Which Candidate is More Eco-Friendly?

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Which of the candidates is greener? What are their stances on the issues that will directly impact the environment? Obama has been very active in environmental issues since the beginning of his political career and McCain touts himself as an environmentalist, and one of his biggest political influences was the environmentalist Teddy Roosevelt.

The LCV has a chart showing that Obama is a much greener candidate than McCain, but has slipped a bit in 2007 compared to his lifetime LCV score:

http://lcv-ftp.org/LCV/omchart.pdf

Here are some more issues, quotes and stances regarding the environment from these two candidates.

Barack Obama:

Highlights:

- Supports reducing carbon dioxide emissions nationally upwards of 80 percent by 2050 in order to stave off global warming.

- Would like to see fuel efficiency standards for cars and light
trucks raised to at least 40 miles per gallon within the next few
decades.

- Scored 60% on Humane Society Scorecard on animal protection.

- Scored a 96 for his two years in the Senate from LCV,

- Has pleased environmental leaders for the aggressive climate and energy plan he unveiled in October 2007.

- He is against ending the 1981 moratorium on U.S. offshore oil development

- Quote about faith & science policy: "One of the things I draw from the Genesis story is the importance of us
being good stewards of the land, of this incredible gift."

Source: 2008 Democratic Compassion Forum at Messiah College Apr 13, 2008

- Blueprint for Change Plan: Protecting the Rural Environment:
Obama will work for tougher regulations on concentrated animal feeding
operations (CAFOs) to prevent air & water pollution. AFOs Pollute
the Environment: Manure spills kill millions of fish and jeopardize
public health.

Source: Campaign booklet, "Blueprint for Change", p. 31-34 Feb 2, 2008

- Quote about Yucca Mountain nuclear storage:
"I will end the notion of Yucca Mountain because it has not been based
on the sort of sound science that can assure people that they're going
to be safe. That was a mistake. You hate to see billions of dollars
having already been spent, but I don't want to spend additional
billions of dollars and potentially create a situation that is not
safe. I've been clear from the start that Yucca was a misconceived
project. I want to get the best experts and make a determination on the
best science available.

Source: 2008 Democratic debate in Las Vegas Jan 15, 2008

- Quote on green technologies and fuel efficiency standards:
[For] "this to happen, we've got to be courageous enough to not just
talk about it in front of the sierra club or organizations already
sympathetic to us. When I announced my proposal to increase fuel
efficiency standards on cars, I went to Detroit in front of the
automakers and said they had to change their ways. I have to say the
room was quiet and nobody clapped, but that's okay. Part of what the
next president has to do is not just tell the American people what they
want to hear, but what they need to hear.

Source: 2007 Des Moines Register Democratic Debate Dec 13, 2007

- Quote on Environmentalism: "Environmentalism is not an upper-income issue, it's not a black issue, it's not a South or a North or an
East or a West issue. It's an issue that all of us have a stake in."

Source: The Improbable Quest, by John K. Wilson, p.157-158 Oct 30, 2007

Other Issues Include:

- He organized inner-city recycling and helped fight environmental racism.

-
Obama introduced a bill requiring more pollution controls at coal
plants to block Bush from rolling back the Clean Air Act in Illinois.

- Strong supporter of the Great Lakes Regional
Collaboration and co-sponsored the Great Lakes Environmental
Restoration Act.

- Passed lead abatement & 24 other laws in IL Senate

- Giving Katrina contracts to locals instead of Halliburton

- Voted YES on including oil & gas smokestacks in mercury regulations.

- Tax credit to remove lead-based house-paint.

- Establish commission to examine Katrina response.

- Sponsored health impact bill for environmental health.

- Strengthen prohibitions against animal fighting.

John McCain:

Highlights:

- Considers himself and environmentalist who is interested in preserving the environment.

- Supports expanding base of greenhouse gas-spewing coal-fired power plants.

