2008/10/04:Debate broached climate change - John Stewart

Debate broached climate change
Wisconsin State Journal
10/04/08

I felt part of a historic moment Thursday when I was watching the vice presidential debates. For the first time, both candidates were asked, on national TV, about climate change.

Unfortunately, they never got past discussing the causes of climate change and framed all solutions in terms of "energy independence." For Sarah Palin this included offshore drilling, and for Joe Biden it's "clean" coal. For me, these don't hold any short-term benefits for the climate or ratepayers.

I can't wait for the candidates to start talking about specific solutions to climate change that match the scale of the problem. They need to stop talking about an "all-of-the-above energy plan."

Both candidates should advocate for federal-level incentives for renewables, which, as Biden correctly pointed out, McCain has voted against many times. But Biden has to be specific as well. He needs to specify that the "5 million new jobs" that he referred to would be created through energy efficiency, which can cut energy costs, reduce global warming pollution, and bring good new jobs to Wisconsin now when we need them.

-- John Stewart, Madison