Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Climate + Oil + Politics = ?

For the first year of this long presidential race, there was little focus on energy, climate and the environment, presumably because polls and focus groups showed scant public concern about these issues. The last few weeks, and today in particular, have shown the power of high oil and gasoline prices to get politicians’ attention.

obama & gore
Senator John McCain, speaking in the heart of oil country (refining, not drilling, these days), gave an update to his May speech on climate and energy, trying to reconcile calls for fewer greenhouse gas emissions and more domestic oil drilling — in offshore waters that have been off limits for nearly four decades.
Mr. Obama has not made climate and energy a front-tier issue for the most part, although his proposals are laid out in detail on his campaign site. His stance on climate is similar to Mr. McCain’s, with both seeking legislation involving cap-and-trading mechanisms to cut greenhouse gas emissions (with slightly different targets and timing).
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