Environmental positions among the US democratic party nominees.

[Pmt111500]

If you came to see what they are, you're in the wrong place. Instead, if you know something for certain, or something historical of their historical positions on climate and environment, please post a link to actual source. Starting this thread to help people make a difference between those nothing-sayers. Republicans lie on this issue (and likely on many others too) of course, so republican views on demoratic party issues are not welcome here.

I'm expeting though, this thread might be silent like the DNC.

[b_lumenkraft]

Bernie Sanders website has different sections with bold ideas:

General >> https://feelthebern.org/bernie-sanders-on-earth-and-the-environment/

Agriculture >> https://feelthebern.org/bernie-sanders-on-agriculture/

Animal Welfare >> https://feelthebern.org/bernie-sanders-on-animal-welfare/

Climate Change >> https://feelthebern.org/bernie-sanders-on-climate-change/

Energy Policy >> https://feelthebern.org/bernie-sanders-on-energy-policy/

Environmental Protection >> https://feelthebern.org/bernie-sanders-on-environmental-protection/


He is consistent, and progressive in all these topics above. Read more about his voting record here >> https://votesmart.org/candidate/key-votes/27110/bernie-sanders/30/environment

Voting record and statements >>  http://www.ontheissues.org/Domestic/Bernie_Sanders_Environment.htm


A video showing his consistency "Bernie Sanders 1989 on Media and Environmental Issues"




Some media excerpts:

A Disgrace': Bernie Sanders Takes Trump EPA Pick to Task for Claiming Climate Change Not 'Greatest Crisis' Facing Planet

"How does it happen that the nominee to be head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) does not mention the words 'climate change' at a time when the scientific community thinks that climate change is the great environmental crisis facing this planet?"

>> https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/01/16/disgrace-bernie-sanders-takes-trump-epa-pick-task-claiming-climate-change-not

Bernie Sanders questions EPA nominee Wheeler "Is Climate Change a hoax?"
>> https://www.reddit.com/r/environment/comments/ah31ck/bernie_sanders_questions_epa_nominee_wheeler_is/

Progressive lawmakers call for climate change revolution - Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez emphasized need to ‘transform our energy system’ but did not discuss how to pursue it
>> https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/dec/04/bernie-sanders-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-climate-change-town-hall-green-new-deal


Historic Stuff:

No, Bernie Sanders, Exxon Did Not Lie About Global Warming (Article for 2015 that didn't actually age very well (hint: Bernie was right))
>> https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamestaylor/2015/10/26/no-bernie-sanders-exxon-did-not-lie-about-global-warming/#551fe51bb0a3
He even followed up on this: 2015 Bernie Sanders Letter Urging DOJ to Investigate Exxon
>> http://www.climatefiles.com/exxonmobil/2015-bernie-sanders-letter-us-attorney-general/

Senator Sanders Introduces the Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act (Article from 2007)
>> https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2007/01/15/senator-sanders-introduces-the-global-warming-pollution-reduction-act


Edit: Ah, and let's not forget the outstanding performance on FoxNews, showing he gets the big picture and is able to convince people



There is so much more, but i don't want to overload this post. I guess you are getting the idea.

[b_lumenkraft]

Joe Biden got a D-minus on a climate change report card ranking Democratic presidential candidates released Thursday by the liberal environmental group Greenpeace.
>> https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-30/biden-nearly-flunks-climate-change-on-greenpeace-report-card

[Sciguy]

Gov. Jay Inslee just proposed a fee on greenhouse gases.

https://grist.org/article/watch-out-big-oil-jay-inslees-back-at-it-again-with-a-greenhouse-gas-fee/

Adding to his growing stack of policies aimed at averting the climate crisis, Washington Governor Jay Inslee, one of the 23 Democrats running for president, announced Monday the fourth part of his Climate Mission. No other candidate has released as many proposals centered on warming — but then again, no other candidate is trying to win the right to face Donald Trump on a platform solely centered on it.

Inslee’s Freedom from Fossil Fuels plan seeks to establish a new national energy strategy — and it provides a blueprint for kneecapping the fossil fuel industry. It’s comprised of 16 policy initiatives grouped under ambitious priorities like phasing out fossil fuel production, ending the $20 billion in annual fossil fuel subsidies, and beefing up corporate transparency. This is the most fleshed out candidate strategy for how the federal government can ease the United States off of fossil fuels and onto renewables.

