Gas prices and global warming are two issues facing presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain. The environment and “green policies” are viable issues where the two candidates differ in viewpoint. Here”™s where they stand:
Barack Obama:
Obama seeks to create 5 million “green collar” jobs by strategically investing $150 billion over the next 10 years to catalyze private efforts to build a clean energy future. Within 10 years, he wants to save more oil than what the nation currently imports from the Middle East and Venezuela combined. He wants to put 1 million plug-in hybrid cars ”“ cars that can get up to 150 miles per gallon ”“ on the road by 2015; cars he wants to be American-built. He wants to weatherize 1 million homes annually. He wants to develop and deploy clean coal technology. He wants to prioritize the construction of the Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline. He seeks to enact a windfall profits tax to provide a $1,000 emergency energy rebate to American families. He plans to double federal science and research funding for clean energy projects. He will also extend the federal Production Tax Credit for five years in order to encourage the deployment of renewable technologies. He wants to set national building efficiency codes, create an energy-focused youth jobs program for disadvantaged youth and seeks to build more sustainable communities.
Source: www.barackobama.com/issues
John McCain:
McCain plans to establish a market-based system to curb greenhouse gas emissions. He proposes a cap-and-trade mechanism to set a limit on greenhouse gas emissions and allow entities to buy and sell “rights to emit.” He seeks to promote collaborative public-private partnership initiatives targeting the environment, such as the North America Waterfowl Management Plan. He believes in implementing open space initiatives and in the establishment of green corridors within communities. He announced The Lexington Project, a comprehensive energy and climate strategy to provide America with secure sources of energy and addresses global climate change. He opposes drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. He will propose a $300 million prize to improve battery technology for full commercial development of plug-in hybrid and fully electric automobiles. He seeks to eliminate mandates, subsidies, tariffs and price supports which focus exclusively on corn-based ethanol. He believes in an evenhanded system of tax credits that will remain in place until the market transforms sufficiently to the point where renewable energy no longer merits taxpayer dollars.
Source: www.johnmccain.com/informing/issuesÂ
