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Tuesday’s US Presidential debate was remarkable for many reasons – but climate was not one of them. However, we listened hard and a few key points shed some light on the topic. 

In the verbal sparring, there was only one point where climate came up, and it was the final question of the night. Framed by the moderator as “important for a number of Americans, in particular younger voters,” each candidate was asked about their position on climate change.

Former President Donald Trump largely ignored the question, instead focusing on “fracking” (the hydraulic fracturing process used to extract natural gas), saying “She will never allow fracking in Pennsylvania…If she won the election, the day after that election, they’ll go back to destroying our country and oil will be dead, fossil fuel will be dead.”  

Trump then went into convoluted discussion on renewables saying he is “big fan” of solar power but then complaining that solar farms take up too much space. He has railed against electric vehicles but then also said he was a “big fan” after receiving an endorsement from Elon Musk, the head of Tesla. He has pledged to “drill, baby, drill” and shred President Biden’s climate policies. He has promised to dismantle the Environmental Protection Agency, and withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement, as he did during his first term.

Vice President Kamala Harris responded to the question with this: “The former president has said that climate change is a hoax, and what we know is that it is very real.” She also played both sides by boasting about the Biden administration’s record-breaking gas production, reiterating, “I will not ban fracking,” and saying that developing oil and gas was necessary for national security.

The Harris campaign issued a tiny glimmer on climate and energy policy before Wednesday’s debate saying: “She will unite Americans to tackle the climate crisis as she builds on this historic work, advances environmental justice, protects public lands and public health, increases resilience to climate disasters, lowers household energy costs, creates millions of new jobs, and continues to hold polluters accountable to secure clean air and water for all.” 

Reactions from environmental groups were mixed: Stevie O’Hanlon of the Sunrise Movement said Ms. Harris “spent more time (at the debate) promoting fracking than laying out a bold vision for a clean energy future.” But most think she is doing enough to show the difference between the two candidates. Sarah Burton of the Sierra Club said, “One candidate is offering an ambitious vision for a clean energy future, and the other is spouting incoherent lies and conspiracy theories.”

Related Article: Tim Mohin: The Backlash to the ESG Backlash

While climate is an existential threat, it will be in the background for this campaign. The New York Times did a nice job imagining the five climate, energy, and environmental questions that should have been asked at the debate. They also did their best to suggest how each candidate might answer the questions based on their historic policies and speeches – oh to dream!