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March 19, 2024

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2008 Elections

Democrats on Environment and Energy

Hillary Clinton
The U.S. should become clean and alternative energy friendly by the year 2020. The first step in transforming the U.S. from energy-dependent to energy-independent: a strategic energy fund backed by profits from oil companies that would invest in the implementation of clean and alternative energy. Environmentally sound practices can be propelled by the creation of jobs that employ green practices. Big tax breaks for oil companies should come to an end … more | Other issues | Bio

 

Barack Obama
America has a responsibility to address the issues of global warming and protect the environment. It starts with America’s dependency on fossil fuels. Plan to decrease America’s dependency includes investing $150 billion in renewable sources of energy and creating a marketplace for bio-technology to thrive. Plans on 20 percent of nation’s power supply to originate from renewable energy sources by 2020. Require car companies to turn out more cars that use less oil. Setting caps on greenhouse gas emissions so that by 2050 the reduction is 80 percent. Transform America into an energy efficient country starting with the federal buildings. In June 2007 voted to remove oil and gas exploration subsidies … more | Other issues | Bio

 

Mike Gravel
Gravel wants to focus on reducing America’s carbon footprint with legislation to tax carbon at the source and cap carbon emissions. The money from the carbon tax could be used to fund a collective global scientific effort to fight global warming and energy dependence. He also wishes to combat global deforestation. Finally, he also believes such measures will be futile unless the United States works together with other global polluters, such as China and India. Gravel also advocates an electric Maglev Train station in the United States to move trucks across long distances with electromagnetic power … more | Other issues | Bio

 

John Edwards (dropped out)
We must halt global warming. It is the great moral test of our generation and will require same kind of patriotism that Americans feel about going to war. It will require Americans to sacrifice and alter their behavior by conserving in their homes and driving more fuel efficient vehicles. No more nuclear power plants should be built. There should be a moratorium on the building of new coal-fired power plants unless and until we have the capacity to capture the carbon and sequester it under the ground … more | Other issues | Bio

 

Dennis Kucinich (dropped out)
He is committed to rejoining the U.S. with the Kyoto Treaty and employ its recommendations throughout the country. His proposed plan to end the country’s energy dependence, the Works Green Administration (WGA) includes retro-fitting homes with renewable energy technology through wind and solar power all the while providing new jobs to strengthen the economy. After addressing global warming Kucinich would focus on the country’s water shortage. Under Kucinich he would put all water in the public domain, make drinking water publicly owned and practice conservation through sustainable agriculture and encouraging plant-based diets … more | Other issues | Bio

 

Bill Richardson (dropped out)
He has detailed a 21st century Marshall Plan to combat the global threats, which includes dealing with climate change, environmental degradation and resource depletion. He wants to restore the Clean Water Act. He wants to revive Clean Air Act standards and help states enforce them. He also wants to expand the Clean Air Act to include protections from old and dirty power plants and provide incentives for the use of cleaner fuels. He wants to expand the disclosure of toxic pollution by reversing the EPA’s position on corporate reporting. He says a national Apollo-style program is needed for a climate change program. We also need a shift from fossil fuel to renewable energy in 12 years and a national effort where the president asks each American to conserve on appliances, air conditioning, washing machines, mass transit and lighting. He also wants to provide incentives to encourage “green” buildings, solar roofs and have the government fleet move to electric vehicles. He is also a strong advocate of light rail and bullet trains … more | Other issues | Bio

 

Joe Biden (dropped out)
America’s national security and future health depends on government action against our dependence on oil and cleaning up the environment. Through investing in the efficient technology of lithium batteries and requiring every automobile be equipped with flex-fuel production to ensure a 40 mpg standard by 2017, America can ween itself from fuel dependency. He proposes legislation that gives $50 million to states to educate citizens on the implementation of energy efficient technology. He wants to impose tougher standards on plants to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, nitrogen and mercury and fine those that do not cooperate … more | Other issues | Bio

 

Chris Dodd (dropped out)
He proposes a 14-point energy plan. He emphasizes the corporate carbon tax that will impose a fine on big business polluters. Fines collected will fund research and development in renewable energy technology. He would not only raise standards for fuel and energy efficient products, but reduce the cost of these products as well … more | Other issues | Bio

 

Las Vegas Sun new media managing editor Dave Toplikar and interns Jenna Kohler and April Corbin contributed to this report.

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