new plants and replaced them with vast new wind and solar farms.

"C'mon, fellas. You know what this is? You know what this says?" Trump said to the miners. "You're going back to work."

Tom Steyer on Corporations : Mar 23, 2017
Trump puts corporate interests ahead of people's interests

Steyer: Those guys disagree with us on almost every point. One of the things we strongly believe is that the people Trump nominated put corporate interests ahead of American interests. We feel it's important to get citizens to be reminded of this common thread: that the new administration doesn't hate working against climate change, they don't hate science--they just love oil and gas profits.

Larry Hogan on Energy & Oil : Feb 1, 2017
Clean Cars Act: invest in electric cars & charging stations

This year, let's make targeted, common sense investments to support our green jobs initiatives and to attract private investment for clean energy projects in our state.

We need your help to pass our Clean Cars Act of 2017, which will increase our investment in both electric vehicles and in the charging station tax credit programs.

Bernie Sanders on Energy & Oil : Nov 15, 2016
Pushed energy efficiency block grants

Bernie Sanders on Energy & Oil : Nov 15, 2016
Cut carbon 40% by 2030 and 80% by 2050

We have a short window of time to dramatically cut the greenhouse gases that cause global warming. I have laid out a plan to cut U.S. carbon pollution by at least 40 percent by 2030 and 80 percent by 2050 from 1990 levels by establishing a tax on carbon, aggressively implementing energy efficiency efforts, quickly moving away form fossil fuels, and deploying historic levels of new renewable energy like wind, solar, and geothermal. This is an absolutely and necessarily achievable goal. It is also a huge opportunity in terms of strengthening our economy and creating jobs.

Energy efficiency truly is a win-win-win in the fight against climate change, in terms of reducing energy use, saving consumers money, and creating jobs.

Bernie Sanders on Energy & Oil : Nov 15, 2016
2015 & 2016 were hottest years on record: debate is over

While carbon dioxide accounts for 81% of greenhouse gas emissions, it is not the sole problem. Methane, which is released during the extraction and combustion of natural gas, oil, and coal, accounts for 11% of greenhouse gas emissions. Nitrous oxide--a by-product of fossil fuel combustion--accounts for 6%.

The results of dumping these heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere year after year are frighteningly clear. The year 2015 was the hottest year on record, and 2016 is on pace to be hotter still. July 2016 was the hottest month ever recorded on the planet. Thirteen of the fifteen hottest years have occurred since the year 2000.

Donald Trump on Energy & Oil : Oct 9, 2016
Focus on disease & clean water, not "climate change"

TRUMP: There is still much that needs to be investigated in the field of "climate change." Perhaps the best use of our limited financial resources should be in dealing with making sure that every person in the world has clean water. Perhaps we should focus on eliminating lingering diseases around the world like malaria. Perhaps we should focus on efforts to increase food production to keep pace with an ever-growing world population. Perhaps we should be focused on developing energy sources and power production that alleviates the need for dependence on fossil fuels. We must decide on how best to proceed so that we can make lives better, safer and more prosperous.

CLINTON: When it comes to climate change, the science is crystal clear. Climate change is an urgent threat and a defining challenge of our time.

JILL STEIN: Climate change is the greatest existential threat that humanity has ever faced.

Donald Trump on Energy & Oil : Sep 26, 2016
America invested in solar panels and it was a disaster

TRUMP: I did not--

CLINTON: I think it's real. I think science is real.

TRUMP: I do not say that.

CLINTON: And I think it's important that we deal with it, both at home & abroad. Here's what we can do. We can deploy a half a billion more solar panels. We can have enough clean energy to power every home. We can build a new modern electric grid. That's a lot of jobs; that's a lot of new economic activity.

TRUMP: She talks about solar panels. We invested in a solar company, our country. That was a disaster. They lost plenty of money on that one. Now, look, I'm a great believer in all forms of energy, but we're putting a lot of people out of work. Our energy policies are a disaster. Our country is losing so much in terms of energy, in terms of paying off our debt. You can't do what you're looking to do with $20 trillion in debt.

Jay Inslee on Energy & Oil : Sep 19, 2016
I see climate change already affecting Washingtonians

Jay Inslee: Support.

Q: Please explain your response.

Jay Inslee: I wholeheartedly agree. I see the impacts of climate change already affecting Washingtonians everywhere I go. None are more jeopardized by the climate related disasters like fire, flooding, and sea level rise than our most vulnerable communities. We need a comprehensive strategy that reduces carbon pollution from Washington while harnessing the jobs and economic opportunities that are coming to those who take action on climate change.

Mike Pence on Energy & Oil : Jul 14, 2016
Climate change is not a resolved issue in science

Pence similarly stated on the May 5, 2009, edition of MSNBC's Hardball that "I think the science is very mixed on the subject of global warming."

In July 2014, Pence sent a letter to Indiana's congressional delegation encouraging them to defund the Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Power Plan, which fights climate change by placing the first-ever federal limits on carbon pollution from power plants. Pence has since indicated that he will comply with the Clean Power Plan if it is upheld by the Supreme Court, but Indiana remains one of the states challenging the plan's legality. [The Hill, 7/10/14; Post-Tribune, 6/25/16; ClimateWire, 2/26/16]

Bernie Sanders on Energy & Oil : Jul 9, 2016
Tax carbon, methane, and other greenhouse gases

• Levying a tax on carbon, methane, and other greenhouse gas emissions to aggressively combat climate change;
• Making massive investments in wind, solar, and other renewable energy.

