#climate debate

During CNN’s two-night Democratic presidential primary debate in Detroit on July 30 and 31, only 9.5% of the questions were about climate change. Yet the climate crisis is one of the most pressing issues facing the nation and the world, and it is imperative that the public knows what candidates propose to do to move us towards a clean economy and a livable climate. 

Climate activists are redoubling their calls for one of the remaining 10 planned debates to be dedicated entirely to the climate crisis.

Climate change is one of the most pressing issues facing the world, and polling shows that American voters rank climate change as a top concern this election cycle.

It’s crucial that during the presidential debates, voters hear the candidates’ positions and policy proposals on climate change. Ahead of the first Democratic primary debates next week, here are some ways that the debate moderators can center climate change in their questions.

Climate activists are calling on the Democratic National Committee to make climate change the sole focus of at least one of its 12 planned presidential primary debates, and activists will be presenting petition signatures to the DNC headquarters this Wednesday.

Having a dedicated climate debate is crucial, but a Media Matters study found that only 1.5% of debate questions in the 2016 presidential primaries were about climate change. As the climate crisis worsens, it is imperative that the public knows what candidates propose to do to move us toward a clean economy and a stable, livable climate.