After last week’s promising in-depth discussion about climate solutions in the CNN town hall, this week’s presidential debate was disappointing. ABC’s moderators spent only eight and a half minutes asking candidates about the climate crisis in nearly three hours of debate.

But when finally asked about the climate crisis, Cory Booker, Beto O’Rourke, Amy Klobuchar, Elizabeth Warren, and Kamala Harris all continued to stress the importance of prioritizing climate action and protecting our environment.

.@CoryBooker: “One of the reasons why I have a bill to put a moratorium on this kind of corporate consolidation is because factory farming is hurting and destroying our environment.” #DemDebate pic.twitter.com/GokF5vF0ww

— LCV (@LCVoters) September 13, 2019

.@BetoORourke: “This is the very future of our planet and our ability for our children and grandchildren to be able to survive on it.” #DemDebate pic.twitter.com/TMubjGMJgU

— LCV (@LCVoters) September 13, 2019

.@amyklobuchar : “We have seen warming in our world like never before. We’re seeing flooding in the Midwest, flooding in Houston, fires in the West.” #DemDebate pic.twitter.com/D1NgWpxCdt

— LCV (@LCVoters) September 13, 2019

.@ewarren: “We need to work on every front on climate change. It is the threat to every living thing on this planet — and we are running out of time.” #DemDebate pic.twitter.com/0lgizFBrLJ

— LCV (@LCVoters) September 13, 2019

.@KamalaHarris on climate change: “We have no time. The clock is ticking. But we need courage and we need courageous leadership.” #DemDebate pic.twitter.com/2dCGH2bGh6

— LCV (@LCVoters) September 13, 2019

Here are a few other climate highlights from the debate:

• Julián Castro said we can unleash millions of new jobs in a clean energy economy.
• Bernie Sanders said we will transform our energy system away from fossil fuel.
• Joe Biden also talked about the need for climate action during his opening statement.
• Cory Booker pointed out that we don’t talk enough about environmental racism and injustice.
• Six candidates — Pete Buttigieg, Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, Cory Booker, and Bernie Sanders — mentioned climate and environmental issues in the discussion on trade and international relations.

Climate change has become one of the defining issues of the Democratic presidential primary. Every leading presidential candidate has released a comprehensive climate plan. People across the country are demanding a serious discussion of climate solutions, and the candidates are stepping up; it’s time that the debate moderators do the same. 

Fortunately, many of the presidential candidates are participating in next week’s Climate Forum at Georgetown University. We’re looking forward to a robust discussion about the climate crisis, its outsized impact on low-income communities and communities of color, and the benefits of just, equitable transition to 100% clean energy. 

Check out ODP’s @MiroKorenha discuss the upcoming #ClimateForum2020 presented by @ourdailyplanet @MSNBC @NYMag @GUPolitics on @morning_joe with @TheRevAl pic.twitter.com/9dcKIbqfwP

— Our Daily Planet (@ourdailyplanet) September 10, 2019

Also this week, Congressman Chris Pappas spoke with New Hampshire Public Radio about the importance of climate action in the presidential primary, noting “We only have a few years before we’re going to reach a tipping point and we’ve got to make sure that we stave off the worst that climate change can bring upon our state. We’re already seeing the impacts of it all around us. We can measure it in our own communities in terms of sea level rise of rainfall, temperature increases, the impacts on the moose population.” 

Finally, be sure to check out LCV Change the Climate 2020 Campaign Director Matt McKnight, Nevada Conservation League Executive Director Andy Maggi, and Chispa Nevada Program Director Rudy Zamora talk about the growing importance of climate change in the presidential primary with Nevada Public Radio. and the Nevada Current.