Tim Connolly

February 29, 2008

This past weekend the Vermont Journal of Environmental Law, the Vermont Law Review, and the Climate Legacy Initiative hosted a symposium "Confronting Global Climate Change: Using the Law to Protect Future Generations." Former Secretary of the Department of the Interior Bruce Babbitt kicked off the symposium with a hopeful message and somber reminder. Secretary Babbitt highlighted the fact that the next President of the United States will support efforts to confront climate change, but pointed out that the success of the President's agenda will still depend in large part on will of Congress. If voters stay engaged at the federal, state and local level, they will have an opportunity elect leaders who will shape the future energy and environmental policies of the United States. With that said, it seems like an appropriate time to evaluate the different climate change plans proposed by the three main Presidential candidates – Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and John McCain.

Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton seem to take their climate change and energy plans from the same playbook. Both support reducing greenhouse gas emissions to eighty percent below 1990 levels by 2050 – a target first proposed by Senator Jim Jeffords' Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act of 2006. One indicator in where Clinton and Obama differ is the way they voted for the Energy Policy Act of 2005 – a piece of legislation riddled with subsidies for coal, ethanol and nuclear power interests – Clinton voted against the bill, Obama voted for it. Additionally both candidates support an energy policy that would require getting twenty-five percent of U.S. electricity from renewable energy sources by 2025. A major difference between their plans is how each candidate would meet their goals. Clinton calls for a $50 billion investment over ten years towards a "Strategic Energy Fund." Obama's plan calls for $150 billion investment over ten years for clean energy research and development. Both candidates support the development of clean coal.

While Obama and Clinton provide detailed climate change and energy plans, McCain does not give a detailed plan in his speech. However, McCain is the only candidate to have introduced a climate change bill – Senate Bill 280 (S. 280) – the Climate Stewardship and Innovation Act of 2007. The bill calls for a cap and trade system applied to "utilities, industry, and transport at 2004 levels by 2012 and then gradually decrease emissions to about 30% of 2004 levels by 2050." McCain is willing to "let the marketplace of ideas flourish" through the implementation of a cap and trade carbon emissions policy. While McCain also supports the development of cleaner coal technologies and renewable sources, he is the only candidate to strongly support nuclear power. Senate Bill 280 creates subsidies for nuclear power through the proceeds of an auction of emissions allowances to industry. His energy policy speech cites the fact that France gets 80% of its energy from nuclear power, and asks "why can't we?"

In light of the point raised by Secretary Babbitt, and without venturing so far as to endorse any of the candidates or their plans, green voters should ask themselves the following three questions:

1. Which candidate will be able to muster the support of Congress and get effective climate legislation passed?
2. Where should our nation get its power from in the future, and what sources of energy do we want to use to reduce greenhouse gas emissions?
3. How quickly do we hope to meet our goals?

The answer to these questions is in the hands of the voters.

Sources:

Josh O'Gorman, Speaker: Global Change Requires State, Local Action, The Rutland Herald, Feb. 23, 2008, http://www.rutlandherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080223/NEWS02/802230349/1003/NEWS02 (last visited Feb. 24, 2008).

Election '08: A Grist Special Series, Compare the Candidates, http://www.grist.org/candidate_chart_08.html#null (last visited Feb. 24, 2008).

Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act of 2006, S. 3698, 109th Cong. (2006).

Energy Policy Act of 2005, H.R. 6, yeas- nays 74-26, vote date July 29, 2005, 109th Cong. (2005).

Hillary Clinton, Promoting Energy Independence and Fighting Global Warming, http://www.hillaryclinton.com/issues/energy/ (last visited Feb. 24, 2008).

Obama '08, Energy and the Environment, Plan for a Clean Energy Future, http://www.barackobama.com/issues/energy/ (last visited Feb. 24, 2008).

Election '08: A Grist Special Series, Compare the Candidates, http://www.grist.org/candidate_chart_08.html#null (last visited Feb. 24, 2008).

Climate Stewardship and Innovation Act of 2007, S. 280, 110th Cong. (2007).

Senator John McCain, Speech on Energy Policy, Apr. 23, 2007, http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/News/Speeches/13bc1d97-4ca5-49dd-9805-1297872571ed.htm (last visited Feb. 24, 2007).

Interview with Senator John McCain by Amanda Griscom Little (Oct. 1, 2007), http://www.grist.org/feature/2007/10/01/mccain/index.html#tech (last visited Feb. 24, 2008).

Senator John McCain, Speech on Energy Policy, http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/News/Speeches/13bc1d97-4ca5-49dd-9805-1297872571ed.htm (last visited Feb. 24, 2007).