Obama, McCain Agree Climate Change Requires Action

While there are substantial differences between the climate and energy planks of the presidential candidates, it's clear that Senator Barack Obama and Senator John McCain agree on something that a persistent cluster of comment contributors here (and about 20 percent of the country) rejects:

That the threat posed by the buildup of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere from human activities is sufficient to justify a concerted, sustained effort to curb, and eventually deeply cut, such emissions.

Read the full story here

-OR-

Read analysis of candidates' positions on the environment:

::Friedman On Barack Obama As The Only Remaining "Green" Candidate
::Kate Sheppard On Sarah Palin
::Joe Romm On John McCain

Comments

[BlackbirdHighway]

"Obama, McCain Agree Climate Change Requires Action"

Uhh, no, they agree that getting elected requires the appearance of favoring action on the environment. There is a difference. George W. Bush was all for limits on CO2 emissions, then he got elected and didn't need to pretend that anymore.

[GreyFlcn]

I'd trust this about as far as I can trust McCain saying this week that he's going to enforce strict regulations on the banking industry.

He claims "Obama would raise electricity taxes". Which doesn't indicate much intention by McCain of putting a price on Carbon emissions.
http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2008/9/18/154018/999

McCain's voting record is pretty clear that he doesn't support renewable energy.
For comparison, his voting record is almost identical to Senator James Inhofe.
http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2008/9/8/9910/30616#comment2

And he's said fun little phrases like:
"If you maximized renewable energy in every possible way the contribution that that would make given the present state of technology is very small, is very small. The truly clean technologies don't work!"
http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2008/9/16/164816/035

"The wind industry is doing fine, the solar industry is doing fine. In the '70s, we gave too many subsidies and too much help"
http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2008/5/9/12502/69812

His main objective is merely to get an excuse to toss gobs and gobs of pork towards the nuclear power industry.
http://grist.org/news/daily/2005/05/16/3/
http://triplepundit.com/pages/environmental-groups-lead-effo-003136.php
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/16/mccains-nuclear-plan-coul_n_126858.html

Haven't you been duped by this before?
http://blogs.wsj.com/environmentalcapital/2008/07/02/summer-sacrilege-us-climate-approach-finds-backers/

[GreyFlcn]

The only reason McCain even has any skin in the game is that he made the McCain-Lieberman climate bill.

The catch being, it's the weakest climate bill thats ever been proposed.

And it was merely meant to be a weak bill in response to Senator Barbara Boxer's far stronger bill.

_

And of course, the bill didn't even really come up for a vote.

[noneIn2008]

They agreed and it is already working. The earth has started to cool. WOW

[jupitor]

But Sarah Palin his v.p, doesn't believe in Global warning! Man these two are mixed up on everything!

[BluePride]

there is hope. 2008 is the Year of Decision.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aa-xJPX-ohI

[bushgirlsgone]

.

McCain held a press conference from the front lawn of his home this morning, announcing a new energy plan for America.

“My friends, if the Democrat controlled Congress and Barrack Hussein Obama would kindly tip their hats and step out of the way, America’s dependence on foreign oil could be eliminated by allowing companies to begin off-planet oil drilling. As president, I will direct all of America’s energies towards such a goal. And I do mean ALL. There will be no slackers once I am in charge. I will even offer a $10,000 reward for the first person to venture into space and return safely to Earth with a gallon of extraterrestrial bubblin’ crude—oil that is—black gold, Texas tea.

This program will not be easy, my friends; it will not be a summer picnic where everyone sits around roasting marshmallows and singing ‘Cumbayá’ while their little free-range brats scamper to and fro without care or concern that they may be bothering me with their ear-splitting squealing about there being ants on their sandwiches. No sir, it’s a teeth-clinching, jaw-tightening event that makes you want to either reach for some piano-wire or start snapping necks. But once we have found oil on another planet, or perhaps on a nearby comet, our long national nightmare will have ended and we can once again be the nation we all remember before Franklin Delano Roosevelt ruined it. Thank you, and God Bless.”


.

[deliriousgod]

one less thing to worry about. glad that's all settled. Sarah Palin doesn't think human activities have anything to do with climate change so you'll just have to rely on mcCain to be the freshthinker

[BlackbirdHighway]

George W Bush was going to regulate CO2 emissions too, but then he got elected and changed his mind.

Whenever McCain has had a chance to vote in favor of renewable energy, he either votes against it, or just doesn't show up at all. He has never voted for renewable energy. He commented in one of his town hall meetings that solar and wind power are "nice" but that the don't work and won't help.

Then he says he is for a cap and trade system for limiting CO3 emissions, but wants it to be voluntary. He is real big on nuclear, but that's about it.

As they say in Texas, when it comes to climate change this cowboy is all hat and no cattle.

[gladtobebaldwin]

That's nice, but what are they doing about it. If McCain doesn't stand up here, he is going to lose!

http://myrealitytelevision.com/2008/09/obama-versus-mccain-environment-natural-resources-fossil-fuels-1/