Steve Bullock on Energy & Oil : Jun 21, 2016
Promotes wind and solar power and clean coal for Montana

Bernie Sanders on Energy & Oil : Mar 9, 2016
End fracking in the US

Hillary Clinton on Environment : Mar 9, 2016
We need green energy jobs & to build on Paris Agreement

Hillary Clinton on Foreign Policy : Feb 29, 2016
Trump is a unilateralist vs. Hillary's multilateralist hawk

• Green Energy: Hillary favors investment in renewable energy as a means to address climate change; Trump does not.
• Multilateralism: Hillary accepts the current framework of American engagement with allies around the world; Trump would re-negotiate most of them (but he is not an isolationist, like some Republicans who reject the current international framework).
• Mideast intervention: Hillary favors keeping America engaged militarily, while Trump opposes most military action, especially in the Middle East. This reverses the standard party positions: Hillary is more hawkish than Trump.

Hillary Clinton on Energy & Oil : Feb 4, 2016
Half a billion solar panels in first 4 years

CLINTON: Well, I don't accept that premise. I think that we've got so much business we have to do. We've talked a lot tonight about what we're against. But I'm for a lot of things. I don't want to just stop bad things from happening, I want to start good things from happening. And I believe, if I'm so fortunate to get the nomination, I will begin to work immediately on putting together an agenda, beginning to talk with members of Congress and others about how we can push forward. I want to have half a billion more solar panels deployed, the first four years. I want to have enough clean energy to power every home the next four years. I want us to keep working on the Affordable Care Act, to get not only to 100 percent coverage, but bring down the costs of prescription drugs and out-of-pocket costs.

Barack Obama on Energy & Oil : Jan 20, 2016
Clean energy for climate change & creating new business

Barack Obama on Energy & Oil : Jan 12, 2016
Make technology work for us on climate change

Look, if anybody still wants to dispute the science around climate change, have at it. You will be pretty lonely because you'll be debating our military, most of America's business leaders, the majority of the American people, almost the entire scientific community, and 200 nations around the world who agree it's a problem and intend to solve it.

But even if the planet wasn't at stake, even if 2014 wasn't the warmest year on record until 2015 turned out even hotter--why would we want to pass up the chance for American businesses to produce and sell the energy of the future?

None of this is going to happen overnight, and yes, there are plenty of entrenched interests who want to protect the status quo. But the jobs we'll create, the money we'll save, the planet we'll preserve, that is the kind of future our kids and our grandkids deserve.

Cory Booker on Energy & Oil : Dec 10, 2015
Climate change requires American leadership

This is an issue that affects America that we cannot solve without joining with the rest of the globe. American leadership is incredibly needed. I am proud to send a strong message to the rest of the globe that we are here in the United States strongly supporting the ambitious commitments of President Obama, and that we will defend those communities that are facing this crisis. We will be leaders.

Cory Booker on Energy & Oil : Dec 10, 2015
Ice-melt is literally creating climate refugees

Bernie Sanders on Environment : Nov 15, 2015
Climate change will lead to international security crises

SANDERS: Well, that's what the CIA and the Department of Defense tell us. If we are going to see an increase in drought and flooding and extreme weather as a result of climate change, what that means is that peoples all over the world are going to be fighting over limited natural resources. When you have drought, when people can't grow their crops, they're going to migrate into cities. And when people migrate into cities, and they don't have jobs, there's going to be a lot more instability, a lot more unemployment. And people will be subject to the types of propaganda that al Qaeda and ISIS are using right now. I think, when we talk about all of the possible ravages of climate change, which, to my mind, is just a huge planetary crisis, increased international conflict is one of the issues that we have got to appreciate will happen.

Bernie Sanders on Energy & Oil : Nov 14, 2015
Climate change partly causes rise of terrorist groups

SANDERS: Absolutely. In fact, climate change is directly related to the growth of terrorism. And if we do not get our act together and listen to what the scientists say, you're going to see countries all over the world--this is what the CIA says--they're going to be struggling over limited amounts of water, limited amounts of land to grow their crops ask you're going to see all kinds of international conflict.

Donald Trump on Energy & Oil : Nov 3, 2015
Green energy is just an expensive feel-good for tree-huggers

The most popular source of green energy is solar as several decades after installing solar panels to get your money back. That's not exactly what I would call a good investment. Even if that number is only half right, what kind of investment do you want to make that takes 20 years before you break even

Bernie Sanders on Energy & Oil : Oct 13, 2015
Address climate change so we can leave planet to our kids

CHAFEE: It's certainly the chaos in the Middle East. And it all started with the Iraq invasion.

O'MALLEY: I believe that nuclear Iran remains the biggest threat, along with the threat of ISIL; climate change, of course, makes cascading threats.

CLINTON: I think it has to be continued threat from the spread of nuclear material that can fall into the wrong hands.

WEBB: Our greatest long-term strategic challenge is our relation with China.

Q: Senator Sanders, greatest national security threat?

