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Next Wednesday, Jake Tapper will moderate the second GOP Presidential debate. Thanks to you, he is likely to ask the candidates about climate change. Click here to join us for an online debate party and let's make sure Jake follows through.
Friend,
Because of actions taken by members like you, Jake Tapper is likely going to press the GOP presidential candidates on climate change during next week's debate. If he does, it will be the first time many of these candidates are put on record in a debate about the most pressing issue facing our country -- Congratulations my friends, Operation Climate Conversation is working, and it's working in a big way.
Last week, Jake Tapper sent us a personal message telling us that he's heard our voices and even asked, "please stop flooding my twitter feed."1 Later that same day, CNN launched a new link so we can send in questions for the GOP debate. Again, you responded by flooding the CNN page with questions about climate change.2
Now we need Jake to follow through and ask the candidates about humanity's greatest challenge. Their answers could be historic, and it's going to be entertaining for sure. I can't think of any group I'd rather watch and discuss the debate with than you and the Climate Conversation team at Environmental Action. Click here to RSVP for our debate watch party with special co-hosts from Climate Truth next Wednesday, September 16th at 8PM Eastern/ 5PM Pacific.
Tapper asked us to submit questions that show the differences between candidates, and get at their core views on how they would lead this country. That's exactly why we started Operation Climate Conversation. We certainly delivered on our end, "flooding" his twitter account and the CNN website with tons of climate questions to ask the candidates. The ball is now squarely in Tapper's court, and we'll soon find out if he truly has journalistic integrity or if he's just blowing a bunch of hot air.
The way these candidates answer the call to act on climate really matters. Our next President can continue building on the policies of President Obama, or tear them all down and unleash climate catastrophe. Senate Republicans, including three GOP candidates, announced plans last month to undermine the President's climate agenda ahead of the summit in Paris this December.3 The multi-faceted plan includes everything from blocking the funds to help developing nations adapt and respond to climate impacts to intimidating international leaders so they won't cooperate with a global deal.
Three Republican candidates are Governors who are refusing to implement the Clean Power Plan, a new rule to reduce global warming pollution from power plants. But dozens of other governors, including Republicans like Rick Snyder of Michigan, are planning to comply because they know cutting pollution saves money, protects public health and creates jobs.4 What's more, we need every Governor to do more than implement the Clean Power Plan, we need them exceed the plan's modest goals and do more by banning fracking, investing in energy efficiency, and building cleaner transportation options if we're going to avoid catastrophic climate change.
Two weeks ago we commemorated the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the worst climate fueled disaster in our nation's history. Katrina is a stark reminder that we live in the age of climate change. We need to know if these candidates will follow Obama's lead, dismantle the progress we've made, or lead us to a fossil-fuel-free future for all. But we'll only find out those plans if the questions are asked at the debates - and we'll all find out and have a chance to chime in together on the candidate's answers next week.
Click here to join our debate watch party and let's see if Jake TAPS the climate.
Looking forward to watching with you,
Anthony and the Climate Conversational team at Environmental Action
PS - On social media? You can tweet @JakeTapper using the hashtag #CNNDebate or post on the show's Facebook wall here.
1. Jake Tapper, Twitter feed, September 2, 2015
2. CNN Debate page
3. Restuccia, Andrew. Republicans Plan Attack On Climate Pact. Politico Pro. September 3, 2015.
4. Daniel J. Graeber, Michigan stance highlights Clean Power Plan fray, UPI, September 2, 2015 |
