June, 27 2019, 12:00am EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact:
David Turnbull, david@priceofoil.org, 202-316-3499
Collin Rees, collin@priceofoil.org, 308-293-3159
Oil Change U.S. Responds to First sSet of Democratic Presidential Debates
In response to the first two nights of the Democratic presidential debates, David Turnbull, Strategic Communications Director of Oil Change U.S., provided the following comment:
"The first two nights of Democratic debates proved one thing when it comes to the climate crisis: We need a Climate Debate.
WASHINGTON
In response to the first two nights of the Democratic presidential debates, David Turnbull, Strategic Communications Director of Oil Change U.S., provided the following comment:
"The first two nights of Democratic debates proved one thing when it comes to the climate crisis: We need a Climate Debate.
"Despite some candidates' attempts to tie in the climate crisis to questions on other topics, the mere fifteen minutes of debate directly focused on the climate crisis of 240 minutes total -- a paltry six percent of debate time -- didn't scratch the surface of the robust discussion that the crisis deserves.
"Climate change is now a top tier issue for Democratic voters according to numerous polls. Eighteen of the twenty candidates onstage this week have taken the No Fossil Fuel Money pledge. Many of them support a Green New Deal, eliminating fossil fuel subsidies, ending fossil fuel leasing on public lands, and an end to fracking. But we didn't hear these crucial facts, because the debate moderators didn't spend the time needed to dive into the critical details of the candidates' plans to tackle the climate crisis.
"The climate questions asked were far too simplistic, and missed the chance to challenge candidates to demonstrate how committed they are to tackling the climate crisis, and what their plans are to take on the fossil fuel industry. The only thing we learned about the climate crisis this week was that we need a DNC-sanctioned climate debate, moderated by journalists who understand the issue."
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