SANDERS: The scientific community is telling us that if we do not address the global crisis of climate change, transform our energy system away from fossil fuel to sustainable energy, the planet that we're going to be leaving our kids and our grandchildren may well not be habitable. That is a major crisis.

Bernie Sanders on Energy & Oil : Oct 13, 2015
Climate change is a moral issue: tax on carbon

Hillary Clinton on Energy & Oil : Oct 13, 2015
Obama & I crashed China meeting and got climate change deal

CLINTON: I have been on the forefront of dealing with climate change, starting in 2009, when President Obama and I crashed a meeting with the Chinese and got them to sign up to the first international agreement to combat climate change that they'd ever joined.

Q: Are you referring to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen?

CLINTON: When we met in Copenhagen in 2009 and, literally, President Obama and I were hunting for the Chinese, going throughout this huge convention center, because we knew we had to get them to agree to something. Because there will be no effective efforts against climate change unless China and India join with the rest of the world. They told us they'd left for the airport; we found out they were having a secret meeting. We marched up, we broke in, we said, "Let's sit down and talk about what we need to do." And we did come up with the first international agreement that China has signed.

Hillary Clinton on Energy & Oil : Oct 13, 2015
Take opportunity of climate change to raise our economy

Hillary Clinton on Energy & Oil : Oct 13, 2015
I now oppose Keystone, but I withheld opinion at first

CLINTON: Well, you know, everybody on this stage has changed a position or two. If you are learning, you're going to change your position. I never took a position on Keystone until I took a position on Keystone. But I have been on the forefront of dealing with climate change, starting in 2009,

Hillary Clinton on Energy & Oil : Oct 13, 2015
Chinese participation is essential to climate change

Bernie Sanders on Energy & Oil : Oct 11, 2015
Opposed Keystone Pipeline from day one

Donald Trump on Health Care : Sep 22, 2015
Ebola virus in America is Obama's fault

Bernie Sanders on Energy & Oil : Sep 5, 2015
Combat climate skeptics with overwhelming evidence

Bernie has repeatedly called climate skeptics out on their rejection of science. For example, during a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee in July 2014, Bernie said: "We have a major political party which is rejecting what the majority of the scientific community is saying."

It's no secret that large energy corporations fund scientists who work towards emphasizing the complexity of the knowledge surrounding climate change and its contribution to greenhouse-gas emissions. They also donate a lot of money to politicians. Bernie refuses to take money from any corporate donors.

Bernie Sanders on Energy & Oil : Sep 5, 2015
Keystone pipeline transports the dirtiest fossil fuel

Bernie was a congressional leader in opposing the Keystone XL pipeline in 2014 and recently applauded president Obama's veto promise on the measure.

Bernie said about other 2016 presidential candidates' environmental policies: "It is hard for me to understand how one can be concerned about climate change but not vigorously oppose the Keystone pipeline. We must make significant reduction in carbon emissions and break our dependency on fossil fuels. That is why I have helped lead the fight in the Senate against the Keystone pipeline, which would transport some of the dirtiest fossil fuel in the world."

Bernie Sanders on Corporations : Aug 30, 2015
Wall Street business model is a fraud & led us to recession

SANDERS: People do not understand why the middle class of this country is collapsing at the same time as almost all of the new income and wealth is going to the top 1%. People do not like the idea that, as a result of Citizens United, our campaign finance system has become corrupt and politicians are dependent upon super PACs and billionaires for money. People want us to deal with climate change, make college affordable. Those are the issues I have been talking about.

Q: You also talk about taking on the billionaire class. Give us some specifics.

SANDERS: I think that the business model of Wall Street is fraud. And I think these guys drove us into the worst economic downturn into the modern history of America. I think they're at it again. I believe that, when you have so few banks with so much power, you have to not only reestablish Glass-Steagall, but you have got to break them up.

Kamala Harris on Energy & Oil : Aug 27, 2015
Innovate smart solutions to climate change

"Millions of Californians enjoy cleaner air and water because of our state's efforts to improve our environment. SB 350 and SB 32 build on this legacy by setting aggressive but achievable clean energy goals. These bills will ensure California continues to innovate smart solutions to climate change while growing our economy and improving public health."

Donald Trump on Energy & Oil : Jun 28, 2015
Maybe some climate change is manmade, but not all

A: Well, there could be some manmade, too. I mean, I'm not saying there's zero, but not nearly to the extent [others say]. When Obama gets up and said it's the number one problem of our country--and, if it is, why is it that we have to clean up our factories now, and China doesn't have to do it for another 30 or 35 years in their wonderful agreement, you know, our wonderful negotiators?

Mike Pence on Energy & Oil : Jun 24, 2015
Against Obama's plan to battle climate change

Donald Trump on Energy & Oil : Jun 16, 2015
Climate change is a hoax

Trump does not believe climate change is real, tweeting out his skepticism with strong language and calling it a hoax on Fox News in 2014. In a 2012 Twitter post which is no longer accessible, Trump charged that the concept of climate change was created by the Chinese to suppress the U.S. economy. In addition, Trump has expressed firm opposition to wind turbines, which he sees as an environmental and aesthetic problem.

Bernie Sanders on Energy & Oil : Apr 30, 2015
Charge companies for carbon emissions; then fund renewables

Considered to be a "climate change hawk," Sanders argues that shifting global temperatures are a significant threat and caused by human activity. He has sponsored a bill which would charge companies for their carbon emissions and use some of the money raised to boost renewable energy technology.

