I've been pretty critical of President Obama's energy policies but I was surpised by the attention he paid to climate change during his speech last night at the Democratic Convention:

My plan will continue to reduce the carbon pollution that is heating our planet — because climate change is not a hoax. More droughts and floods and wildfires are not a joke. They are a threat to our children’s future. And in this election, you can do something about it.

This was quite the contrast to Mitty Romney. During his acceptance speech for the Republican nomination, he stated: "President Obama promised to begin to slow the rise of the oceans and to heal the planet. MY promise … is to help you and your family." (Note: That's a contrast from Romney's presidential run in 2008 when he stated climate change was happening and humans were contributing. Then he lost.)

This speech wasn't a home run for the environment. He mentioned clean coal and fracking but his batting average was still pretty high last night, making the case for clean energy and efficiency:

You can choose the path where we control more of our own energy. After thirty years of inaction, we raised fuel standards so that by the middle of the next decade, cars and trucks will go twice as far on a gallon of gas. We’ve doubled our use of renewable energy, and thousands of Americans have jobs today building wind turbines and long-lasting batteries. …

We’re offering a better path — a future where we keep investing in wind and solar …; where farmers and scientists harness new biofuels to power our cars and trucks; where construction workers build homes and factories that waste less energy.

Here is the full text of the speech and video, followed by Romney's.

 

 

 

 

 

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