Anticipation was high for this week’s CNN Climate Crisis Town Halls for the top ten Democratic presidential candidates, and Green Banks saw a surge of attention in the detailed plans released beforehand by candidates. The town hall events themselves yielded some interesting takeaways that point to the future of Democrats’ plans for climate action.
Grassroots action worked: Climate advocates, and especially youth-led organizations like the Sunrise Movement, pushed hard for this event to take place. While it didn’t end up following their preferred format (they initially called for a debate between the candidates) it did unquestionably spur the candidates to create substantive, detailed climate proposals that they might not have produced if not for the event.
Inslee’s legacy lives on: Jay Inslee may have dropped out of the race, but the his climate plans lived on as the remaining candidates strove to position themselves as his successor. They incorporated his ideas into their latest round of climate proposals, and mentioned him by name in the town hall events. He was the first candidate to propose a national Green Bank, and others are now following suit.
Focus was on substance: Candidates and audience questions kept the focus on the big-picture issues and decisions around climate action. One of the most replayed lines of the night was Elizabeth Warren’s “give me a break!” when asked about incandescent lightbulbs. She correctly pointed out that climate action will need to involve major changes from high-emitting sectors and industries. Using efficient lightbulbs and avoiding disposable plastic straws are good personal actions to take, but our discussion needs to be much bigger than that.
Read more in some of top reactions from other commentators:
The New York Times: 5 Takeaways From the Democrats’ Climate Town Hall
“[The event] was something of a consolation prize for what many candidates and activists really wanted: an official Democratic debate devoted to climate change, which the Democratic National Committee refused to hold. But it was also more in-depth than any official debate would have been — because did we mention it lasted seven hours? — and left no doubt that climate change has become one of the most important issues in the 2020 primary.”
Axios: The takeaways from 2020 Democrats’ marathon CNN climate town hall
“There are real differences between the candidates. Underneath their vows to act aggressively, the event laid bare divides over varying topics [including:] Nuclear power.. Fracking and natural gas… [and] Carbon pricing.”
Vox: 6 winners and 3 losers from CNN’s climate town hall
“There was a lot that could have gone wrong, so it’s remarkable so much went right. The town hall easily outshone the muddled discussion in the paltry half-hour or so devoted to climate change across eight hours of official Democratic debates.”
Huffington Post: Elizabeth Warren Nails Why We’re Having Arguments About Straws And Lightbulbs
“Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) urged Americans not to get distracted by climate arguments over plastic straws and lightbulbs, saying Wednesday that just one group benefits from such outrage campaigns: the fossil fuel industry.”