Bernie Sanders on Energy & Oil : Mar 21, 2015
Transform to sustainable system & away from fossil fuels

Unless we take bold action to address climate change, our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren are going to look back on this period in history and ask a very simple question: Where were they? Why didn't the US lead the international community in cutting greenhouse gas emissions and preventing the devastating damage that the scientific community was sure would come?

Tom Steyer on Energy & Oil : Feb 27, 2015
CPAC panel discussion: "What Tom Steyer Won't Tell You"

For proof, consider this year's Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at Maryland's National Harbor: An entire panel was devoted to "What Tom Steyer Won't Tell You" about climate change.

Murray Energy claimed that "Tom Steyer, Al Gore and their ilk fabricate about global warming and now climate change."

"Tom Steyer is a billionaire based in California," the Institute for Liberty said. "He argues for greater regulation on his competitors and forces to get subsidies for his green energy boondoggles."

Meanwhile, no one seemed too concerned with how Murray Energy stands to benefit economically from fighting climate change regulations. They were too busy demonizing Steyer--literally. One fifth-year CPAC attendee told me after the panel, "Tom Steyer is the devil."

Barack Obama on Energy & Oil : Jan 20, 2015
14 warmest years on record occurred in last 15 years

I've heard some folks try to dodge the evidence by saying they're not scientists; that we don't have enough information to act. Well, I'm not a scientist, either. But you know what--I know a lot of really good scientists at NASA, and NOAA, and at our major universities. The best scientists in the world are all telling us that our activities are changing the climate, and if we do not act forcefully, we'll continue to see rising oceans, longer, hotter heat waves, dangerous droughts and floods, and massive disruptions that can trigger greater migration, conflict, and hunger around the globe. The Pentagon says that climate change poses immediate risks to our national security. We should act like it.

Barack Obama on Energy & Oil : Jan 20, 2015
China has agreed with US; rest of world will now follow

Bernie Sanders on Budget & Economy : Jan 15, 2015
Comprehensive 12-step agenda for moving America forward

1. Rebuilding Our Crumbling Infrastructure
2. Reversing Climate Change
3. Creating Worker Co-ops
4. Growing the Trade Union Movement
5. Raising the Minimum Wage
6. Pay Equity for Women Workers
7. Trade Policies that Benefit American Workers
8. Making College Affordable for All
9. Taking on Wall Street
10. Health Care as a Right for All
11. Protecting the Most Vulnerable Americans
12. Real Tax Reform

Bernie Sanders on Energy & Oil : Jan 15, 2015
Weatherize millions of homes and buildings

Seth Moulton on Energy & Oil : Sep 1, 2014
Firm leadership to lessen greenhouse gas emissions

Climate change is the most important global issue we face today. It is Congress' job to ensure that the US is taking an active role in advancing a strong agenda to mitigate climate change and its effects.

Hillary Clinton on Energy & Oil : Jun 10, 2014
$100B per year by 2020 for climate change mitigation

By offering a concrete commitment, I hoped to breathe new life into the talks, put pressure on China and the other "emerging emitters" to respond, and win support from developing countries.

In the end, the leaders fashioned a deal that, while far from perfect, put us on the road to future progress. For the first time all major economies, developed and developing alike, agreed to make national commitments to curb carbon emissions through 2020 and report transparently on their mitigation efforts. The world began moving away from the division between developed and developing countries that had defined the Kyoto agreement. This was a foundation to build on.

Hillary Clinton on Energy & Oil : Jun 10, 2014
The steady march of climate change is obvious in the Arctic

Hillary Clinton on Foreign Policy : Jun 10, 2014
Balance American interests between China & Korea

We talked about how to balance America's interests in Asia, which sometimes seemed in competition. For example, how hard could we push the Chinese on human rights or climate change and still gain their support on security issues like Iran and North Korea Q [to Gov. O'Malley]: How many Syrian refugees should the US take in?

O'MALLEY: I was the first person on this stage to say that we should accept the 65,000 Syrian refugees that were fleeing the sort of murder of ISIL, and I believe that that needs to be done with proper screening.

Q: Secretary Clinton, how do you propose we screen those coming in to keep citizens safe?

CLINTON: I think that is the number one requirement. I also said that we should take increased numbers of refugees.

Cory Booker on Energy & Oil : Jun 3, 2014
Rejoin Greenhouse Gas Initiative under Clean Power Plan

I am also encouraged by the flexibility the administration's plan provides for each state to decide exactly how they will achieve our national goal to reduce emissions from power plants by 30 percent by 2030. In light of today's announcement, New Jersey should consider rejoining the successful Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, which would allow us to reduce and offset our carbon emissions by making investments in clean energy. I am confident that New Jersey will achieve the goals presented today and remain a national leader in clean energy production.

Barack Obama on Energy & Oil : Jan 29, 2014
FactCheck: Yes, US reduced CO2 tonnage, but that's only 6%

The US emitted 5,491 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2011. That's 362 million metric tons fewer than what was emitted in the US in 2003.

