With Earth Day recently behind the 2008 campaigners, the heat is on with regard to their respective positions on climate change. Brad Knickerbocker of the Christian Science Monitor recently summarized some of the candidates and their respective positions in his article, “’08 hopefuls tout climate-change plans.” Some of the highlights of the article are below:
*John McCain: Recently delivered a speech to the Center for Strategic and International Studies in DC citing the importance of global warming and the need to limit greenhouse gas emissions.
*Hillary Clinton: Has declared she will begin a “strategic energy fund, invest oil companies’ ‘windfall profits’ in renewable energy, and obtain 20 percent of the nation’s electricity from renewable resources by 2020.” Furthermore she will make her campaign carbon neutral.
*John Edwards: Has committed to work toward energy independence and create a “new energy economy” to deal with global warming.
*Barack Obama: Focus on the fuel efficiency of vehicles and the utilization of ethanol.
Even letting the debate continue, when our species may hang in the balance, says something about us. I argue that there is a certain presumptuousness surrounding our approach to how we are addressing global warming that goes well beyond simply having a short-term perspective. What if the cockroach has a more sustainable position? I recommend the following post: http://euandus3.wordpress.com/2009/11/05/climatic-presumption-what-is-the-forecast/