"At a debate held in a sinking city, only four candidates were directly asked about the climate crisis."
"For the last month, the Democratic National Committee has faced intense pressure to hold a debate specifically focused on the climate crisis—not just from environmental activists, but also from Democratic voters and the Democratic candidates themselves. While DNC Chairman Tom Perez has refused to accede to that pressure, he has publicly promised that this year’s debates will be different from previous election cycles, when the issue was all but completely ignored.
But Wednesday night’s debate did not clear even the low bar that Perez set. Over the course of two hours, approximately seven minutes were devoted to the top existential threat facing humanity. And only four of the ten candidates on stage were asked directly about how they intend to rapidly reduce carbon emissions over the next 11 years—something that must be done to preserve a livable planet for future generations.
The entire first half of the debate passed without a single climate-related question. Some candidates did address it: In response to a question about the economy, Elizabeth Warren referred to a “worldwide need for green technology.” Washington Governor Jay Inslee mentioned the issue, too—understandable, given his campaign’s undivided focus on global warming."
Emily Atkin reports for the New Republic June 26, 2019.
SEE ALSO:
"Climate Got More Time In The Democrats’ First 2020 Debate Than In All 2016 Debates Combined" (Vox)
"Democrats Face Off On Climate Change Positions In First Debate" (The Hill)
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