Democratic Candidates On Climate Change: 'We Don't Have Decades'

The climate crisis has inspired hundreds of thousands of young people to flood the streets in protest, although has only led to about 30 minutes of discussing between candidates throughout the opening four official debates, according to the New York Times. And it didn't get much better on the fifth democratic debate on Wednesday (November 20).


Shortly right following the initial hour of debate, some 2020 Democratic presidential candidates discussed about the climate crisis, nevertheless it didn't last long. The moment began when Rachel Maddow asked Hawaii Representative Tulsi Gabbard about the topic, and Gabbard mentioned it is time to break "hyper-partisanship" and get climate policies passed. Philanthropist Tom Steyer, who has spent millions of dollars combatting climate change, mentioned he was the "only candidate on this stage who will mention, climate change is the number one priority for me." He mentioned that, on his beginning day of his presidency, he would declare a state of emergency and make climate change piece of his foreign police before name-checking former Vice President Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren for not following suit.


"I don’t really require a sort of lecture from my friend," Biden said in response. "While I was passing a first climate change bill and was case in point a game changer, As soon as I managed the $90 billion recovery plan investing more cash in infrastructure that related to tidy energy than once we’ve ever done it, my friend was introducing more coal mines and produced more coal around the world, according to the press, than all of Fantastic Britain produces."


Entrepreneur Andrew Yang, for his part, thanked Steyer for spending cash to combat the climate crisis.


And Senator Bernie Sanders? He didn't even like the question. "Your question mentioned, 'What are you going to do in decades?' We don't have decades. What the scientists are telling us is that if we do not get our act with each other inside of the next eight or nine years, we're talking about cities all over the world. Major cities going under water. We're talking about increased drought. We're talking about increased extreme weather disturbances."


It seems that all candidates agree: Something needs to be done to combat the climate crisis. Although while in this debate they haven't given a ton of concrete answers about exactly how to do that.