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.

Representative Ron Paul

How do Paul's climate change quotes relate to our seven benchmarks?

1. Legislation for economy-wide emissions reductions:
"Well it wouldn’t be through the legislative process, it would be through the states – as a matter of fact sometimes two states can get together by themselves and work out a deal that works better than the federal government. But if there is a conflict between states then the federal government has authority to do it." Listen to the audio

2. Aggressive R&D for low-carbon energy technology:

3. Federal planning for climate change impacts and response:
"The only time the federal government would be involved is – once again, I would refer to the states –if you have a polluted city here, you gotta clean it up, but it’s up to you to do it. If it involves state boundaries and air coming across a river and state boundary or internationally so to speak, you try to cut down on pollution." Listen to the audio

4. Picking the right team to carry the initiative:

5. Cooperation with international partners:
"“If there’s a pollution problem between Canada and the US there’s every reason for them to sit down and talk about it." Listen to the audio

6. Reallocation of budget priorities:

7. Enable/encourage citizens to take efficiency and conservation into their own hands:

• Climate Change Science
  

  "The first thing I’d encourage is make sure everybody reads both sides of that argument because there’s a lot of science on both sides of that argument and a lot of history that questions both sides… there’s some pretty strong evidence that global warming, which comes and goes, is not explained only by CO2 and I claim that I do not know the answer, but I claim that it is something that everybody should study." 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.