Each US presidential candidate touts his or her record on the environment. Indeed, I am often asked: “Who has the best environmental program?” The good news is that all three candidates give relatively strong consideration to the environment. Yet until recently, I had to blush and say that John McCain was the one with the best program, if only because his plan included specifics.
I wasn’t the only one to point this out. Surrounded recently at a dinner with NGO leaders, Washington insiders, and one of the three registered lobbyists for the environment on Capitol Hill, the topic came up and I voiced my opinion; all agreed. But my opinion, and I am sure others by now too, has changed.
Newsweek this week tries to answer the question of “who’s the greenest of them all” and in doing so points out: that McCain last year missed 15 votes on environmental issues. However, it says, “the League of Conservation Voters, which influences mainstream environmental groups, are still undecided on which candidate to endorse.”
Newsweek says, ”Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are considered strong environmental candidates. Meanwhile, John McCain, who had a 2007 league rating of zero because he missed all 15 votes, is still a strong candidate since his lifetime LCV rating is 26 percent, compared to an average of 16 percent for all Republicans.”
Perhaps this coverage will help raise the profile of the environment during the election. So far, if you’ve been paying attention, the issue has been in the back row. With Earth Day approaching, the environment will certainly move closer to the front of the stage, which is better than where the Bush Administration has kept it: Outside.
For the best rundown on where they stand, check each of the candidates’ web sites (hillaryclinton.com, johnmccain.com, barackobama.com). Click on the issues tab, and the environment header appears. Sure, it’s not on the front page — yet.
But I am confident that it will be.
Thomas M. Kostigen is The New York Times bestselling coauthor of