Democratic candidates engage in lengthy debate over climate change (only 10.93 years left)

The Hill via MSN ^ | 2/20/20 | Rebecca Beitsch

[Libloather]

Democratic presidential candidates discussed climate change at length on the debate stage Wednesday night, addressing energy sources ranging from natural gas to lithium batteries.

White House hopefuls fielded questions on the topic for 15 minutes, dwarfing the amount of time devoted to environmental issues at earlier debates.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) slightly walked back from her pledge to stop mining and oil and gas drilling on public lands.

"You got to have lithium, you got to have copper for renewable energy. How do you do that?" moderator Jon Ralston asked her, referring to minerals needed to make batteries.

"If we need to make exceptions because there are specific minerals that we've got to have access to, then we would locate those. And we do it not in a way that is just about the profits of giant industries, but in a way that is sustainable for the environment. We cannot continue to let our public lands be used for profits by those who don't care about our environment," Warren replied.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) touted his recently introduced bill that calls for a ban on fracking for both oil and gas.

While discussing natural gas, both Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg cited the fuel as a bridge to renewables.

**SNIP**

Former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg argued that the differences between plans to achieve carbon neutrality are less important than taking action of some kind on climate.

"Let's be real about the deadline. It's not 2050, it's not 2040, it's not 2030. It's 2020, because if we don't elect a president who actually believes in climate science now we will never meet any of the other scientific or policy deadlines we need to," he said.

[Libloather]

"We're not going to be able to pass this unless we bring people with us," Klobuchar said, referencing the numerous climate plans from candidates.

Numerous? Chop chop. Time is running out. Pick one and begin fleecing everybody.

[Reno89519]

Easy talk from the podium and campaign trail, but would they really follow through and cripple America? And, for election is the math on their side to put whole industries out of work, raise fuel prices astronomically, and return us to dependency on 3rd world cesspools?

[ronnie raygun]

The title of this article sounds oh so intellectually important, engage in lengthy debate, ooooo..........

[spirited irish]

These are the Prophets of Doom forecasting the end of the world. “Come to us,” they say, and rather than certain death, “we (the god-men) will save you from your sins (over-population, fossil fuel use) and bring you redemption and life.”

[Salamander]

This is nowhere near as interesting as the Donnie Darko countdown.

:D

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

The climate change issue is moot; Climageggon is not due for ten years - and by then controlled fusion electric power will be on line - and electricity will be too cheap to meter. Then we can get the climate to do anything we want.