But some perspective is in order. The US improvement results are different when the reduction amount is measured by the percentage change. By that measure, dozens of countries fared better than the US, which reduced its emissions by 6.2%, including Also noteworthy, the EIA credited most of the U.S. reduction in carbon pollution to slower economic growth, weather, higher gasoline prices and an increasing shift from coal to natural gas--not necessarily the government's energy policy, as claimed by Ob

Barack Obama on Energy & Oil : Jan 28, 2014
Natural gas is a "bridge fuel"; then go solar

One of the reasons why is natural gas--if extracted safely, it's the bridge fuel that can power our economy with less of the carbon pollution that causes climate change.

It's not just oil and natural gas production that's booming; we're becoming a global leader in solar, too. Every four minutes, another American home or business goes solar; every panel pounded into place by a worker whose job can't be outsourced. Let's continue that progress with a smarter tax policy that stops giving $4 billion a year to fossil fuel industries that don't need it, so that we can invest more in fuels of the future that do.

Cory Booker on Energy & Oil : Nov 3, 2013
Eliminate unfair subsidies for oil and ga

• Fighting to eliminate unfair and unnecessary subsidies for the oil and gas industry that put the United States at a disadvantage in the race to develop green technology;
• Opposing drilling in the waters off of the Jersey Shore;
• Working to support comprehensive climate change legislation that incentivizes the creation of green jobs and significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

Bill de Blasio on Environment : Oct 22, 2013
Increase bicycling to 6% of all NYC trips by 2020

Bill de Blasio will double that goal--using education, promotion and safer streets to grow bicycling to 6 percent by 2020. De Blasio will continue expanding bike lanes around the city so that bicyclists have a safe, dedicated space to ride. He will expand the public Bike Share program to outer-borough neighborhoods and increase education outreach to promote safe riding. With these tools, de Blasio will set a goal of cutting serious cycling injuries and fatalities in half--even as the number of cyclist continues to grow. By better communicating on the frontend, de Blasio will reduce friction and bolster public support for expanding cycling in the city

Bernie Sanders on Immigration : Oct 17, 2013
Climate change lays groundwork for mass migration

Joe Biden on Energy & Oil : May 9, 2013
Pushed cap-and-trade early; but $90B tax credits passed

A: We have. In his inaugural address, the president said, "We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations." In the very beginning, we decided that we had to move on this. And we thought, cap-and-trade. But it got shut down, even when we had a Democratic Congress. So from that point on, the president has been trying to figure out how he can use his executive authority to make some real changes.

Q: Despite the congressional opposition, do you feel the Obama administration has made inroads in the climate fight?

A: The thing I'm proudest of that we were able to get done in the first term was the Recovery Act. It had $90 billion in clean-energy programs. We had a lot of money going into research and development, and also tax credits for wind and solar energy.

Barack Obama on Energy & Oil : Feb 12, 2013
Bipartisan market-based solution to climate change

Joe Biden on Energy & Oil : Feb 4, 2013
Set out vision for young people to deal with global warming

President Obama is committed to do that. And he is going to have an interlocutor in John Kerry. There is no one in my country who has been, over the period of time he's been in the Senate, more concerned with or knowledgeable about the issues relating to global warming.

John Hickenlooper on Energy & Oil : Jan 10, 2013
Colorado Energy Office: efficiency and renewables

Beto O`Rourke on Energy & Oil : Nov 6, 2012
Tackle climate change: reduce greenhouse gas emissions

I will work with other members of the House of Representatives, the Senate and our President in helping our country put together a plan that will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions to the point where they match levels that can be absorbed by Earth's ecosystems. Educating our fellow Americans about this threat to our quality of life is important to our success, and I will do all I can to make this issue a top priority in Congress.

John Delaney on Energy & Oil : Nov 6, 2012
Institute a revenue-neutral national carbon tax

According to a 2008 study by the Congressional Budget Office, such a tax would be the most efficient incentive-based option for reducing emissions and could be relatively simple to implement. A revenue-neutral plan will also protect families from increased energy costs.

Barack Obama on Energy & Oil : Sep 4, 2012
First-ever carbon pollution limits for new oil & coal plants

A: Climate change is the one of the biggest issues of this generation, and we have to meet this challenge by driving smart policies that lead to greater growth in clean energy generation and result in a range of economic and social benefits. Since taking office I have established historic standards limiting greenhouse gas emissions from our vehicles for the first time in history. My administration has made unprecedented investments in clean energy, proposed the first-ever carbon pollution limits for new fossil-fuel-fired power plants & reduced carbon emissions within the Federal Government. Since I took office, the US is importing an average of 3 million fewer barrels of oil every day, & our dependence on foreign oil is at a 20-year low.

Howard Schultz on Environment : Mar 27, 2012
Human deforestation contributes more carbon than all cars

Barack Obama on Energy & Oil : Feb 28, 2012
2009: Spark a clean energy transformation

"This week, the House of Representatives is moving ahead on historic legislation that will transform the way we produce and use energy in America. This legislation will spark a clean energy transformation that will reduce our dependence on foreign oil and confront the carbon pollution that threatens our planet.

This energy bill will create a set of initiatives that will spur the development of new sources of energy, including wind, solar, and geothermal power. It will also spur new energy savings, like efficient windows and other materials that reduce heating costs in the winter and cooling costs in the summer."

