CNN 2015 GOP primary debate: on Energy & Oil

Ben Carson: Smart way in Mideast is to declare energy independence

I said, "You can do the same kind of thing. Declare that within five to 10 years we will become petroleum independent." The moderate Arab states would have been so concerned about that, they would have turned over Osama bin Laden and anybody else you wanted on a silver platter within two weeks.

There are smart ways to do things and there are muscular ways to do things. And sometimes you have to look at both of those to come up with the right solution.

Chris Christie: Get nuclear power plants back on the table

Why? Because 53% of our electricity comes from nuclear. We use natural gas. We use solar power. We're the 3rd-highest-using solar power state. You know why? Because we made all of those things economically feasible.

We shouldn't be destroying our economy in order to chase some wild left-wing idea that somehow us by ourselves is going to fix the climate. We can contribute to that and be economically sound.

We have proven we can do that in New Jersey. Nuclear needs to be back on the table in a significant way in this country if we want to go after this problem.

Marco Rubio: Addressing global warming would destroy our economy

RUBIO: Because we're not going to destroy our economy. We are not going to make America a harder place to create jobs in order to pursue policies that will do absolutely nothing: nothing to change our climate, to change our weather. So the bottom line is, I am not in favor of any policies that make America a harder place for people to live, or to work, or to raise their families.

Q: So would you call yourself a skeptic of climate change?

RUBIO: You can measure the climate. That's not the issue we're discussing. Here is what I'm skeptical of. I'm skeptical of the decisions that the left wants us to make. They will not do a thing to lower the rise of the sea. But what they will do is they will make America a more expensive place to create jobs.

Scott Walker: Climate change action reduces manufacturing jobs