This week, the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released an alarming new report that said the impacts of climate change on land and agriculture could trigger a global food crisis. Coincidentally, with candidates descending on Iowa this weekend for the state fair, three candidates – Kirsten Gillibrand, Amy Klobuchar, and Elizabeth Warren – released plans focused on rural and agricultural issues, all of which included significant clean energy and climate change policies.
- Gillibrand: Rebuilding Rural America for Our Future – “As president, I will put farmers and rural communities in the driver’s seat to lead the nation’s climate action. The impact of climate change can be seen and felt every day, in every community. This is yet another challenge for farmers who have long battled weather, pests, and weeds as they produced food to feed their families, their communities, our nation, and the world.”
- Klobuchar: Plan from the Heartland – “A part of Senator Klobuchar’s plan to tackle climate change, she will prioritize rural energy development, including expanding storage capacity and strengthening our energy grid is critical for continuing to scale up renewable energy. Senator Klobuchar will invest in interregional transmission lines and grid improvements to support the development of renewable energy and establish a Clean Energy bond program to expand clean energy tax incentives.”
- Warren: A New Farm Economy – “To transition to a sustainable farm economy, we also need to diversify our agriculture sector. As President, I will lead a full-out effort to decarbonize the agricultural sector by investing in our farmers and giving them the tools, research, and training they need to transform the sector — so that we can achieve the objectives of the Green New Deal to reach net-zero emissions by 2030.”
Additionally, Cory Booker, who earlier in the week answered a question in South Carolina from our friends at Conservation Voters of South Carolina, introduced the Climate Stewardship Act, which focuses on voluntary climate stewardship in farm and ranch conservation practices, massive reforestation, and wetlands restoration.
Here are some other climate highlights from the campaign trail this week:
- Joe Biden talked about climate change while campaigning at the Iowa State Fair – reiterating that he would join the Paris Climate Accord as president.
- Speaking with Nevada Public Radio, Pete Buttigieg said “Whether you’re in a coastal state or a desert state or the Midwest, where we’ve experienced historic flooding repeatedly, it’s become clear that [climate change] is in the here and now.”
- Julián Castro, also campaigning at the Iowa State Fair, promised to rejoin Paris Climate Agreement and implement a Green New Deal.
- During an appearance on WMUR’s “Conversations with the Candidate” series, Tulsi Gabbard talked about what she would do to make climate change a priority.
- Jay Inslee talked the potential for good-paying union jobs in the clean energy economy at the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) candidate forum in Nevada.
- Bernie Sanders said President Trump is “is too busy spreading his racism and sexism and xenophobia to read any literature about the crisis of climate change” during a rally in California.
- During an interview with the PBS NewsHour, Tom Steyer reiterated that he would declare a state of emergency on climate change on the first day of his presidency.
Visit changetheclimate2020.com for additional climate updates from the campaign trail.