Inslee calls these goals ambitious but achievable, and as with many of his climate proposals, notes that they’re “based on successes in Washington state and other communities all across America.” Inslee has a slew of recent achievements he can point to as evidence that he’s moving the needle: a 100 percent renewable energy by 2030 mandate, a state-wide ban on fracking, and a building efficiency bill, among other things.

But not all of the climate initiatives the governor has either offered or backed have been successful in Washington state. And one of them, a carbon price, has failed three times in various forms. Which is why the inclusion of a “climate pollution fee” in the Freedom from Fossil Fuels plan is curious. After all, it hearkens back to Inslee’s highest-profile failures in this arena.

When Grist asked the governor about his state’s trouble pricing carbon in April, he appeared to be cooling on the whole idea. “I would always look for new solutions if an old solution wasn’t working,” he said. “It’s called basically not being braindead.” Well, Inslee managed to stave off his hankering for pricing carbon for his first three policy rollouts. But he ultimately couldn’t quit the idea.

Inslee’s perseverance might be a good thing. Some environmentalists, like OG climate hawk James Hansen, have argued that a carbon tax is essential. And a slew of oil companies, CEOs of major corporations, and Republican economists agree.

So let’s take a closer look at this “fee” as the governor likes to call it.

The Democrat says he would work with Congress to set the price, which would start low and rise “steadily and aggressively over time.” (For reference, the latest ballot initiative in Washington state, which failed to pass last year, began at $15 per ton of carbon.) The fee would only apply to certain economic sectors, though Inslee doesn’t say which sectors will get tapped. And it appears that the money generated by the fee would go towards things like transitioning to a green economy, supporting front-line and low-income communities struggling with the aftermath of climate disaster, and spurring economic development.

A new twist in Inslee’s plan is that carbon dioxide isn’t the only pollutant regulated by this proposal. Methane, F-gases (synthetic gases used as refrigerants, among other things, that can stay in the atmosphere for centuries) and other greenhouse gases will also get a fee, priced by the risks each gas poses. And lest we forget that American’s aren’t only consuming products produced by U.S. companies, Inslee’s plan also proposes a “carbon duty,” to be imposed on imports of products manufactured or grown in countries that don’t adhere to the new and beefed up Paris agreement his third policy rollout proposed.

[Sciguy]

Here's a good overview of Sen. Elizabeth Warren's proposals to address climate change.

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/6/22/18691902/elizabeth-warren-2020-climate-change-policy-proposal-corruption

Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren has released not one, but three climate change plans as part of her campaign for president. So far.

Since April, she has outlined an agenda to counter growing greenhouse gas emissions and rising average temperatures through policies for public lands, the military, and US manufacturing. And more are in the works, according to her campaign.

Warren isn’t making climate change the centerpiece of her agenda, nor placing it in an “environmental” silo. Instead, she is using different parts of her agenda to address the climate crisis. She is making the policy case that climate change is a national security concern, an economic threat and opportunity, and the consequence of a violation of public trust.

That’s because Warren doesn’t see climate change itself as the central problem; rather, the problem is money in politics. “The reason the United States is where it is on climate is corruption,” Chris Hayden, a spokesperson for the Warren campaign, told Vox. “We need to rein in the economic and political power of Big Oil to get serious about addressing climate change — which is why the first thing Elizabeth would do as President is pass her anti-corruption bill which would end lobbying as we know it.”

Warren has laid out her climate agenda to date in a series of Medium posts. The first, published in April, deals with public lands. She observed that almost a quarter of US greenhouse gas emissions come from fossil fuels — oil, gas, and coal — extracted from territory administered by the federal government.

The profits from extracting these fuels mainly flow into powerful private hands, but the negative consequences — air pollution, degraded ecosystems, greenhouse gases — are borne by the public. “We must not allow corporations to pillage our public lands and leave taxpayers to clean up the mess,” she wrote.

On her first day as president, Warren would declare a moratorium on all new fossil fuel leases on public lands. “[T]hat’s pretty significant — putting all our federal lands, it’s nearly a quarter of our land mass, on the side of helping the climate instead of being a source of more carbon in the air,” Warren told Vox earlier this month. She would also reinstate an Obama-era rule that restricted the emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, from existing drilling and mining sites.

