Last week, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) turned heads when they announced they will not be holding a presidential debate focused solely on the climate crisis. But climate advocates will continue pressing to keep the issue at the top of the list for the upcoming multi-issue debates, and you can be a part. Read on.
The DNC Is Against Opening A Pandora’s Box, Not Against Prioritizing Climate
A number of activist groups and at least one Democratic candidate are demanding the DNC sponsor a debate exclusively on climate change. The DNC has said no. Their reasoning? DNC chair Tom Perez explains there have been about 50 single-issue debate requests. Simply put, the DNC could not agree to the climate debate without agreeing to an unwieldy number of other single-topic debates. And these other single-issue topics are not frivolous. They range from economic justice to immigration to civil rights, and more.
A Single-Issue Debate is Not the Only Way to Know Where Candidates Stand on Climate
However, we don’t need a debate to engage the candidates and voters on this critical question. The national League of Conservation Voters (LCV) has created a website tracking candidate statements and plans to address climate, as part of their Change the Climate project pushing for our next president to take bold action to save our planet and our people. The site includes a page for each of the major Democratic candidates, showing their statements on the issue, as well as a chart comparing all the candidates’ plans.
LCV is pushing the candidates to lead on climate, and promoting their plans when they do so. They are also urging the media and debate moderators to ask the candidates climate-related questions on the trail and in the debates. Click here to ask the first debate’s sponsors to prioritize climate questions.
We have seen what it looks like when we have a president who lacks an understanding of climate science, a president who refuses to admit human activity is causing disaster across our country and the world. The current president’s policies are driving us toward climate catastrophe at an accelerated pace, and a fundamental reversal of that trend is necessary for our survival. In next year’s election, we must elect a president with a clear vision for a clean energy future and a sustainable climate. Any candidate who wants our votes should have that goal at the top of their agenda.
Up next, North Carolina Hits the Hill>>
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