By John Ross
Hillary Clinton supports drastically reducing greenhouse gases,
slashing oil imports and investing in green technology. Barack Obama
supports similar ideas, hoping by 2050 to reduce carbon emissions by 80
percent of levels measured in 1990. And John McCain says that Americans
are "vested with a sacred duty" as stewards of natural resources.
As more U.S. voters become concerned with environmental issues, the
remaining major-party candidates have co-opted this fervor by setting
forth ambitious ecological goals. This increased awareness is a good
thing, many experts insist, but it's time to hear specific details
about how to address pressing environmental issues.
Al Gore, who will bring his Oscar-winning presentation on global
warming to the Schottenstein Center on Sunday, would have many
questions.
"You'll never meet a politician who will say they're not for clean
air, clean water and energy independence," said Jack Shaner, public
affairs director for the Ohio Environmental Council, an advocacy group
encouraging those things. "Just like [Ronald] Reagan taught us: trust
but verify."
In the past, the current presidential contenders have supported significant environmental legislation.
Obama has worked to eradicate lead from toys and supported
legislation to protect the Great Lakes from invasive species. Clinton
has voted to strengthen mercury regulations and reduce air pollution.
McCain has warned about global warming and voted to make the
Environmental Protection Agency a cabinet department.
Now, said Erin Bowser, director of advocacy group Environment Ohio, it's time for details about the future.
"[Clinton, McCain and Obama] all have suggested that global warming
needs to be addressed, and all have said they would at least be open to
capping carbon emissions," she said. "But none of them have gone into
detail, and nobody's asking them."
She said that environmental discussion largely has been shelved as
the economy worsens, candidates continue to bicker and moderators
hosting televised debates focus too closely on minor character flaws.
"What's necessary is for the American public to demand more answers about the environment," Bowser added.
Until then, voters will be left guessing how goals will be met and
what a candidate's plan will mean to the national economy and in a
global perspective, said Margo Thorning, senior vice president and
chief economist for the American Council for Capital Formation.
"I'm glad [environmental issues] are coming to the forefront," said
Thorning, who will lead a climate-change symposium on Friday, May 2, at
the Arena Grand movie theater. "What we need is an approach that we can
stay on, and it has to be a global approach that doesn't damage our
economic growth."
Reel Politics
GenWex, the young patrons group at the Wexner Center, is hosting an
evening of politics and film starting at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, May 1.
Reel Politics will include a free reception and a ticketed screening of
Network, Sidney Lumet's biting satire about the TV news business.
Ballot Buzzword: Cap-and-trade system
Introduced in the 1990 Clean Air Act to reduce sulfur dioxide
emissions, this is the plan most often discussed on the campaign trail
to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
First, a governing agency determines how much, say, carbon dioxide
the environment can handle. Then, depending on the plan, those emitting
the gas receive or buy permits, which allow them to emit a certain
amount each year. Credits can be used or sold, encouraging companies to
become more efficient and sell unneeded credits.
Experts say that cap-and-trade systems for CO2 emissions will work
only on a global scale, because of how the compound affects the
atmosphere.
Vote Yourself '08
Too often, the electoral process can seem daunting, confusing and
downright ridiculous to younger voters. Alive hopes to make voting
easier and issues more relevant to our readers. If you've got a
question you want answered, click to ColumbusAlive.com/voteyourself.