At the same time, Warren’s proposal calls from generating 10 percent of US electricity from renewable energy on public lands and waters through expediting permitting and approvals for projects. The royalties from these generators would then be used to further wean the country off fossil fuels.

Warren’s second climate policy pillar focuses on the US military, the single-largest greenhouse gas-emitting institution in the world. Its massive footprint with bases spread out across more than 70 countries devours huge amounts of fuel and electricity to move personnel and equipment. US tanks, aircraft, ships, and power generators together emitted 59 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2017. If it were a country, the US military would rank 55th in greenhouse gas emissions.

But climate change also threatens the armed forces. Extreme weather has already damaged major military installations and many more are at risk from rising sea levels. The massive population movements expected in the wake of looming droughts, severe heat, and storms exacerbated by climate change create could lay the groundwork for future conflict. That’s why military planners have described climate change as a “threat multiplier.”

To address these concerns, Warren introduced the Defense Climate Resiliency and Readiness Act in Congress. “It starts with an ambitious goal: consistent with the objectives of the Green New Deal, the Pentagon should achieve net zero carbon emissions for all its non-combat bases and infrastructure by 2030,” Warren wrote.

Warren also said that military contractors should also be held to these climate targets and that the Department of Defense should prioritize threats from climate change. The proposal also calls for more clean energy research, infrastructure upgrades, and an audit of climate vulnerability for all military bases.

Her latest climate policy released earlier this month centers on “economic patriotism.” This uses climate change to motivate a new economic development push. It puts meat on the bones of the “just transition” idea outlined in the Green New Deal and it’s the longest of Warren’s climate proposals (Vox’s Matt Yglesias explained the proposal in more detail).

The idea is that a sharp turn away from fossil fuels and toward clean energy demands coordination across the economy. The transition requires not just cushioning the blow for fossil fuel workers who would lose their jobs, but also creating a massive surge in demand for clean energy jobs.

In Warren’s proposal, there’s a Green Industrial Mobilization mandating $1.5 trillion in federal procurement for US-made low-carbon technology, a Green Marshall Plan to help foreign countries buy US clean energy technologies, and a Green Apollo Program to invest $400 billion in energy research and development over a decade. So her proposal doesn’t just zero out emissions in the United States; it aims to drive down emissions around the world.

[Sciguy]

Here's a good summary of the proposals from the candidates.

https://www.vox.com/2019/6/25/18715447/green-new-deal-climate-change-first-democrat-debate

There are 23 candidates, so it's a long read.  Here are some interesting excerpts.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee: Inslee has made climate change the heart of his campaign and established himself as the clear leader of the pack on climate policy.
...
Part one is about getting to 100 percent clean energy in electricity, new cars, and new buildings. Part two is a 10-year, $9 trillion investment plan. Part three is about how climate change would reshape foreign policy under Inslee. And part four, out earlier this week, is about cutting off the flow of fossil fuels from the US — “keeping it in the ground,” as the kids say.

The campaign promises more to come, including “strategies to promote farmers, sustainable agriculture, and thriving rural economies” and to “achieve greater climate, economic and environmental justice in building our clean energy future.”

All together, it amounts to more than a campaign document: It is a blueprint, an ambitious plan the next president, whoever it may be, can use to hit the ground running on climate change.

Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke: O’Rourke was the first 2020 Democrat with a comprehensive climate change plan, released on May 1.

Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO): The Colorado senator has laid out not just an agenda but an “enforceable timeline” for climate action. Building on the net-zero by 2050 goal, Bennet wants to have a global climate summit in his first 100 days to set even more ambitious goals.

...

However, Bennet’s record on climate change might be tougher for environmental activists to support. He has backed natural gas as a “bridge fuel” and supported new pipelines. On the campaign trail, he has been circumspect about the Green New Deal, declining to support or criticize it outright. He also hasn’t signed the pledge to refuse fossil fuel donations.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA): Warren’s focus is on corruption in politics. She believes that big-money fossil fuel donors who are vested in the status quo are putting up roadblocks to curbing emissions and deploying cleaner energy.