- Has run ads against the study of Polar Bears DNA

- Rated 53% by the LCV, indicating a mixed record on environment.

- Scored 40% on Humane Society Scorecard on animal protection.

- Was against the idea of ending the 1981 moratorium on U.S. offshore oil development, but now is for an end to the moratorium.

- Quote on Emissions Regulations: "I applaud the
governor's efforts and that of other states in this region and other
states to try to eliminate the greenhouse gas emissions that are
causing climate change. Suppose that the governor and I are wrong, and
there's no such thing as climate change. We adopt these green
technologies, of which the US and the innovative skills we have and the
entrepreneurship and the free market cap-and-trade proposal is enacted.
Then all we've done is giving our kids a cleaner world."

Source: 2008 Republican debate at Reagan Library in Simi Valley Jan 30, 2008

- Criticized $3M "bear DNA" study: Quoted from OnTheIssues.org:
"McCain's TV ad criticizes an earmark that provided "$3 million to
study the DNA of bears in Montana." This is not the first time McCain
has poked fun at the bear project. He first mentioned it on the Senate
floor, on Feb. 13, 2003: "One can only imagine and conjure up an idea
as to how this might be used. Approach a bear: That bear cub over there
claims you are his father, and we need to take your DNA. Approach
another bear: Two hikers had their food stolen by a bear, and we think
it is you."

Good laugh lines, maybe, but the USGS's Grizzly Bear Project didn't
study DNA for paternity tests or forensics. Rather, it explored a means
of estimating Montana's grizzly bear population by analyzing bear fur
snagged on barbed wire.

McCain he didn't actually try to remove the bear project from the bill.
He did introduce three amendments to reduce funding, but none removing
the grizzly bear project appropriations. And despite his criticisms, he
voted in favor of the final bill.
Source: FactCheck.org: AdWatch of 2007 campaign ad, "Outrageous" Nov 20, 2007"

- Viewpoint of environmental interests: In the tradition
of his hero, Theodore Roosevelt, John McCain believes that we are
vested with a sacred duty to be proper stewards of the resources upon
which the quality of American life depends. John McCain believes that
America's economic and environmental interests are not mutually
exclusive, but rather inextricably linked. Our economic prospects
depend greatly upon the sustainable use of ample and unspoiled natural
resources. A clean and healthy environment is well served by a strong
economy. History shows that poverty is a poor steward.

Source: Campaign website, www.johnmccain.com, "Issues" Sep 1, 2007

- Quote about the 3.5 billion acres placed into wilderness protection:
"A deep skepticism exists in the electorate about the party's
commitment to protecting the environment. Have Republicans abandoned
their roots as the party of Theodore Roosevelt, who maintained that
government's most important task, with the exception of national
security, is to leave posterity a land in better condition than they
receive it? The answer must be 'No.' "

"We were able to place more than 3.5 billion acres of land into
wilderness protection, increase the preservation of public lands and
tackle complex environmental threats to the Grand Canyon."

- Quote about preserving wilderness: "I cosponsored two
bills with Mo Udall. The first, enacted in 1964, added 1 million acres
to the wilderness area established in his 1964 legislation. The second,
enacted four years after my election to the Senate, set aside 1.4
million acres of Arizona desert wilderness. My contribution to both
bills was a fraction of Mo's, but I consider them to be among my
proudest achievements as a legislator."

Source: Worth the Fighting For, by John McCain, p. 81 Sep 24, 2002

Other Issues Include:

- Repeal ban on new roads in wilderness due to bad process.

- Use park visitor fees for park development bonds.

- Preserve natural resources for future.

- Voted YES on including oil & gas smokestacks in mercury regulations.

- Voted YES on confirming Gale Norton as Secretary of Interior.

- Voted YES on transportation demo projects.

- Voted NO on reducing funds for road-building in National Forests.

- Voted NO on continuing desert protection in California.

- Voted YES on requiring EPA risk assessments.

- End commercial whaling and illegal trade in whale meat.