August 23rd, 2008

Learn about Joe Biden’s Environmental Stand

Posted by Jessica Jensen

Well it’s official– Joe Biden is Obama’s running mate.  And now we need to get to know his take on many critical issues. Of course here at Low Impact Living we’ll be scrutinizing his environmental positions.  Here are some helpful resources for your own research.

Grist.org has several useful features on Bidden– including this Fact Sheet on Biden’s environmental record.  Among the key facts, “Joe Biden, Barack Obama’s running mate, has earned an 83 percent lifetime score from the League of Conservation Voters during his 35 years representing Delaware in the U.S. Senate.”  Also, Biden was the primary cosponsor of a “Sense of the Senate” resolution calling on the U.S. to participate in U.N. climate negotiations.  (He co-sponsored the bill with Senator Richard Lugar.)

Grist also did a great interview with Biden in 2007 when he was campaigning for president.  Here is an excerpt from his commentary on global warming:

“To deal with global warming, you have to change the attitude of the world, particularly China and India, the two largest developing nations. But in order to do that, to have any credibility, you have to begin here in the United States by capping emissions, increasing renewable fuels, establishing a national renewable portfolio standard, requiring better fuel economy for automobiles. I would cap emissions at 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050 and set a national RPS of 20 percent. I would announce an executive order that the federal government would not purchase one single automobile for its fleet that gets less than 40 miles to the gallon. And I would not build a single solitary federal project without it being a green project. That would have the effect of getting states to do the same thing, and that would create a pot of somewhere between a third and a half a trillion dollars that would be a lure to every major business in America to go green.”

Environmental political blog Red, Green and Blue has also expounded on Biden’s environmental views. Check out what they have to say here.

And click here if you want to learn more about Barack Obama’s environmental positions.  We also highly recommend Grist’s special section “How Green Is Your Candidate” where you can learn about the positions of both Senators McCain and Obama.

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