Climate Change Positions of the Democratic Candidates
Provided by the students of Sustainable Dartmouth; we do not endorse any candidate.
Information compiled from candidate websites, public statements, www.heatison.org, and www.grist.org
Coal
| Biden | Opposes investment in liquid coal |
| Clinton | Supports investing in liquid coal if it reduces carbon pollution by 20% |
| Dodd | New coal plants must capture and store carbon emissions |
| Edwards | Ban new coal plants unless they capture and store carbon emissions |
| Gravel | New coal plants must capture and store carbon emissions |
| Kucinich | Phase out all coal power and mining |
| Obama | supported legislation for coal liquefaction, but later qualified this by saying he only supports it if it emits 20% less CO2 over its lifetime than conventional fuels |
| Richardson | Opposes liquid coal. Supports ban on new coal plants unless they capture and store emissions; Shift subsidies to renewables |
Noteworthy Strategies and Career Highlights
| Biden | Would start Flip-to-Save program to provide $50 million to states to educate consumers on efficient technologies |
| Clinton | Would start Strategic Energy Fund to research energy independence, financed by taxing oil companies’ windfall profits ($50b over 10 years) |
| Dodd | Proposes corporate carbon tax |
| Edwards | First to make his campaign carbon neutral, Proposes a “GreenCorps” branch of Americorps, Proposes $13b/year New Energy Economy Fund |
| Gravel | Would establish national maglev train system |
| Kucinich | Propsoses a Works Green Adminstration relying to expand solar and wind power |
| Obama | Would provide incentives for US auto companies to gain the competitive edge in efficient vhicles |
| Richardson | Energy secretary under Bill Clinton |
Greenhouse Gas Reduction Target
| Biden | 80% by 2050; Cap & Trade strategy |
| Clinton | 80% by 2050, Cap & Trade strategy |
| Dodd | 80% by 2050, Cap & Trade strategy |
| Edwards | At least 80% by 2050, Cap & Trade strategy |
| Gravel | Wean world from fossil fuels within a decade |
| Kucinich | 80% by 2050, Cap & Trade strategy |
| Obama | 80% by 2050, Cap & Trade strategy |
| Richardson | 90% by 2050, Cap & Trade strategy |
Ethanol and Biofuels
| Biden | Would require that the fuel supply include 10 billion gallons of renewable fuel a year by 2010 |
| Clinton | Strategic Energy Fund would work invest R&D in cellulosic ethanol |
| Dodd | Government should support it, particularly cellulosic ethanol |
| Edwards | US should produce 65 billion gallons of ethanol a year by 2025 |
| Gravel | Not articulated in campaign material |
| Kucinich | Not articulated in campaign material |
| Obama | Set a low carbon fuel standard and then let market forces drive expansion of corn and cellulosic ethanol |
| Richardson | Support development of technologies for affordable production of cellulosic ethanol (from materials such as switchgrass) to displace petroleum. Research funding of $1 billion/yr for five years. |
Nuclear Energy
| Biden | Would invest heavily in finding a safe storage solution and developing ways to reconfigure spent fuel into reusable fuel |
| Clinton | Agnostic, but will continue research |
| Dodd | An important alternative energy source, but must continue research in disposing of wastes |
| Edwards | Opposes nuclear energy |
| Gravel | Opposes nuclear energy |
| Kucinich | Decommission nuclear plants, regulate waste more strictly |
| Obama | Supports it |
| Richardson | Supports it |