New President Will Shift Stance on Carbon

While Senators Clinton, McCain and Obama continue touring America as they campaign for the White House, their chief environmental advisers faced off in Washington, DC to debate the future of the nation's energy policy.

Democratic contender advisers Jason Grumet, representing Senator Obama, and Todd Stern, for Senator Clinton, had difficulty differentiating their candidate's nearly identical positions of capping carbon emissions and asking for individuals to be part of the solution for climate change. Republican presidential nominee John McCain's adviser, former CIA director James Woolsey, stood apart by offering a free market approach that would rely on innovation and businesses to enact change.

The event, billed as the "Political Climate: Environment, Energy and the 2008 Election," was held Friday at the National Press Club and organized by the Society for Environmental Journalists.

Clinton adviser Stern promoted a cap and trade carbon emissions systems based on the European model that would put a price on emissions and encourage the private sector to create a market that would benefit companies that reduce their carbon footprint. He said Senator Clinton would create a National Energy Council that would direct policy at a Cabinet-level position.

Senator Obama likewise supports a cap and trade system, but he believes that individuals would be a necessary component in the plan to reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, according to adviser Grumet. Obama believes the American people are "waiting to be called to sacrifice" and he would do so fully, he said.

Woolsey has publicly touted the need to reduce petroleum consumption for reasons of national security for several years before working with Senator McCain. He contrasted his candidate's position by stressing that removing market barriers to clean energy sources and streamlining the process would create the efficiencies in energy production to meet the goals of reducing carbon emissions. Individual sacrifice in reducing energy consumption or altering behavior is not necessary, according to Woolsey.

On the question of nuclear energy, both Democratic advisers said that nuclear energy would continue to be a component of the energy mix, but Obama's Grumet said the risks posed by nuclear waste were too high to consider expansion. "Senator Obama will not push forward with new nuclear plants until these problems are overcome with new technology.” Woolsey spoke the longest about the need to nuclear energy, stating that "Senator McCain believes it can be a useful addition to renewable sources and will remain part of the energy portfolio. Nuclear will remain on the table for base load electricity needs." He added that wind and solar energy, which only generate power intermittently, require nuclear power that is available on demand as a supplement.

All three candidates agree that carbon capture and sequestration of emissions from coal power plants was necessary, according to their advisers. Similarly all three would address energy policy in their first 100 days in office.

Because the responses to many of the questions prompted similar responses, each panel member was asked for a policy that clearly sets their respective candidate apart.

Senator McCain, whom Woolsey said admires the policies of Republican conservationist President Theodore Roosevelt, would push for spending an amount equivalent to $100 per vehicle on research and development on technologies for fuel efficiency.

Senator Obama would create a Venture Deployment Fund that would invest taxpayer dollars for capital to develop clean technology, according to Grumet.

Senator Clinton would focus on the need for international cooperation on addressing energy concerns. According to Stern, she would support the creation of an “E8” organization that would promote and support energy policy between developed and developing countries. Senator Clinton would also “move tax incentives from the oil industry to renewable energy,” he said.