Bloomberg for President?
June 20th, 2007 by Carbon CoalitionAfter a six year stint, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg severed his ties with the Republican Party on Tuesday. His announcement sparked a firestorm of rumors within the political blogoshere about whether his departure is a symbolic first step toward entering the 2008 presidential race as an Independent. In his announcement he says he came to this decision because of his dissatisfaction with partisan politics which he believes are hindering the federal government from tackling major problems. (Read more about his departure here.)
Bloomberg sees anthropogenic warming as a serious threat. In a Time Magazine article he stated, “Unfortunately, partisan politics has immobilized Washington, but the public wants this problem solved. Cities can’t wait any longer for national governments to act.” His friendships with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and business mogul Warren Buffet symbolize how the corporate world and state and municipal governments are taking action to combat global warming independent from federal government.
Last month, Bloomberg hosted the C40 Largest Cities Climate Summit, which brought together leaders from the largest cities in the world to discuss how they can soften their cities’ carbon footprints. He has also pledged that New York City will meet the emissions reductions standards of the Kyoto Protocol; 30% by 2030.
If these rumors prove to be true, as an independent, Bloomberg will enter the race with a resume that will raise the global warming bar for all candidates.
