With Choate’s recent visit from Mr. Rove and the fervor of the upcoming presidential election, I decided to focus this column on the environmental policies of the major presidential candidates. Many candidates provide vague promises about making America “greener,” and it is difficult to know who has a concrete plan for an environmentally sound future. I came across an excellent non-partisan organization: The League of Conservation Voters (LCV). LCV provides tools to the American people so that they can support green candidates, in both local and national elections.

A Need for Action

The big environmental issue that any presidential hopeful needs to address is global warming. The U.S. can no longer afford to remain inactive in the face of this ever-increasing threat, and our next president must be capable of leading America in the prevention of global warming. A popular plan for reducing our carbon emissions is a “cap and trade” system. Under this system, a mandatory carbon cap will be instituted for corporations; any organization that exceeds the emissions cap must purchase the right to emit more through an “auction” from the federal government, so that there is a monetary incentive for businesses to emit less. Both Senator Barack Obama and Senator Hillary Clinton support the institution a mandatory cap and a one-hundred percent auction system for polluters (no emissions freebies), in accord with the LCV demand. Clinton and Obama are also both in favor of an 80% reduction from the 1990 level of carbon emissions, as shown from their co-sponsorship of the 2007 Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act. Clinton sponsored the Strategic Energy Fund Act of 2006, which proposed the creation of a $50 billion organization to research clean energy and global warming prevention. Senator John McCain has also shown dedication to carbon emission reduction. He co-sponsored the McCain-Lieberman Bill of 2003 and again in 2004 to decrease emissions by 65 percent. Both McCain and Governor Mike Huckabee are in support of a carbon cap and trade system but have provided no specific details.

Huckabee has also not established a specific target for carbon emissions reduction, and was undecided about human impact on global warming as of March, 2007. Obama and Clinton have defined similar plans for what they hope to accomplish with regard to global warming. Although not as pronounced as the Democrats, McCain holds a record of strong support for global warming legislation.

Cars Play Role in Policy

As many of us already know, hybrids, not Hummers, are the cars of the future. Increased fuel efficiency is key to both weaning our country off foreign oil and to reducing our contribution to global warming. LCV calls for all cars sold in the U.S. to achieve 40 mpg by 2010. The technology is certainly present; we just need a president who will be willing to enforce a high efficiency standard. Clinton is in favor of 40 miles per gallon (mpg) by 2020 with a long-term goal of 55 mpg by 2030, and had previously supported a 2003 amendment to have 40 mpg by 2015. Obama’s plan, 52 mpg by 2026, is also less immediate than the LCV’s but is less graduated than Clinton’s. McCain supports an increase in fuel efficiency standards, but has not set a specific goal. He voted against the 2003 amendment to increase fuel efficiency. Huckabee is calling for 35 mpg by 2020. The development of liquid coal, which could be used as fuel that would reduce the U.S.’s dependence on foreign countries for oil, is another hot topic. However, coal plants are some of the worst greenhouse gas polluters, and developing liquid coal would only increase our dependence on it. The LCV has decided not to development of liquid coal. The candidates disagree. Both Clinton and Obama would support development if studies from 2007 show that it would decrease carbon pollution by 20% of gasoline output. Neither Huckabee nor McCain have specified positions on this issue.

Planning for the Future

Investing in renewable energy is essential to the future of the United States. Right now, only around 2% of the nation’s energy comes from renewable resources. However, if legislation forced power companies to generate a certain amount of their energy from renewables, the U.S. would be moving in the right direction. The LCV is calling for a 20% standard by 2020, and both Obama and Clinton want a 25% standard by 2025. Huckabee is calling for 15% by 2020, but he is including nuclear power and “clean” coal as renewables. McCain has opposed both a 10% standard in 2005 and a 20% standard in 2002. Reducing our energy consumption through increased energy efficiency is also key to greening America: LCV wants a 10% reduction from current levels by 2020. Huckabee and McCain have provided only vague support of reducing our consumption. Obama wants to achieve the lofty goal of 50% by 2030, while Clinton presses a 20% percent reduction by 2020 from projected levels.

Of course, noble goals are much harder to accomplish than they are to philosophize about. But as Americans, it is our duty to support candidates who have them. Those of us who are over eighteen can vote for candidates with strong environmental policies in both the upcoming presidential election and local elections. Those who are mad that we will have to wait another four years still have political power.

The more letters, e-mails, phone calls candidates and current congressmen or senators receive asking them to raise fuel efficiency or support a cap-and-trade system, the more likely they will be to act. Legislation truly does have the power to make America greener. Laws such as The Clean Air Act, the banning of DDT, and the banning of CFCs to protect the ozone layer have drastically improved the quality of our lives. Either by “rocking the vote” or communicating with candidates, we too can help positively change the U.S.