As part of WGBH’s 30 Issues in 30 Days series, Kara Miller looks at how climate change figures in the 2012 election.
A lot has changed over the past four years. In 2008, former GOP chairman Michael Steele famously enthused the US should “drill baby, drill” to access oil deposits. This year at the Democratic Convention, Pres. Obama struck a different note, asserting “climate change is not a hoax.” Republican candidate Mitt Romney agrees with Obama but says more research is needed.
The economy and foreign policy figure heavily in the year’s political debates, but climate change is more than a third-rail issue. Fracking, the proposed Keystone XL pipeline, rising gas prices and climbing temperatures have all pressured politicians — from city councilors to the President — to reach consensus on the best course of action.
Guests:
More:
WGBH’s Heather Goldstone: Where the Presidential candidates stand on climate change.
Salon.com: Can climate change swing the election?
