Summary
Republican John McCain has taken great pains to separate his environmental positions from those of President Bush and other conservatives. In 2003, McCain co-authored the first proposed legislation in the Senate for mandatory greenhouse gas reductions, and he was the only Republican presidential candidate to call for mandatory limits on emissions during the primary campaign.
However, many environmentalists are wary of McCain. “We never know where he’s going to come from,” Debbie Sease, the legislative director of the Sierra Club told the New Republic. “As a general rule, on land and conservation issues … he tends to be pretty good. But he’s a doctrinaire conservative on the role of government in protecting people from pollution.”
Like Democrat Barack Obama, McCain has called for development of alternative energy sources. But Obama wants to cut emissions faster and sees a bigger role than McCain for government subsidies in the development of alternative fuel sources. Both have said nuclear power must have a role in fighting global warming, although Obama opposes the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste depository, which McCain favors.
McCain has a lifetime rating of 24 percent from the League of Conservation Voters, an environmental group, with a 0 percent score in 2007. Obama has an 86% lifetime score from the group, though he dropped to 67% in 2007 due to missed votes related to his campaign schedule. The average score for Congress in 2007 was 53%.
“Overall, it seems pretty clear that Obama is the more environmentally-oriented candidate,” wrote in The New York Observer. “Perhaps more importantly, the hard core opposition to enhanced environmental protection and renewable energy comes from the conservative wing of the Republican party. Should McCain win, he will owe them more than Obama would.”
Sources: Wall Street Journal New Scientist The New York Observer The New York TimesLeague of Conservation Voters comparison chart CNN Election Center
McCain campaign website Obama campaign website