Barack Obama on Government Reform : Feb 28, 2012
OpEd: Achieve via regulation what was blocked in legislation

Jesse Ventura on Energy & Oil : Apr 4, 2011
Military agrees: climate change represents a serious threat

I find it very chilling that the U.S. military would recognize this situation and begin preparations for us how to deal with it, when many of our elected officials are still prepared to think climate change is some kind of hoax! We're like the proverbial ostrich with its head buried in the sand.

Joe Sestak on Energy & Oil : Jun 14, 2010
Global warming is principally man-made; regulate CO2

Toomey acknowledges that global warming exists but he is an agnostic on the crucial question of whether it is a product of human activity. "There's no question that the Earth's surface temperature has increased," he said in a statement. "There is much debate in the scientific community as to the precise sources of global warming."

Sestak said global warming is principally man-made, citing a series of scientific findings on the matter. "I know Congressman Toomey is quite extreme, quite radical, but the vast majority of the mainstream says yes, it is man-made," he said.

In keeping with those positions, the opponents split this week on a closely watched Senate bill, sponsored by Sen. Lisa Murkowski, that would have stripped the EPA of the ability to regulate carbon dioxide emissions. Sestak's campaign said he would have opposed the measure. Toomey supported the bill.

Barack Obama on Technology : May 18, 2010
Network clean energy transmission lines like highway network

But reality soon intruded. The NIMBY ("not in my backyard") problem afflicted the smart-grid debate. The regulatory hurdles to modernizing the grid were beyond belief; it turned out that no fewer than 31 different state and local regulators had to sign off on modernization. Obama was appalled. "We went to the moon!" he said. "We can do better than this! Go back and talk to more people."

Barack Obama on Environment : May 17, 2010
Greenhouse gases declared dangerous to public health

The announcement deliberately coincided with the climate change conference, which aims to establish an international treaty to reduce greenhouse emissions. Of course, the president cannot implement a treaty by himself; he needs the approval of two-thirds of the U.S. Senate. So the EPA's announcement was actually a threat to circumvent the Senate's constitutional prerogatives. Obama was indicating he would commit the United States to carbon-cutting goals reached at Copenhagen, and if the Senate refused to approve a carbon-cutting treaty or to pass capo and trade, Obama would simply use the EPA to regulate carbon whether the Senate likes it or not.

Joe Sestak on Energy & Oil : Dec 25, 2009
Reduce greenhouse emissions & stop global warming

Barack Obama on Energy & Oil : Nov 30, 2009
Cap-and-trade: lower CO2 levels by fees on carbon emissions

The point of cap-and-trade is to lower the earth's CO2 levels by forcing people to pay to produce or emit carbon. A carbon tax would be the most straightforward way to achieve this, but industry lobbyists and most politicians, including Barack Obama and John McCain, favor cap-and-trade., We can guess a few of the reasons.

First, cap-and-trade is not called a "tax," which makes it easier to sell, even though it functions much like a tax. Probably more important--cap-and-trade necessarily involves more political tinkering and more lobbying.

Cap-and-trade requires an emitter to pay for his emissions with special permits. The government would dictate how many permits are in circulation.

But this basic groundwork leaves many questions--and corporate lobbyists are eager to help Congress and the Obama administration answer them.

Barack Obama on Energy & Oil : Sep 22, 2009
History will pass judgment on our response to climate change

• History will pass judgment on the response to this environmental challenge.
• There is no nation, big or small, that can avoid the impact of climate change.
• There is a daily increase of the high tides lashing against the coastlines while more intensive storms and floods are threatening our continents.
• The security & stability of every nation are in danger.
• The developed nations have caused most of the damage & should thus take responsibility for it.
• We know the future depends on a global commitment.

Joe Biden on Energy & Oil : Oct 2, 2008
Obama believes in investing in alternative energy

PALIN: I was the first governor to form a climate change sub-cabinet to start dealing with the impacts. We’ve got to reduce emissions. John McCain is right there with an “all of the above” approach to deal with climate change impacts. As we rely more on other countries that don’t care as much about the climate as we do, we’re allowing them to produce and to emit and even pollute more than America would ever stand for. It’s all the more reason that we have an “all of the above” approach, tapping into alternative sources of energy and conserving fuel, conserving our petroleum products and our hydrocarbons so that we can clean up this planet

Joe Biden on Energy & Oil : Oct 2, 2008
Cause of global warming is clearly Man-made

PALIN: As governor of the nation’s only Arctic state, Alaska feels & sees impacts of climate change more so than any other state. And we know that it’s real. I’m not one to attribute every activity of man to the changes in the climate. There is something to be said also for man’s activities, but also for the cyclical temperature changes on our planet. But there are real changes going on in our climate. And I don’t want to argue about the causes. What I want to argue about is, how are we going to get there to positively affect the impacts?

BIDEN: Well, I think it is manmade. I think it’s clearly manmade. If you don’t understand what the cause is, it’s virtually impossible to come up with a solution. We know what the cause is. The cause is manmade. That’s the cause. That’s why the polar icecap is melting.

