How Green Is Your Candidate?

Hillary Clinton (D): Key Points

• Proposes a Strategic Energy Fund that would raise $50 billion over 10 years by taxing the "excess profits" of oil companies and cutting their tax breaks. The money would be invested in "clean energy technologies," including renewable energy, energy efficiency, "clean coal," plug-in hybrids, cellulosic ethanol and other biofuels, and more."
• Supports reducing U.S. greenhouse-gas emissions 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050 via a cap-and-trade system that would auction off 100 percent of the emission permits as well as other measures.
• Made her campaign carbon-neutral in April 2007, one month after John Edwards did.
• Calls for the U.S. to cut its consumption of foreign oil by two-thirds of projected levels by 2030.
• Supports a goal to get 25 percent of the U.S. electricity supply from renewable sources by 2030.
• Supports raising fleet-wide fuel-economy standards to 40 miles per gallon by 2020 and 55 mpg by 2030.
• Supports coal-to-liquid fuels if they emit 20 percent less carbon over their lifecycle than conventional fuels. On June 19, 2007, voted in favor of an amendment that would provide loans for coal projects, including liquefied coal; the amendment did not pass.

Mike Huckabee (R): Key Points

• Places high priority on energy independence. On his campaign site, he says, "The first thing I will do as president is send Congress my comprehensive plan for energy independence. We will achieve energy independence by the end of my second term."
• Is not convinced that climate change is largely driven by human activity, but believes we should take steps to curb greenhouse-gas emissions anyway.
• Supports a mandatory, economy-wide cap-and-trade system to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions in the United States.
• Supports expansion of nuclear energy.
• Supports oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and offshore in U.S. waters, but says, "In the long term, we need to get off oil altogether."
• Supports raising fuel-economy standards for automobiles to 35 mpg by 2020.
• Emphasizes that there's a religious and moral imperative to conserve resources and protect the earth.

John McCain (R): Key Points
• Has said global warming would be one of three key issues for his presidency.
• Cosponsored the first bill in the Senate calling for mandatory reductions of greenhouse-gas emissions, in 2003. The 2007 version, the Climate Stewardship and Innovation Act, is less stringent than many other climate bills currently in Congress. It would cap global-warming emissions from utilities, industry, and transport at 2004 levels by 2012 and then gradually decrease emissions to about 30 percent of 2004 levels by 2050.
• Supports a cap-and-trade system for reducing greenhouse-gas emissions; opposes a carbon tax.
• Has been an outspoken critic of the Bush administration's lack of action against climate change.
• Believes the U.S. should embrace nuclear power as a way to generate energy without directly producing greenhouse-gas emissions. His 2007 Climate Stewardship and Innovation Act would take some of the money raised from auctioning emission allowances and make it available for loan guarantees for new nuclear power plants and R&D into new types of nuclear plants.
• Wants to "find a way to use our coal resources without emitting excessive greenhouse gases," and supports public-private partnerships to develop high-tech systems for coal gasification and carbon capture and storage.
• Used to criticize ethanol; now lauds ethanol, but still opposes government subsidies for it.
• Has opposed drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
• Has been endorsed by Republicans for Environmental Protection for his climate policies.

Barack Obama (D): Key Points

• Calls for cutting U.S. carbon dioxide emissions 80% below 1990 levels by 2050.
• Would channel revenue raised from auctioning emissions permits -- between $30 billion and $50 billion a year -- toward developing and deploying clean energy technology, creating "green jobs," and helping low-income Americans afford higher energy bills.
• Calls for 25 percent of U.S. electricity to come from renewable sources by 2025, and for 30 percent of the federal government's electricity to come from renewables by 2020.
• Proposes investing $150 billion over 10 years in R&D for renewables, biofuels, efficiency, "clean coal," and other clean tech.
• Calls for 36 billion gallons of biofuels to be used in the U.S. each year by 2022 and 60 billion gallons of biofuels to be used in the U.S. each year by 2030.
• Calls for all new buildings in the U.S. to be carbon neutral by 2030.
• Supports raising fuel-economy standards for automobiles to 40 miles per gallon and light trucks to 32 mpg by 2020.
• Cosponsor of the Boxer-Sanders Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act, the most stringent climate bill in the Senate.
•Cosponsor of the Coal-to-Liquid Fuel Promotion Act. After being badgered by MoveOn and other progressives over the issue, he "clarified" his position by saying he would support liquefied coal only if it emitted 20 percent less carbon over its lifecycle than conventional fuels.

Ron Paul (R): Key Points

• Does not consider climate change a major issue and is not convinced that it is largely caused by human activity.
• Says he would end all subsidies and special benefits to energy companies.
• Has voted in favor of offshore drilling and drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
•Has consistently opposed farm subsidies.




--Posted by Liz Fontana