Organizing for America

DEBATE REALITY CHECK: CLIMATE CHANGE

Tonight, Sarah Palin said: “We know it's real, I'm not one to attribute every activity of man to the changes in the climate. There is something to be said also for man's activities, but also for the cyclical temperature changes on our planet, but there are real changes going on in our climate, and I don't want to argue about the causes. “[Vice Presidential Debate, 10/2/08]


The Facts: Palin Doesn’t Believe Global Warming Result Of Human Activity, McCain Backing Away From His Own Bill

PALIN SAID SHE DOES NOT THINK GLOBAL WARMING WAS A RESULT OF HUMAN ACTIVITY

Palin Said She Did Not Believe Global Warming Was Man-Made. In an interview, Palin was asked her take on global warming. She responded, “A changing environment will affect Alaska more than any other state, because of our location. I'm not one though who would attribute it to being man-made.” [Newsmax, 8/29/08 ]

2006: Palin “Unconvinced” Of “Human Emissions” Impact On Global Warming. “During last fall's political campaign, Gov. Sarah Palin said she remained unconvinced about how much human emissions contribute to current global warming trends. She endorsed the work being undertaken by a new Alaska Climate Impact Assessment Commission created by the Legislature last May, which she said would help provide Alaskans with answers.” [Anchorage Daily News, 12/31/2006]

MCCAIN IS BACKING AWAY FROM HIS OWN CLIMATE CHANGE PROPOSAL AND HIS RUNNING MATE DOESN’T BELIEVE GLOBAL WARMING IS MAN MADE

Washington Post: What Was Missing From McCain’s Acceptance Speech Was Straight Talk About Combating Climate Change; It Was As If Palin “Exercised A Line-Item Veto On His Speech.” “We're happy that both Mr. McCain and Mr. Obama support a comprehensive approach to weaning the nation off imported oil. But what was missing from Mr. McCain's acceptance speech was straight talk about the other branch of a sensible energy policy: combating climate change. He is a vocal supporter and a one-time sponsor of legislation that would put a price on carbon. Yet he failed to explicitly mention the imperative of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It was as if his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who has questioned whether human activity contributes to global warming, exercised a line-item veto on his speech.” [Editorial, Washington Post, 9/6/08 ]

Ø McCain Has Taken To Denying That He Favors "Mandatory" Limits Even Though Its Central To The "Cap And Trade" Legislation He Has Sponsored. "McCain has lately taken to denying that he favors ‘mandatory’ limits on greenhouse gas emissions, even though a government-imposed limit is central to the ‘cap and trade’ legislation that he favors and has sponsored. The 2003 bill he sponsored jointly with then-Democratic Sen. Joe Lieberman (now an Independent) laid out a cap-and-trade system, which would put the brakes on the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere by requiring utilities and other industries to limit emissions.” [Factcheck.org, 6/20/08 ]