A moment of clarity in the chaos

By Bracken Hendricks, Evergreen Action co-founder

Last night, there was a moment of clarity amid the chaos. Did you hear it?

In the final stretch of the first debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden, moderator Chris Wallace of Fox News asked: “What do you believe about the science of climate change, and how will you address it?”

Climate was not on the list of debate topics Wallace released to the public last week. In fact, it had been twelve years since a moderator asked a question on climate change in a general election debate. And yet, it made it in. That’s because hundreds of thousands of people spoke up and demanded that climate be covered — and our voices were heard.

That’s a huge win. But we can’t let up now. Add your name to demand upcoming debate moderators ask more substantive questions about how Joe Biden and Donald Trump will approach the climate crisis.

Last night, Biden laid out a recovery agenda that would create millions of well-paying union jobs in a clean energy economy. He made a clear case for strong standards for American-made clean cars, retrofitting buildings to cut energy bills, and achieving 100% clean electricity by 2035. And while Trump refused to even denounce white supremacists, Biden’s plan both acknowledges and addresses environmental racism.

The contrast between Donald Trump and Joe Biden’s views on the climate crisis could not be clearer. But the debate must become more substantial, and this crisis must be given the time it deserves on the main stage of the presidential debate.

Let’s urge upcoming debate moderators — especially C-SPAN’s Steve Scully, who will moderate in Miami (a city already on the frontlines of this crisis) — to question Biden and Trump on their plans to address the climate crisis and rebuild the U.S. economy because American voters want to know. Add your name today!

Remember: There wasn’t supposed to be a climate question last night. It wasn’t on the official list of topics. But because hundreds of thousands of people across the country spoke out for the climate, even Fox News could not ignore it.

The work we’re doing — together, across the climate movement — matters. We won’t stop now.

Thanks,

Bracken Hendricks
Co-Founder and Senior Policy Advisor, Evergreen Action