Warren’s policy proposals on climate change reflect this ethos, aiming her opening salvo as president against lobbying. And rather than making climate change the foundation of every policy, like Inslee, she’s tackling climate change under the umbrella of other issues. So far, Warren has dealt with climate change through her policy agendas for public lands, the military, and domestic industrial development.

Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA): During her time as California’s attorney general, Harris launched an investigation into oil giant Exxon Mobil to see whether the company lied to investors and to the public about what it knew about climate change.

As a senator, she filed a brief supporting the cities of San Francisco and Oakland in their lawsuits against oil companies for causing climate change. The suits were dismissed from federal court last year, but the cities are currently filing appeals of the decision.

Harris was also one of the co-sponsors of the Green New Deal resolution. But since launching her campaign for president, she has been largely quiet about what she intends to do about climate change if she takes the White House.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT): Sanders has a long history of talking about climate change. You can find videos of him talking about it going back 30 years. In the Senate, he’s introduced carbon-pricing legislation and pushed for a carbon tax to be part of the Democratic Party platform.

...

Despite his head start, Sanders has been outflanked during the campaign by other candidates, who have laid out more detailed climate policy proposals.

Sen. Cory Booker (D-NY): Booker was an early backer of the Green New Deal; on his website, he writes that he is “committed to addressing climate change with an eye toward its impact on vulnerable communities.” He has also been a vocal proponent of nuclear energy, currently the largest source of zero-emissions electricity in the US.

...

During his time in the Senate, Booker co-sponsored Elizabeth Warren’s Climate Risk Disclosure Act, which would require publicly traded companies to tell investors about the risks they face from climate change. And as a vegan, he has warned about the climate impacts of meat production.

South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg: Buttigieg’s status as the youngest candidate in the field (he’s 37) gives him a unique perspective on the climate crisis. He reminds young voters that he and they will be alive mid-century when the impacts of climate change will be dramatically more severe. “If this generation doesn’t step up, we’re in trouble,” he said in a speech in April. “This is, after all, the generation that’s gonna be on the business end of climate change for as long as we live.”

...

Buttigieg hasn’t yet released a climate-specific proposal, but his platform cites support for implementing a Green New Deal. And in a speech on June 11, he said he would rejoin the Paris climate accord and increase investment in renewable technologies by at least $25 billion.

Former Vice President Joe Biden: Biden has the distinction of introducing the first climate change bill in the Senate, way back in 1987. Last month, Biden’s campaign teased a climate strategy that would be a “middle ground” approach to climate policy. He was then subjected to a torrent of criticism from environmental activists and some lawmakers, most notably, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez:

...

The proposal that was finally released earlier this month ended up roughly in line with those from other candidates, pegged to the 2050 deadline. The mechanisms for hitting the target include changes to the US tax code; job training and other equity provisions for those most impacted by climate change and the shift away from fossil fuels; and diplomatic pressure on other countries to reduce their emissions.

The agenda calls for $1.7 trillion in federal spending over the next decade on these policies. Biden has also pledged to refuse fossil fuel funding, backed the Green New Deal, and supported holding a climate change debate.

Former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper: Hickenlooper is one of the only candidates to come out against the Green New Deal, which he says, “would lead to needless tax increases, expansion of the federal government, and reduced chances of enactment.”

The article is silent on the other candidates, so I don't know whether they've issued specific proposals to address climate change.

[b_lumenkraft]

Sunrise Sits In at DNC Headquarters, Demanding Climate Debate

[wili]

Not sure if this is the right thread.

Here's a recent move in the right direction on the political front, in my not so humble opinion :

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jul/08/climate-crisis-sanders-ocasio-cortez-emergency


Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez move to declare climate crisis official emergency

Democrats to introduce resolution in House on Tuesday in recognition of extreme threat from global heating

[Rich]

Not sure if this is the right thread.

Here's a recent move in the right direction on the political front, in my not so humble opinion :

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jul/08/climate-crisis-sanders-ocasio-cortez-emergency


Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez move to declare climate crisis official emergency

Democrats to introduce resolution in House on Tuesday in recognition of extreme threat from global heating

This is an excellent resolution. Will be interesting to see if Pelosi allows a vote on it.

[b_lumenkraft]

This is an excellent resolution. Will be interesting to see if Pelosi allows a vote on it.

Be sure she will do everything in her power to prevent this.

Don't forget who pays her. (hint: not the electorate)