Joe Biden on Foreign Policy : Aug 27, 2008
The US is less secure and more isolated in recent history

Barack Obama on Energy & Oil : May 4, 2008
Figure out how to sequester carbon and burn clean coal

A: I think we do have to look at nuclear, and what we’ve got to figure out is can we store the material properly? Can we make sure that they’re secure? Can we deal with the expense? My attitude when it comes to energy is there’s no silver bullet. We’ve got to look at every possible option. You know, I’ve said the same thing about coal. I have a aggressive goal of reducing carbon emissions, and coal is a dirty fuel right now. But if we can figure out how to sequester carbon and burn clean coal, we’re the Saudi Arabia of coal, and I don’t think that we can dismiss out of hand the use of coal as part of our energy mix. What we are going to have to understand, though, is that global warming is real, it is serious and that whatever options we come up with, if they are not addressing the fact that the planet is getting warmer, then we are failing not just this generation, but future generations.

Mike Gravel on Energy & Oil : Apr 22, 2008
Institute a tax on oil

Gravel supports the following principles regarding energy:
• Support international mandatory emission targets to limit global warming.
• Encourage further development and use of alternative fuels.
• When elected president, I would work with Congress to enact a tax on oil to get Americans off carbon-based fuels.
• I would eliminate the income tax and replace it with a progressive fair tax, which would be set at 23%.
• Support the permanent repeal of the federal estate tax.

Hillary Clinton on Energy & Oil : Apr 13, 2008
Cap-and-trade as president; compact fluorescents at home

A: I believe there is so much we can do that would not demonstrably undermine our standard of living, but it would give us the opportunity to set an example an to be a model. There are simple steps any one of us can take--turning off lights when one leaves a room, unplugging appliances, changing to compact fluorescent bulbs--my husband and I have done that & we feel like we’re making a small contribution to limiting the amount of greenhouse gas emissions. I hope that, as president, I can model that and lead that effort so that people don’t feel so threatened by the changes we’re talking about when it comes to dealing with global warming. And we can do more. Now there’s so much that I have to do as president with the cap-and-trade system, with moving away from our dependence on foreign oil, but I’m going to look for ways that will cushion the costs on middle class and working and poor people.

Barack Obama on Environment : Apr 13, 2008
Genesis teaches stewardship of earth: sacrifice for future

A: One of the things I draw from the Genesis story is the importance of us being good stewards of the land, of this incredible gift. And I think there have been times where we haven’t been [good stewards], and this is one of those times where we’ve got to take the warning seriously [about climate change]. And part of what my religious faith teaches me is to take an intergenerational view, to recognize that we are borrowing this planet from our children and our grandchildren. And this is where religious faith and the science of global warming converge: We have to find resources in ourselves to make sacrifices so we don’t leave it to the next generation. We’ve got to be less wasteful, both as a society and in our own individual lives. I think religion can actually bolster our desire to make those sacrifices now. As president, I hope to rally the entire world around the importance of us being good stewards of the land.

Mike Bloomberg on Energy & Oil : Feb 11, 2008
Cities are taking the lead on climate change

It’s why, even though our national government has yet to approve the Kyoto Protocol, more than 700 cities in the US, representing more than 80 million Americans, have pledged to meet its goals. And it’s why, later this year, NYC will convene a 2-day conference of representatives from more than 20 major world cities. It will feature experts in such fields as transportation, city planning, public health; and it will address the challenges that the world’s cities share in reducing urban air pollution and curbing climate change.

Mike Bloomberg on Energy & Oil : Feb 11, 2008
US must set real and binding carbon reduction targets

However, between now and the Copenhagen Conference next year, we must establish, I think, the preconditions for such progress. Both developed and developing nations must recognize the need to alter their policies and make serious commitments to change. And I believe that our experience in New York City, and the experience of many of the world’s other great cities, too, can help guide that process.

The first precondition for making the Copenhagen negotiations a success, I believe, is that the US, which leads the world in greenhouse gas production, must finally set real and binding carbon reduction targets. And I believe the American people are prepared to accept our responsibility to lead by example.

Hillary Clinton on Environment : Dec 13, 2007
Advocate a cap and trade system

Hillary Clinton on Foreign Policy : Dec 13, 2007
Establish leadership & moral authority via multilateralism

A: It will be a doctrine of restoring America’s leadership and moral authority through multilateral organizations, through attempts to come to agreements on issues ranging from global warming to stopping the proliferation of nuclear weapons and other dangerous weapons. It will be a doctrine that demonstrates that the United States is not afraid to cooperate; that through cooperation in our interdependent world, we actually can build a stronger country and a stronger world that will be more reflective of our values.

Barack Obama on Energy & Oil : Dec 4, 2007
Aggressively address accelerating climate change

A: The issue of climate change. I’ve put forward one of the most aggressive proposals out there, but the science seems to be coming in indicating it’s accelerating even more quickly with every passing day. And by the time I take office, I think we’re going to have to have a serious conversation about how drastic steps we need to take to address it.

Joe Biden on Energy & Oil : Nov 11, 2007
Supports cap-and-trade for greenhouse gases

Mike Bloomberg on Energy & Oil : Nov 2, 2007
While greenhouse gas pollution is free, it will be abundant

Mike Bloomberg on Energy & Oil : Nov 2, 2007
PlaNYC: convert 13,000 taxis to hybrids or high-efficiency

On climate change, the duck-and-cover usually involves pointing the finger at others. It’s China-this & India-that. But wait a second. This is the United States of America. When there’s a major challenge, we don’t wait for others to act. We lead. And we lead by example. That’s what all of us here are doing.

