It’s about time!
by Fresh Energyby Carin Skoog, global warming solutions coordinator, Fresh Energy
What in the world were they waiting for? That’s what I want to know. And so did the League of Conservation Voters (LCV), when they examined the prominence (or lack thereof) of presidential candidates’ thoughts about global warming in the mainstream media in 2007. LCV analyzed the transcripts from 120 debates and Sunday interviews presidential candidates had over the past year with national talk show hosts Tim Russert, George Stephanopoulos, Wolf Blitzer, Bob Schieffer, and Chris Wallace—and they found some pretty sorry results.
Of the 2,275 questions asked during these conversations, only three mentioned global warming or climate change. Three. All year. And to add insult to injury, only 24 of the questions even remotely touched on related topics such as energy efficiency or oil subsidies.
Thankfully, 2008 is already off to a better start. Tim Russert and Brian Williams hosted the January 15th Democratic debate in Las Vegas, and all three candidates responded to a question about the 2005 energy bill with statements about reducing global warming pollution and the need to develop clean energy sources here at home. Many of us would agree that five minutes of discussion on arguably one of the most important challenges the next president of the United States will face isn’t enough. But until these folks feel the pressure from voters, global warming could remain only part of the side show.
To this end, LCV launched a website and petition calling these five reporters to task for ignoring global warming. If you’re the petition-signing type, then this one’s definitely for you. If not, then consider sending your favorite presidential candidate a letter and urging him/her to speak up about global warming all over the campaign trail. We need to hear what they’re planning to do about it, and they need to hear from us!
