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Edwards Goes Carbon Neutral
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ShareMarch 13, 2007 2:25 PM
ABC News' Paul Fidalgo Reports: Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., announced Tuesday that he will make his presidential campaign "carbon neutral," by purchasing carbon offsets, a kind of "carbon credit," to counteract the carbon emitted during campaign travel.
"Global warming is an emergency and we can’t wait until the next president is elected to take action," said Edwards in a press statement. "Each of us can take responsibility in small ways to make a big difference. I encourage all Americans to conserve energy in their own homes and workplaces and help fight global warming."
Carbon offsets are a means for individuals or companies to be paid to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions. Edwards also plans to financially support renewable energy initiatives in an effort to "reduce the need for carbon-based energy."
Gov. Tom Vilsack, D-Iowa, had intended to make his own campaign carbon neutral before financial stresses caused him to bow out of the contest in February. Edwards has boasted about scooping up many of Vilsack’s former supporters in the Hawkeye State, and perhaps adopting the former Iowa governor's campaign policy will bring a few more on board.
Edwards has been approached about running a carbon neutral campaign before, but had dismissed it as infeasible. In an interview with George Stephanopoulos on ABC's "This Week" in December of 2006, Edwards responded to Vice President Al Gore's commitment to carbon neutrality by saying, "He's better than me. It's hard to see how you could do it in a presidential campaign."
Apparently, Edwards has since found a way.
March 13, 2007 in Tancredo, Tom | Permalink | User Comments (6)
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Carbon neutral? John Edward lives in a 28,000 square foot home in North Carolina. No, that's not a misprint - 28,000 square feet. I enjoy watching Republicans and Democrats alike talking about how much they love the environment and how they represent the common folk. Anybody else reading this have a house that big?
Posted by: Gary | Mar 13, 2007 3:56:06 PM
Of course they will claim they "represent us." They rarely do. Ultimately, I don't trust any politician, whether they are blue, red, green or anything else.
Posted by: Griffin | Mar 13, 2007 4:40:26 PM
I hate when voters get caught up on hypocrisy criticism. I think it's awesome that one candidate at least claims to be focused on environmental reform.
Of course world leaders are going to pollute more than average commuters! The most powerful man/woman on the planet has places to go! The question is whether their rule leads to a net increase or net decrease in pollution and how that compares to the other candidates.
My vote is for which ever sensible candidate I believe will protect our environment the best.
Jesse, Santa Cruz, CA
Posted by: Jesse | Mar 13, 2007 8:08:30 PM
This cabon neutral thing is stupid. It is a feel good solution that has no impact on their abuse of the environment.
Posted by: Leaper57 | Mar 14, 2007 6:56:21 AM
This is a great first step by any of the Presidential candidates. We have a real opportunity to stop global warming. Most of the 'carbon offset' companies take their income and use it to fund renewable energy programs (such as solar and wind stations) as well as invest in researching better renewable technology. By taking this step, the Edwards campaign is not only offsetting its carbon, the campaign is also investing in future technologies so that someday we can be free of fossil fuels. This is real leadership! Go John go!
Posted by: Kyle | Mar 14, 2007 9:26:43 PM
I bet his house scandal changed his mind.
Posted by: zac | Mar 21, 2007 9:08:47 AM
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