Because of what he views as a lack of consensus on the gravity of the environmental threat, Jindal felt free to try to turn the science argument against the Obama administration. The president, the Environmental Protection Agency and other agencies are "science deniers," he argued, because they impose limits on carbon dioxide and other pollutants from "job-creating" businesses without really knowing how well those restrictions work.
He accused the administration of being on the wrong side of the faith divide in this area. "The left loves energy to be expensive and scarce," he said. "It's almost a religious approach." Jindal has a detailed energy plan full of specific, thoughtful (and largely deregulatory) proposals.
A: I think that the United States should start trying desperately to produce its own energy. We're doing that to some extent. We say we don't like fracking and we don't like the Keystone pipeline but we don't mind doing it in other countries. In other words, if we buy our energy from Saudi Arabia, we don't really care what happens to their environment. It's kind of a silly argument to me. It causes a lot of violence in the world when we don't produce our own energy because we have to humble ourselves. Saudi Arabia, one of the most oppressive regimes in the world according to our friends at the U.N., they beheaded 150 people last year, we have to go to those people and do deals with them as the President just did when he flew over there. He told them that we would guarantee their security, them and the other Gulf monarchies. I'm completely flabbergasted and opposed to that sort of thing, and if we produced our own energy, we wouldn't have to do it.
A: We could produce our own oil, and what we can't produce, we can buy from friendly countries like Canada. And if there's green energy available to be produced, I mean, there's technologies out there that I don't have the technical experience to understand. I think there's new technologies. I would start with trying to develop our own petroleum energy and see where that took me.
Sounds a little back door doesn't it? This is the same Jay Inslee who proudly wears the mantle of "Greenest Governor" and claims to be an ardent opponent of fossil fuels? It doesn't add up. But it's election season.
A: I want to see the US lead the charge on dealing with this crisis in a really aggressive way. Because we have to. I mean, first of all, we have to get off our addiction to oil in America. I've laid out a specific set of ideas about how to do that, reducing greenhouse gases by 80% by 2050 and transforming the way we use and produce energy in this country. But I would add, with regards to SUVs, I do think we need a president who actually says to America, you have to be willing to sacrifice, who calls on Americans to sacrifice. The president needs to say I'm willing to drive a more fuel-efficient vehicle and I'm willing to conserve in my home and workplace, because all of us have to do this together. If we don't want to be driven by the addiction to oil and we want to actually preserve the planet, we have to do it together.
Cheney said she was significantly more concerned with the expansion of the "bureaucratic" state, pointing to President Barack Obama's executive actions to regulate greenhouse gas emissions--which contribute to global warming--and Democrats' so-called "war on coal."
Cheney also criticized those who are concerned about climate change last year during her failed primary bid against Sen. Mike Enzi (R-WY). In June, she told conservative host Sean Hannity that "the science is just simply bogus, you know, we know that temperatures have been stable for the last 15 years."
While in office, Dick Cheney fought hard against any efforts to take global warming seriously as well. He blocked testimony on the issue and worked to undercut environmental rules for the benefit of businesses.
After receiving backlash for his remarks, Rubio sought in another interview to clarify his position: "I've never disputed that the climate is changing, and I've pointed out that climate to some extent is always changing, it's never static," Rubio said. "There are things that we can do to become more efficient in our use of energies, there are things we can do to develop alternative sources of energy."
Rubio defended those remarks during a third interview: "I think the scientific certainty that some claimed isn't necessarily there," he said.
"A fighter who never lets Kentucky down," the Chamber says of McConnell in the ad that is airing now through Dec. 12 at a cost of $181,500, according to the latest report from the FEC.
In 2008 Gingrich appeared in an ad with then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi urging action on climate change. "Our country must take action to address climate change," he said in 2008. Gingrich recently said that the ad was "the dumbest thing I've done in recent years."
Earlier in his career, Gingrich co-sponsored a 1989 bill stating that climate change was "resulting from human activities."
Lugar has long been at the forefront of pro-ethanol policies, including a proposal to make sure that all cars are "flex-fuel" vehicles capable of running on ethanol. But Mourdock charged that federal policies promoting ethanol are contributing to rising gas prices. "Most of us, especially as Republicans, object to mandates from the federal government," Mourdock said. "And yet suddenly we saw more ethanol being mandated into our gasoline."
The federal government gave gas refiners a subsidy to add ethanol to their product, but that policy was phased out at the start of 2012. Instead, the federal government now mandates only that the industry add some sort of alternative fuel, which often means ethanol derived from corn.
Just a few years ago, Mourdock's stance would have been heresy for a candidate in a farm state. Even though the state actually farms more acres of soybeans these days, corn has long been integral to Indiana's self-image. Gov. Mitch Daniels and the candidates for governor are generally supportive of ethanol. Lugar, himself a farmer, has long taken the stance that what's good for corn is good for the state. But that argument has less and less support from Republicans these days. The industry, meanwhile, believes it is finally becoming competitive on its own terms. Mourdock, who has been endorsed by the Tea Party Express, outlines his stance as a matter of conservative principle.
By comparison, Feingold accepts the science and has consistently voted and spoken out for action. Feingold has said, "Climate change is real and we need to address it." In 2003 Feingold sponsored so-called "4P" legislation, which would have used the Clean Air Act to reduce four pollutants at coal-fired power plants, including carbon. Feingold opposed efforts that would have undone the EPA's endangerment finding and stopped efforts to address carbon pollution, explaining that "would have stalled our march toward energy independence through more efficient vehicles, alternative fuels and renewable energy, all of which can spur new American jobs."
Capito, according to the Chamber, is "fighting back against the Obama administration's war on coal." The spot, which begins airing Thursday, describes her as a strong conservative who will "stand up for all of West Virginia. She's one of us."
| |||
| 2016 Presidential contenders on Energy & Oil: | |||
|
Republicans:
Sen.Ted Cruz(TX) Carly Fiorina(CA) Gov.John Kasich(OH) Sen.Marco Rubio(FL) Donald Trump(NY) |
Democrats:
Secy.Hillary Clinton(NY) Sen.Bernie Sanders(VT) 2016 Third Party Candidates: Roseanne Barr(PF-HI) Robert Steele(L-NY) Dr.Jill Stein(G,MA) | ||
|
Please consider a donation to OnTheIssues.org!
Click for details -- or send donations to: 1770 Mass Ave. #630, Cambridge MA 02140 E-mail: submit@OnTheIssues.org (We rely on your support!) | |||