This year we’ve seen climate action surge to a top priority for Granite State primary voters, and the top candidates have taken notice. So far, leading contenders for the Democratic nomination have made climate a priority in their campaigns by releasing comprehensive climate plans and participating in historic climate town halls and forums. The increased focus on this crisis is a necessary step in the right direction, but the scale of the problem we face demands that candidates do even more.
At last month’s Democratic Party Convention in Manchester, of the 12 leading presidential candidates who delivered their stump speeches, only five took the time to discuss their plans for climate solutions. In the first three presidential debates, moderators dedicated just over 6% of the total run time to questions about climate change. We can do better than that. LCV is calling on all presidential candidates to build on their commitment to tackling the climate crisis and on debate moderators to treat climate change with the attention and urgency it deserves.
The 2020 election is our last, best chance to confront the climate crisis and climate action must be a day one and an every day priority for the next president. That’s why volunteers and activists with Climate Action New Hampshire have been showing up to events across the state and have had 15 conversations with presidential hopefuls asking how they will step up to take on this crisis. And as we get closer to our first in the nation primary day, we’re not slowing down.
ROB WERNER
Concord
(The writer is New Hampshire state director for the League of Conservation Voters.)