When we developed our long-term sustainability plan in NYC, which we call PlaNYC, we made no apologies for stealing the very best ideas--and we came up with some of our own, including converting our 13,000 taxis to hybrids or high-efficiency vehicles. This will not only help clean our air and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, it will save each driver about $4,500 a year in gas costs

Mike Bloomberg on Energy & Oil : Nov 2, 2007
Direct charge over cap-and-trade, to raise cost of carbon

Cap-and-trade is an easier political sell because the costs are hidden--but they’re still there. There are also logistical issues: The market for trading carbon credits will be much more difficult to police than the market for the sulfur dioxide credits that greatly reduced acid rain.

A direct charge would eliminate the uncertainty that companies would face in a cap-and-trade system. It would be easier to implement and enforce, it would prevent special interests from opening up loopholes, & it would create an opportunity to cut taxes.

Hillary Clinton on Energy & Oil : Sep 4, 2007
Led delegation, with McCain, to see effects of polar warming

All that changed after 9/11 and the Iraqi War. With oil prices soaring and mounting evidence of the destructive impacts of climate change, everyone began to take the issue more seriously. Sen. John McCain and Hillary led delegations of more skeptical senators to northern Norway and Alaska to see the already clear impact of warming for themselves. Other countries proved that clean efficient energy use could be profitable. While the US government was condemning Kyoto as a threat to growth, the United Kingdom determined to beat its Kyoto reduction target by 25% to 50%, and in so doing created enough good jobs to enjoy something we Americans didn't--rising wages and declining inequality. Germany is now the number one producer of wind energy, and Japan leads the world in the production and installation of solar panels.

Barack Obama on Foreign Policy : Aug 26, 2007
Strengthen NATO to face 21st-century threats

Mike Gravel on Environment : Jul 23, 2007
To get Americans to conserve, change the tax structure

A: Very simple, change our tax structure. Have a fair tax where people are taxed on what they spend rather than what they earn. And our tax system is totally corrupt right now. And so if we now have a retail sales tax, you’ll take this nation of ours from a consuming nation to a savings nation. And that’s the most significant thing we can do to alter climate change.

Mike Bloomberg on Energy & Oil : Jun 18, 2007
Reduce NYC carbon emissions by 30% by 2030

In New York, we’ve laid out our own detailed plans for reducing carbon emissions by 30% by 2030, investing in more clean energy sources and creating a truly sustainable 21st century city. And we’re going to hold ourselves accountable for meeting interim goals.

Anybody can set goals for 2050 or 2070--but we’ll never reach them unless we start taking real action now. That’s what California and New York are doing, along with many other cities and states. But the federal legislators, as usual, are way behind the curve--laughably setting goals for some far off time when they’ll all be dead and can’t be held accountable!

Hillary Clinton on Energy & Oil : Jun 8, 2007
Extensive funding into alternative energy

The next day there was a plenary session on global warming. The marquee attraction was Al Gore. Hillary and Gore had vied for Bill’s attention during his presidency, and that rivalry had only intensified after the Clintons left the White House. Bill privately told confidants that he believed that if Hillary emerged as the likely Democratic presidential nominee, Gore would enter as a left-of-Hillary alternative.

One month later, Hillary unveiled a comprehensive clean-energy plan, along the lines she had mentioned at the conference. She suffered the same fate as Gore: Nobody paid attention.

Joe Biden on Energy & Oil : Apr 26, 2007
Make every automobile sold be a flex-fuel automobile

We also have legislation in requiring we invest $100 million a year for the next couple of years in order to be able to find lithium battery technology to be able to power our cars.

We also have legislation talking about capping emissions. Cap them now; not wait. Cap them where they are now. Time’s running out.

But you have to be willing to make multi-billion dollar investments over the next 10 years and set hard goals in order to be able to get to the point where we are no longer dependent.

Barack Obama on Principles & Values : Feb 15, 2007
Replace partisan bickering with politics of hope

Mike Gravel on Energy & Oil : Dec 25, 2006
Make Global Warming a matter of national security

The Gravel Agenda: When elected President by the American people, I will:
• Make Global Warming a matter of national security;
• Rebuild our gridlocked transportation system and our crumbling national infrastructure;
• Launch and leading a massive global scientific effort to end energy dependence on oil and integrating the world’s scientific community to this task.

Barack Obama on Energy & Oil : Oct 1, 2006
We cannot drill our way out of our addiction to oil

A large portion of the $800 million we spend on foreign oil every day goes to some of the world’s most volatile regimes. And there are the environmental consequences. Just about every scientist outside the White House believes climate change is real.

We cannot drill our way out of the problem. Instead of subsidizing the oil industry, we should end every single tax break the industry currently receives and demand that 1% of the revenues from oil companies with over $1 billion in quarterly profits go toward financing alternative energy research and infrastructure.

Over the last 30 years, countries like Brazil have used a mix of regulation and direct government investment to develop a biofuel industry; 70% of its new vehicles run on sugar-based ethanol.

Amy Klobuchar on Energy & Oil : Jan 18, 2006
National strategy to address global warming

Bernie Sanders on Principles & Values : Jun 3, 2005
Current administration has numbed American outrage

Hillary Clinton on Energy & Oil : Sep 9, 2000
Ratify Kyoto; more mass transit