Presidential Pack Pushes Clean Energy Economy

As MoveOn.org's Eli Pariser predicted [1] Friday, Saturday's Virtual Town Hall Meeting on the Climate Crisis [2] was highlighted by the leading presidential candidates embracing a "cap-and-auction" [3] approach to slash global warming pollution.

And pretty much across the board, candidates linked the need to regulate pollution with the need to invest in a clean energy economy (as urged here [4] last week) which some explicitly calling for an "Apollo" program. [5]

In expressing support for a cap-and-auction variant of cap-and-trade, Sen. Barack Obama [6] said we would be:

getting the sorts of investment in creating a market for clean technologies, but we're also generating [tens of] billions of dollars each and every year that we can devote to the sort of Apollo project or Manhattan project on clean energy that's so necessary.

Similarly, former Sen. John Edwards [7] said in his cap-and-auction plan:

The money is used to create wind, solar, cellulose-based biofuels, all the renewable clean sources of energy ... we can create a million-plus jobs in America, we can get America off its addiction to oil [and] we strengthen the American economy.

Sen. Hillary Clinton [8] talked of her sponsorship of the Bernie Sanders-Barbara Boxer cap-and-trade bill [9] (also sponsored by Sen. Joe Biden. Sen. Chris Dodd, and Obama, ), and said she is further "intrigued by the carbon auction."

She added that with her climate strategy "we can create a lot of green-collar jobs," leaving out her recent legislative success [10], joining Sen. Sanders in sponosring a green-collar job training proposal which cleared the Senate.

Sen. Chris Dodd [11] distinguished himself by supporting a "corporate carbon tax" that would bolster investment in a clean energy economy:

[The corporate carbon tax] allows us to create the differential between the cost of fossil fuels and the alternative energies that we want to bring online very very quickly...

...A whole new vista opens up in manufacturing areas and job creation with the same idea and the same plan, but ... it needs to be an aggressive plan.

[The corporate carbon tax] generates some 50 billion dollars a year. I've suggested those revenues that come off that would be useable for fast-tracking these technologies and developments ... explode the opportunities for job creation in the manufacturing sector that I don't want to see leave this country.

Conversely, Gov. Bill Richardson [12] distinguished himself by critcizing a carbon tax in favor of a cap-and-trade system:

My cap-and-trade system would be extremely strict. Fewer and fewer carbon permits would be available. And I believe that the cap-and-trade system is the most effective, better than a carbon tax which would be passed on to consumers...

...We have to accompany this reduction of greenhouse gas emissions with an Apollo program, where I would ask every American to help us shift from 65% imported oil to 10% [and] to renewable technologies...

And Rep. Dennis Kucinich [13] defined his approach as "cap-and-share":

Look at cap-and-grandfather [3], that’s been gamed by industry. And then we went to cap-and-trade, and that has some benefits but still there’s some limitations there. I want to move to cap-and-share, I want people to be able to participate … in a program where we all reduce carbon emissions and everyone benefits.

The Virtual Town Hall [2] was hosted by MoveOn.org, and co-sponsored by Campaign for America's Future, Live Earth, the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights and the League for Conservation Voters. You can watch the entire Town Hall here, and vote for the candidate who you feel is the best to tackle the climate crisis, by clicking here. [2]

UPDATE: Edwards wins the Town Hall straw poll. Click here to find out why. [14]