Which of the 2008 candidates have the most credibility to serve environmental causes? Certainly no republicans, and surprisingly not even half of the democrats. Unlike Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, Mike Gravel and Dennis Kucinich's unimpressive general statements about what environmental policy measures they would enact as president, Chris Dodd, John Edwards, Barack Obama and Bill Richardson offer specific solutions.
Each of the aforementioned candidates supports reducing carbon emissions 80 percent or more by 2050 and increase automobile fuel efficiency, but beyond this consensus they each offer very different solutions to address global warming. Do any of the candidates' plans have potential?
Dodd wants to eliminate U.S. dependence on oil from the Middle East by 2015. Edwards proposes to establish an annual $13 billion fund, financed by polluters, to be used towards renewable energy initiatives, as well as reduce imports of oil by 7.5 million barrels a day by 2025. Obama plans to decrease the carbon content of all U.S. transportation fuels 5 percent by 2015 and 10 percent by 2020. He would also provide automakers health care assistance in exchange for their investing 50 percent of the savings into technology to produce more fuel-efficient vehicles. Finally, Richardson supports introducing 100 mpg in the market as a means of reducing oil imports to only 10 to 15 percent.
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