The Presidential Candidates are Silent on the Essential Facts of Climate Change

A national organization that has been trying to hold broadcaster accountable on how they report on global warming is now trying to get the two main Presidential candidates to make climate change a campaign issue.

Their campaign called Climate Silence, states:

Although Barack Obama and Mitt Romney sprinkle their speeches with mentions of energy and climate, they have remained stubbornly silent on the immediate and profound task of phasing out a carbon-based economy. Their failure to connect the dots and do the math imperils our nation and prevents the development of a national and global plan to respond to the most urgent challenge of our era. It’s time for their climate silence to end.

We don’t think that either candidate will make climate change an issue until they are forced to do so by grassroots pressure in the form of direct action. This campaign to get people to sign a petition, while commendable, is not enough.

It is important that we recognize that the candidates are not paying attention to climate change and climate justice, but the strategy should be focused on getting more and more people to confront and dismantle the main perpetrators of carbon emissions, the fossil fuel industry.