When Fred Thompson quipped that there's global warming on Jupiter and Mars, it captured how out of touch his campaign is with American sentiment. The eco-vote is becoming a bigger issue than many pollsters had believed even six months ago. All the major hopefuls profess to be some shade of green. One trend is clear for both parties: the higher a candidate's standing, the paler green he or she is. The exception, of course, is Thompson.
Hillary Clinton__: __Supports cap-and-trade and 80% carbon cut by 2050; calls for raising CAFE standard to 35 mpg in 10 years and will use power of the presidency to implement it if Congress refuses to act.
Barack Obama: Supports cap-and-trade and 80% carbon cut by 2050; has called for 50 mpg within 18 years or 1 mpg per year; supports tax credits for auto industry to acheive it.
John Edwards: Supports cap-and-trade and 80% carbon cut by 2050; calls for 40 mpg by 2016 and supports $1 billion per year to fund innovations in fuel efficiency.
Bill Richardson: Supports cap-and-trade and 80% carbon reduction by 2040; supports raising CAFE to 50mpg by 2020.
Rudy Giulliani: Has no specific energy or emissions policy, but has rejected cap-and-trade limits.
Mitt Romney: Has committed to neither cap-and-trade or fuel efficiency standards, but has stated that he would consider them if they were part of a comprehensive energy bill.
John McCain: Co-sponsored the Senate's cap-and-trade bill and wants 65% reduction in carbon emissions by 2050; has no stated policy on mileage goals for automobiles.
Fred Thompson: Claims that the solar system is warming, not the earth; opposes CAFE standards.
Source: Time
