The candidates seem to have a ‘plan’ for everything. What might their climate change action plan include? Check out our seven benchmarks for a Presidential Leadership Agenda on climate change:
1. Legislation for economy-wide emissions reductions.
2. Aggressive R&D for low-carbon technology.
3. Federal planning for climate change impacts and response.
4. Picking the right team to carry the initiative.
5. Cooperation with international partners.
6. Reallocation of budget priorities.
7. Enable/encourage citizens to take conservation into their own hands.
Governor Mike Huckabee
How do Huckabee’s climate change quotes relate to our seven benchmarks?
1. Legislation for economy-wide emissions reductions:
“I support cap and trade of carbon emissions and I was disappointed in the senate for rejecting a carbon counting system to measure the sources of emissions because that would have been the first and the most important step to implementing a true cap and trade.” Watch the video
- Oct. 13, Manchester
“We need to support the fuel economy standards to be raised to an average of 35 miles per gallon by the year 2020. An effort that the senate passed and the house would consider.” Watch the video
- Oct. 13, Manchester
2. Aggressive R&D for low-carbon energy technology:
"We are going to find renewable alternative sources of energy that include everything from solar to wind to coal to nuclear and ethanol and biofuels…things that are much more environmentally friendly." Listen to the audio
- July 7, Contoocook
3. Federal planning for climate change impacts and response:
"If the government alone, as a consumer said, we as the government are going to set the example: here are the kind of vehicles we are going to purchase for the government, here are the kinds of light bulbs we are going to put in every single government institution, here is the SEER rating of every appliance that we will install and buy and pay for and we're going to live within this. You know it's a lot easier to ask for in others what you are doing yourself. . .so it can start with the government's own consumption." Watch the video
- Sept. 29, Manchester
4. Picking the right team to carry the initiative:
5. Cooperation with international partners:
“We have to take responsibility in our own house before we can expect others to do the same in theirs. It goes back to my basic concept of leadership: leaders don’t ask others what they are unwilling to do themselves. We can’t ask other nations to do what we are unwilling to do. Once we have done it, we have a responsibility to ask them to join us in taking those same steps. We are either a leader of a follower and I want us to be a leader.” Watch the video
- October 13, Manchester
6. Reallocation of budget priorities:
“Better than direct subsidies is to give them the free market access that we don’t have right now because we…tax everything. If you take the tax off productivity and put it only on consumption at the retail level you completely change the rules of how we make moves to become energy independent.” Watch the video
- Sept. 6, Dover
7. Enable/encourage citizens to take efficiency and conservation into their own hands:
"I believe we should be more focused on truly conserving and that starts individually: riding bikes and walking, it also means taking steps in our own homes, fluorescent bulbs. There are things that we can do." Listen to the audio
- July 7, Contoocook
Other Global Warming Quotes from New Hampshire
- Carbon Credits
"I hear politicians that say well I’m going to live a very indulgent lifestyle but I’m going to buy some carbon credits so that way I’ll feel better. It’s like buying indulgences from the church years ago. Sin all I want but just buy an indulgence – that’s not the way to be responsible." Listen to the audio
- August 18, Strafford
Nothing in Promises, Commitments & Priorities: Seeking a Presidential Leadership Agenda is meant to imply an endorsement of any candidate or political party.
